E Source Announces Top Utilities in Large Business Customer Satisfaction
Date: August 31, 2010
BOULDER, CO, September 1, 2010—Silicon Valley Power, Portland General Electric, Florida Power & Light Co., and Tacoma Power took top honors in the 2010 E Source Gap and Priority Benchmark: A Survey of Utility Large Business Customers. Silicon Valley Power’s large business customers gave the utility uniformly high scores in every measure, including satisfaction with the utility and their account representative and the value provided by the utility relative to the price paid for energy. Silicon Va
lley Power received an overall rating of 9.0 on a scale from 1 to 10.
Portland General Electric, Florida Power & Light, and Tacoma Power tied for second place with an overall rating of 8.6. Portland General Electric’s customers were notably satisfied with their account representatives, who were among the best in the industry. Florida Power & Light’s account management team also led its utility to high marks because the utility’s customers rated their account representatives highly in the value provided relative to the price paid for energy. Tacoma Power performed particularly well in the satisfaction and value provided by the utility itself, although it’s important to note that the account management team also scored highly in satisfaction.
The annual E Source Gap and Priority Benchmark is based on survey responses from more than 1,400 U.S. utility large business customers. In addition to indicating their most important priorities, customers were asked to rate their satisfaction and the overall value provided by their utility and their utility account representative.
According to the 2010 survey results, reliability continues to be of top importance to large business customers, and they still strongly feel that their utilities aren’t doing enough to keep prices down. Perceived fairness and attentiveness to customers’ needs are the prime drivers of satisfaction this year.
Mike Hildebrand, director of E Source Business & Residential Market Services, explains, “Utilities can take quick action by understanding the three main pieces of the customer service puzzle provided by the survey results: what’s important to their large business customers, what improves satisfaction the most, and the gap between where they are now and where their customers want them to be.”
Participating utilities receive an in-depth individualized report analyzing the largest gaps between what their customers perceive as important and how well the utility actually performs, along with actionable recommendations for improvement. All participants also receive the summary report “2010 E Source Gap and Priority Benchmark: A Survey of Utility Large Business Customers,” which provides a national benchmark of large business customer needs, highlights best practices, and offers overall recommendations for utilities wishing to improve large business customer satisfaction. This benchmark study is conducted annually in the spring for members of the E Source Business Market Service. Other utilities may participate for a fee. For more information, please visit www.esource.com/public/products/bms#benchmark.
About E Source
E Source has been providing unbiased, objective energy business intelligence to over 300 utilities and large energy users for more than 20 years. Our benchmarking services are supported by the latest market research looking at what customers want from their utilities. Our research analysts and consultants are among the best minds in the business, delivering significant and timely research that equips our customers with the right information at the right time to make better, faster decisions. We predict and address trends, technologies, and problems related to energy efficiency, utility customer satisfaction, program design, marketing, customer management, and sustainability. For more information, please visit www.esource.com.
Public Relations Contact
For details about scheduling interviews with the research staff or service manager involved with this benchmark study, please contact:
Wendy Bloechle, Director of Marketing, E Source
wendy_bloechle@esource.com
303-345-9158… more…Customer Feedback Guides New Evluma LED Product: The Clearlight Beacon
Date: August 19, 2010
Seattle – August 18, 2010. Seattle based LED Lighting Manufacturer, Evluma, went straight to their customer base for the inspiration behind the Clearlight Beacon, a powerful, new 55W member of the Clearlight line of LED replacement luminaires for dusk-till-dawn fixtures. Evluma spent months in the field with over 20 different electrical cooperatives and municipalities during the development of this soon to be released product.
Evluma sent a cross section of prototype Clearlight Beacons t
o customers for evaluation and selected the final configuration based on the feedback. While the higher wattage LED driver remained consistent, several different LED color temperatures and candela distribution patterns were compared. “We can’t thank our current and potential customers enough for their candor and insight regarding what would make a suitable replacement for their legacy MV and HPS bulbs,” said David Tanonis, VP of Sales & Marketing. “Working with a new technology, such as LEDs, permits us to rethink existing applications and fixtures to create a variety of energy-efficient solutions.”
The 55W / 120V Clearlight Beacon is a mogul base, direct screw-in replacement similar to the 40W Clearlight Wide Optic, which Evluma will re-christen the EcoSpot. “When comparing these two products you’ll see that the 40W EcoSpot delivers a very controlled, full-cut off ‘spot’ of light with exceptional energy efficiency. Customers requiring a wider wash of light, for remote rural areas or streetlights, chose the Beacon,” said Mr. Tanonis. Preliminary tests confirm the Beacon to have the highest LPW of any Clearlight and a CCT of 4100°K. LM-79 data will be published prior to Evluma taking orders in September 2010.
