Enel’s  installation highlights the current push from governments to move towards a smart metering system for residences and businesses. Smart meter adoption will help users measure their power consumption and enable utilities to provide more accurate billing and analysis.

Analyst firm IDC recently referenced Enel’s deployment in its report, “The Role of Rugged PCs in Successful Rollouts of Smart Metering Systems,”, which highlights the need for utility workers to be equipped with a rugged mobile computing solution, that features a broadband connection, and can survive hostile field environments including  inclement weather, extreme temperatures and vibrating vehicle cabs. In the report, IDC uses Enel and its crews to show that low mobile computer failure rates are the only way to limit the amount of downtime for those workers responsible for the field installation and maintenance of smart meters.

As mentioned above, Enel initially used handheld PDAs, but overtime realized that such a device did not fully match the needs of its crews. Following a few proof-of-concept trails with various tablet PC devices, the utility decided to deploy Panasonic Toughbook 19s, more than 5,300 of them, all fitted with a mobile broadband connection. The fully-rugged convertible tablet PC gave Enel’s smart meter technicians the performance, reliability and connectivity needed to handle the multiple applications they ran in the field, including meter exchange, cartography, GPS and database access as well as basic programs like email and web browsing. Four years later, these rugged computers have maximized the operational efficiency of Enel’s mobile workforce.

As countries around the world continue to upgrade current systems to include smart grids, the need to include rugged mobile computers as part of that infrastructure upgrade will only increase.

The U.K.-based utility Centrica had a similar experience with its Smart Grid rollout.

In 2009, Centrica began rolling out smart meters to its customers – the first large-scale rollout in the U.K. In the next two decades, the company looks to rollout 50 million smart meters across the U.K. With over 100,000 smart meters already installed, Centrica is on track to complete two million installations by the end of 2012.

Before initiating this project, Centrica evaluated about 20 different types of mobile devices to aid in the installation and activation of meters. After assessing battery life, screen size and portability, Centrica selected the Panasonic Toughbook H1 Field. It was also important that the device was easy to navigate while wearing gloves. However, the H1 Field’s full Windows OS was the deciding factor since Centrica’s applications were natively built for that platform.

Other features of the H1 Field which are beneficial for smart meter technicians include GPS, protection against water and dust, wireless connectivity and shock-resistance.

You can find more information on rugged PCs for successful smart meter rollouts on the Toughbloggers site here.

With a massive update to an aging power grid like his, it is important that a utility have a solid infrastructure in place to support it. An essential element to this infrastructure are the field technicians responsible for the installation of smart meters and their maintenance. In order to operate efficiently, they need to be equipped with a rugged mobile computing solution that can withstand the hostile environments often experienced by utility crews, such as inclement weather, extreme temperatures and vibrating vehicle cabs. In the report, IDC finds that low mobile computer failure rates are the only way to limit the amount of downtime for those workers responsible for the installation and maintenance of smart meters.

Additionally, these technicians should have a rugged laptop with a full operating system to handle the multiple applications smart meter technicians run such as custom software for data encryption, meter exchange, cartography, GPS and database access as well as basic programs like email and web browsing. Running all these programs would prove to be too much for a device running Windows Mobile.

IDC also identified connectivity, specifically wireless broadband connection, as an integral part of a successful rugged computing solution.  A rugged computer equipped GPS capabilities and wireless broadband allows for immediate access to critical data from headquarters and vice versa. Workers in the field can access and process work orders via wireless broadband, can detect which meters are not working and can use GPS to help them navigate to the next job location.  This is especially useful in rural areas where technicians for years relied on their experience and knowledge of the local area to navigate through their service territory.

With the push for a more efficient energy grid in the United States, the number of smart meters deployed across the United States will continue to grow. IDC notes that “the choice of a wrong (mobile computing) device can lead to inefficiencies that multiply by the number of users, and that can easily scale into the thousands.” A rugged computing device with these features noted above will be a critical tool for utilities as they upgrade their infrastructure to incorporate smart meters.

In an effort to improve worker efficiency, the utility outfitted each of its water engineers and samplers with a Panasonic Toughbook. The company is currently refreshing its Toughbook deployment of 18s with Toughbook 19s.

These Toughbook 18s and 19s are being used to deliver work schedules to engineers, including customer dialogue details and problem histories. At the same time, geographic information system (GIS) software helps locate water assets above and below ground.

Wireless connectivity via 3G broadband and Wi-Fi allows workers to update the utilities database in real time. For example, if a pipe was to burst, engineers can use the device’s touchscreen to draw a map of the impact zone and send that image back to headquarters.

