Oracle Utilities has announced the introduction of Oracle’s smart grid software – an end-to-end software offering including mission-critical applications and back-end technology infrastructure.  The products are designed to support utilities as they work to optimise the value of their smart grid components today while advancing toward a complete smart grid build out that leverages advances in IT, communications technology and energy technology to improve delivery utilisation/resilience and empower consumers to address environmental concerns.

Oracle offers a pragmatic approach to smart grid deployment, allowing utilities to begin recognising the benefits of the smart grid now, while supporting a transition to a full smart grid architecture in the future, with lower cost and risk.
Oracle’s smart grid software is a comprehensive, multi-solution software offering that addresses the two sides of the smart grid paradigm – allowing utilities to choose how to manage their operations and provide information to consumers to enable them to make better energy usage decisions. 

The offering helps to support cross-utility business processes, such as implementation of demand response and energy conservation programs that help utilities control and conserve power, take advantage of renewable energy and deliver information to end consumers to empower decision making. It also helps to accelerate and improve grid maintenance as well as repair and sizing, while enabling compliance with regulatory changes and accommodation of emerging standards.
In the recent Oracle survey, “Turning information into power: moving toward the smart grid,” the vast majority of consumers surveyed reported concern about the energy costs at their primary residence and are interested in receiving more detailed information about their energy use.  Also, utilities managers surveyed believe it is critical that the US adopt smart grid technologies. 

However, only 16 per cent of the utilities surveyed have begun the implementation of smart grid technologies.
“As utilities move toward leveraging the power of the smart grid, Oracle is prepared to support the industry with the tools they need to manage operations agilely and communicate rapidly with consumers for maximum efficiency.
The flexibility and scalability of our smart grid software, as well as Oracle’s broad software offering, enable both immediate benefits now and an easier transition to a full smart grid architecture in the future,” said Quentin Grady, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Utilities.