Among the co-ops and municipalities that participated in the Beacon evaluation were: Otsego Electric Coop, NY, Delaware County Cooperative, NY, Oneida Madison Coop, NY, Steuben Electric Coop, NY, City of Independence, IA, City of Greenport, NY, City of Colman, SD, City of Grand Haven, MI, Village of Sherburne, NY, Highline Electric Association, CO, Sangre De Cristo Electric Association, CO, Parke County REMC, IN, Black River Electric Cooperative, Inc., SC, Fayetteville PWC, NC, Southern Indiana Power, IN, Central Indiana Power, IN, Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc, IN, Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc., SC, Santee Cooper, SC, SMECO, MD, and NOVEC, VA.
This preliminary announcement of the Clearlight Beacon comes at a time when many states and municipalities are seeking to ban the use of environmentally hazardous Mercury Vapor bulbs. “As a simple screw-in replacement, the Clearlight can help relieve the unnecessary maintenance burden that comes with replacing an entire fixture,” said Mr. Tanonis.
The Clearlight Beacon will be on display at APPA Customer Connections Conference and at NWPAA’s Innovation Conference.
About Evluma
Evluma is a division of Express Imaging Systems, LLC a small business with over 150 years of combined experience developing lighting applications for photographic equipment and the photofinishing industry. Formed in 2008, Evluma is committed to developing environmentally low impact lighting solutions that are affordable and long lasting.
For more information, please contact:
David Tanonis, 925-998-4297 dtanonis@evluma.com
… more…JEA Selects Tantalus Homerun Network for Fiber-Based Smart Grid
Date: August 18, 2010
Raleigh, NC – August 18, 2010 – Jackson Energy Authority (JEA) has selected Tantalus as its Smart Grid technology platform. This deployment marks the fifth utility to implement a Tantalus Homerun™ Network, which leverages a utility-owned FTTH (Fiber to the Home) network for triple-play media as well as Smart Grid functionality.
JEA is a municipal utility located midway between Nashville and Memphis that operates one of the most advanced utility-owned fiber-optic networks in the country. T
he huge bandwidth afforded by fiber enables JEA to roll out a range of demand response applications such as Tantalus smart thermostats and load control for residential and C&I customers, in addition to implementing smart metering to over 100,000 electric, water and gas endpoints.
The project also includes strategic deployment of electric meters equipped with remote disconnect under glass switches, which allows JEA to effectively address non-payments and move-in / move-outs directly from its operations center via TUNet®, the Tantalus Utility Network. This gives JEA a rapid, reliable and financially practical way to stop and start service without a site visit.
JEA’s CEO Danny Wheeler says that triple play and the Smart Grid are a natural fit. “When we committed to building the EPlus network in 2004, our focus was on the new entertainment and high-speed information services we could offer. Tantalus showed us how to get additional value out of this key community asset by using it to improve behind-the-scenes functions and those that enable us to interact with consumers in ways that can save them money and conserve energy.”
“A Tantalus Homerun Network made for an extremely positive business case,” he added. “We get double duty out of EPlus as it is both the backbone for rich media services and the data pipeline to hundreds of thousands of utility endpoints – meters, load shedding devices, and smart thermostats that alert customers when different price levels are in effect.”
Wheeler said that JEA investigated a number of AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) technologies before choosing TUNet. “Tantalus stood out because of its experience in delivering a robust wireless communications network while leveraging FTTH and its full portfolio of metering and demand response products. Tantalus brings field proven experience in similar deployments and supports the interactive energy efficiency applications endorsed by the TVA.”
More than 30 utilities throughout North America now use Tantalus technology, including 10 in the Tennessee Valley. Of these, five are deploying Tantalus Homerun Networks and the balance use 220 MHz RF, a long-range, cost-effective communications option that enables utilities in some of the state’s most mountainous, densely foliated environments to provide the same advanced functionality over a wireless network.
“Not since the 1930s when the TVA made electricity widely available throughout the Valley has there been a modernization project this significant in the region,” said Eric Murray, Tantalus President & CEO, speaking of the large number of utilities in the Tennessee Valley deploying broadband-based Smart Grid systems. “It’s putting cities like Jackson, Chattanooga, Pulaski, and Morristown miles ahead in their ability to provide leading edge public services and give consumers real choice and control over the way they use energy.”
… more…Service Concepts Joins APPA - Brings Added Value Efficiency Programs
Date: August 09, 2010
Service Concepts, an Indiana based organzation created in 1999 by rural electric utilities, has joined the ranks of APPA as an Corporate Associate Member.
"We're excited about the opportunities we'll have to assist APPA members with tested and trusted energy efficiency ideas, new products and programs." stated Steve Thrash, Service Concepts CEO. "We've worked hard for over ten years now and grown to help hundreds of local utilities identify, evaluate and find best-in-class manufacturers o
f quality products and services. We have initiated or otherwise supported hundreds of energy related educational and value-added programs for the benefit of utility end-consumers. We'll now bring that experience and buying power to share in concert with APPA and it's municipal members across the U.S."
High quality street and security lighting, holiday lights and water conservation savers, weatherization kits and consumer oriented in-home monitoring and management devices are just a few of the programs offered to utilities and their local consumers by Service Concepts.