Given England’s rugged terrain and frequent rain and snow, the Toughbook 19’s combination of durability and reliability make it the ideal tool for the utility’s numerous field workers.

“The Toughbook helps us serve our customers better,” Yorkshire Water IT director Alan Harrison said. “By getting data out into the field, our guys can make decisions quickly and feed critical data back into the system. Everyone sees what’s going on.”

For more information on Yorkshire Water’s Toughbook deployment check out the full case study on the European Toughbook site here.

Additionally, see the Toughbook 19s in action in a video of the deployment below:

EDF Energy is one of the largest energy companies in the UK, generating around one-fifth of the country’s electricity and delivering it to around a quarter of the UK’s population via its electricity distribution networks.

When EDF Energy needed a simple solution to replace an outdated paper system used by its field sales force, it found out that finding the best solution wasn’t straightforward. This new solution was needed as part of an effort to improve information flow and support ambitious ecological targets – the company set a goal of reducing paper use by 30 percent –  as part of the company’s environmental initiatives.

In 2006, with these challenges in mind in, the company embarked on a task to equip all of EDF Energy’s field service agents with a device to capture customer details electronically and completely replace the old paper system. Prior to the introduction of an electronic solution, there was a tremendous amount of hand written paper work that resulted in significant inefficiencies and potential data entry errors.

In 2007 initial trials began with a laptop and two tablet PCs, but a number of issues were discovered, including the need for signature capture capabilities, improved daylight screen visibility, lighter weight and longer battery life. The second stage of the trail involved deploying 100 A4 size tablets to field personnel, but almost immediately the project team began to receive concerned calls regarding the weight of the device.

In 2008, with limited time to trail a device, Panasonic approached EDF with the new Toughbook U1. The size, weight and functionality of the device made it immediately popular with the review team. By December of 2008, EDF had rolled out over 600 Toughbook U1s.

Since the introduction of the Toughbook U1, EDF Energy efficiency and service delivery has reached new heights: errors have decreased, information availability and accuracy has been enhanced, data security improved and paper wastage, unnecessary travel and C02 emissions reduced.

To read the full EDF Energy case study, go to the European Toughbook website.

According to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), 90% of weather-related outages are caused by trees hitting power lines, making vegetation management an integral part of any utility’s business. In the last three to four years, FERC has introduced additional regulations; one stating that by 2012, utilities should supply 95% of all customers with absolute, uninterrupted power 99.999% of the time.

These regulations show a need for innovation within the utility sector and a greater call for vegetation management. To address this issue, we partnered on a presentation at DistribuTECH with vegetation management specialist Henry King of ArborMetrics Solutions Company Inc.  ArborMetrics has deployed convertible tablet Toughbook 19s to its mobile workforce which operates in 12 states, often in remote forests locations only accessible on foot.

During our presentation, “Automating Vegetation Management,” we discussed the value of rugged mobile computers to the utility workforce, focusing on how connectivity can provide field employees with the latest work orders and information, thus maximizing worker productivity. Additionally, Henry discussed the challenges and benefits of transitioning his workforce from pen and paper to a wireless mobile computing solution.

The deployment surpassed the company’s goals and has now become a benchmark for other initiatives with parent company, Asplundh Tree Expert Co. Some of these topics are addressed in a video case study we recently developed, which can be found here.

For more insight on our offerings in the Utilities market, click on this link.

Did you attend DistribuTECH? If so, let us know your thoughts below.

These questions have lately focused on what type of device to deploy with their growing number of “walking workers.” These are individuals who are completely mobile for large parts of their day and have to operate in environments hostile to technology such as rain, dust, bright light, vibration and extreme temperatures. These environments are typically found with utility meter readers, line repairmen and utility vegetation management personnel. Besides being rugged enough for the work environment, these workers need a device that is light weight, fully functional and integrated with a host of practical features. 

A new class of rugged ultra-mobile PCs (UMPC) is finally providing these workers with a functional mobile computing solution that combines the mobility of a handheld with the functionality of a laptop. Although these devices fit into the palm of the user’s hands, they integrate barcode scanners, RFID, GPS, cameras and hot-swappable batteries, improving device functionality and driving productivity.

Walking workers also need reliable mobile Internet connectivity offered by WiFi and mobile broadband for tasks such as remote water management and central database access. The also a rugged package for maximum durability for the environment in which they work.

Panasonic’s Toughbook U1 is a mobile solution for utility workers with all of the features described above. If you’re interested in more information about the role of rugged UMPCs in the water and wastewater sector, check out this article in Water Utility Management.