Trailblazing wheeling solutions
March 2024
News
George dam.
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) has recently released a detailed guide on the integration of embedded generation and wheeling in municipal electricity billing systems. Notably featured in this guide is the fruitful collaboration between George Municipality and Open Access Energy, signifying a major progression in South Africa’s energy landscape. The guide, produced in collaboration with Sustainable Energy Africa, presents a comprehensive overview and valuable insights into this emerging sector.
According to the published guide, George Municipality faced substantial challenges with its existing metering data management system when it planned to introduce wheeling between municipal clients. The system struggled to process the detailed and frequent data required for sophisticated wheeling transactions, and limited the ability for municipal employees and wheelers to effectively allocate wheeled time-of-use (TOU) electricity.
Open Access Energy’s Amptera software emerged as the solution to these challenges. Amptera helped George Municipality to overcome the complexities of wheeling transactions. The software provides comprehensive AMR functionality, allowing for the reading of smart meters, storage of meter data, and access for both the municipality and bulk meter customers to this data. Amptera enables TOU reconciliation, data aggregation and evaluation. These are crucial for real-time billing information calculation in order to streamline energy management and billing processes.
Gerjo Hoffman, CEO of Open Access Energy.
Gerjo Hoffman, CEO of Open Access Energy, said: “Amptera has revolutionised the wheeling process by enabling access to billable smart meter data in real time, thus allowing wheelers to accurately allocate energy without the risk of overallocation and potential losses. Furthermore, it ensures that allocations are credited to the customer’s account immediately in the month of wheeling, significantly mitigating any credit risk to the wheeler. This is a game-changer in the energy sector, providing a reliable and efficient solution for contemporary energy distribution challenges.”
Established in 2021, Open Access Energy is South Africa’s first multilateral wheeling software platform. Alongside Amptera, they offer EnergyPro – a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution aimed at independent power producers (IPPs) and energy traders, assisting wheelers in distributing energy to multiple customers.
This initiative by George Municipality and Open Access Energy exemplifies a significant step forward in South Africa’s journey towards more adaptable and efficient energy distribution, demonstrating the potential of innovative technology in addressing complex challenges in the energy sector.
For more information contact Dirk Slabbert, Paddington Station PR, +27 73 050 8530, [email protected], www.openaccess.energy
Further reading:
4Sight OT Automation achieves prestigious AVEVA Endorsed Partner status
News
4Sight OT Automation, a leading industrial software solutions provider, has achieved Endorsed Partner status within the AVEVA Partner Network.
Read more...
Schneider Electric announces 2023 Global Alliance Partner Programme award winners
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric has announced the winners of the 2023 Global Alliance Excellence Awards. Throughout 2023, Schneider Electric’s Alliance Partners supported customers in the digitalisation of industrial automation, delivering value with innovative initiatives, solutions and services.
Read more...
Custom containerised lubrication dispensing system
News
Bosch Rexroth Africa recently supplied and installed a customised environmentally friendly and dust-proof lubrication dispensing system for a leading earth-moving equipment supplier.
Read more...
Siemens to acquire industrial drive technology business of ebm-papst
Siemens South Africa
News
Siemens has signed an agreement to acquire the industrial drive technology business of ebm-papst. The business includes intelligent, integrated mechatronic systems in the protective extra-low voltage range and innovative motion control systems.
Read more...
Bearings International fosters a segment strategy
Bearings International
News
Bearings International has a segment approach to the market, which places an intentional focus on key industries in South and sub-Saharan Africa in a bid to optimise operations, enhance uptime, and drive business sustainability and increased profitability outcomes for customers.
Read more...
Local robotics team’s journey to the world stage
News
In the heart of Cape Town, a group of young visionaries aged 12 to 17 is making waves in the world of robotics. Known as Texpand, this team from Pinelands has not only dominated the First Tech Challenge (FTC) in South Africa, but has also earned international acclaim for its innovative approach to engineering and problem solving.
Read more...
RS Group expands by 10 000 products
RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa has announced its Better World Claims Based Framework, enabling customers to select verified sustainable product alternatives. This provides suppliers with a standardised framework to accelerate the development and manufacture of more sustainable and responsible products.
Read more...
IRP 2023 could reset SA’s social and economic problems
News
ACTOM recently held a webinar on the ‘Draft IRP2023 Impact on the Manufacturing Sector’. South Africa’s Draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 is a key document that outlines a comprehensive strategy for addressing the country’s energy security challenges, while also setting out its transition to a diversified energy mix, including renewables.
Read more...
Young scientists to showcase innovative research
News
Innovative South African research which includes a cost-effective triage test for real-time detection of TB and a nature-based technology that brings about environmental remediation, will be showcased at this year’s International Festival of Engineering, Science and Technology in Tunisia.
Read more...
Moog takes a leadership position in lunar exploration
News
NASA is planning for a sustained human presence on the Moon, and resources such as water could eventually be harnessed from the lunar surface instead of being transported from Earth, and it has turned to industry to find ways to excavate and transport that icy regolith.
Read more...
printer friendly version