Steve added, "APPA is a tremendous resource for it's members and the industry at large. We welcome the opporruntiy to join forces for the benefit of member utilities and the local constituents and communities they serve."
… more…Date: August 03, 2010
CoreTrace, the leading provider of secure and flexible application whitelisting solutions, announced today a powerful new version of its flagship product, BOUNCER™ 6.0. New functionality, including intuitive administration and application intelligence, positions CoreTrace at the forefront of application whitelisting innovation and offers enterprises an even easier to implement and maintain solution, leading to significant time and money savings.
"Despite application whitelisting's clear s
ecurity advantages over traditional approaches, some IT professionals have delayed adoption because of concerns around scalability and operational limitations," said Toney Jennings, president and CEO of CoreTrace. "BOUNCER has always been one of the most secure application whitelisting solutions. With version 6.0, BOUNCER has improved scalability and is now the most flexible solution too, including the industry's simplest approach to adding new applications with the most relevant application intelligence."
One marquee feature of this release is "application intelligence" including the new CoreTrace Software Intelligence (CSI) service. Administrators receive intelligence about installed and requested applications, including prevalence, usage, and "application assurance" information on both "known good" and "known bad" (malware) applications.
Another marquee feature of 6.0 is intuitive, transparent administration that is built upon CoreTrace's patent-pending Trusted Change technology. CoreTrace has added options for user privileges called "BlockQ™ and AllowQ™. When attempting to run an application that has not been previously approved or automatically authorized via other Trusted Change mechanisms, designated BlockQ users receive a notification that prompts them to provide a simple business justification for the application. Designated AllowQ users receive a similar notification, but they have the ability to temporarily run the application until IT can approve or deny adding it to the whitelist. These two new flexible user models facilitate easy installations and requests that drop right into a "queue" for administrators to approve or reject at will. Combined with a broad set of application intelligence tools, IT and security administrators can make more informed decisions and more easily manage the constantly changing application needs of an enterprise endpoint.
"Though whitelisting has long shown great potential, it may now be entering a new phase of maturity as leaders such as CoreTrace match its power to contain risk with the expanded ability to adapt to the realities of enterprise management," said Scott Crawford, Research Director for Enterprise Management Associates. "By taking the bull by the horns and integrating adaptive change control directly into BOUNCER, CoreTrace expands its leadership stake in defining trusted change for applications."
Additional features of BOUNCER 6.0 by CoreTrace also include:
* Advanced security — including memory protection, script controls, malware removal and self-defending endpoints.
* Improved deployment and scalability — shipping as a virtual appliance, and utilizing industry-standard architectural and open source components.
* Improved integration capabilities — addition of a client API to facilitate easier integrations into third party management systems.
BOUNCER 6.0 will ship in August 2010. Pricing starts at $35 per desktop.
About CoreTrace
CoreTrace® is the pioneer of client-based application whitelisting. The company's award-winning and patented high-security, easy-change BOUNCER solution is at the forefront of the movement in next-generation endpoint control and security solutions. Unlike other application whitelisting solutions that are simply lockdown technologies, BOUNCER's Trusted Change capability enables IT professionals to predefine multiple sources from which users can safely install applications and have them automatically added to the whitelist — all with minimal IT involvement. The result: full prevention of unauthorized applications, improved overall security, and lower total cost of ownership compared to alternative whitelisting and traditional blacklisting antivirus solutions. CoreTrace's customers include organizations in a wide variety of industries, such as energy, oil and gas, financial services, telecommunications, as well as government agencies.
Additional information may be found on the CoreTrace website and on WhiteSpace, the Application Whitelisting and Security Weblog.
… more…Protect Your Utility from the Costs of Cyber Attacks and Data Breaches
Date: July 14, 2010
By Graeme Newman
Every public power utility is a prime target for cyber thieves. Utility databases contain private identity and financial information on virtually all residents in a service area, including checking account and credit card data. Utility computer records also contain coveted social security
numbers of employees. All of the utility’s critical data is at risk from viruses, hackers, malicious employees, and accidental damage. The utility, therefore, is at risk for a
n array of financial costs associated with cyber crimes and losses:
• Theft or unauthorized use of private data
• Alteration, corruption, destruction, deletion or damage of data
• Failure to prevent transmission of malicious code
• Failure to disclose a security breach in violation of law
• Failure to comply with civil regulatory claims
See full article here: http://tiny.cc/iu1bm… more…Industry Insights from Baker Tilly
Date: July 09, 2010
Quality of Evidence and the NERC Compliance Audit Observations from Both Sides of the Table
-Russ Hissom, CPA, Partner, Baker Tilly
The energy industry is no stranger to strict regulation. One of the more recent (since 2007) is the requirement of utilities to meet the reliability standards mandated by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) which is overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by federal law. NERC received this mandate as part of t
he 2005 Energy Act and its mission is to ensure the reliability of the bulk power system in North America.
Click to read more: http://tiny.cc/jor9a… more…
