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Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems are typically designed to provide power to computers for five to thirty minutes after all utility company power has failed. In addition to providing blackout and brownout protection, many UPS systems also protect against spikes, surges, sags, and noise, and some also offer many of the features found in power distribution units (PDUs). The major components or subsystems of a typical UPS system are detailed, and a sample bid specification is appended. Three sidebars discuss UPSs and air conditioning, the maintenance bypass switch (MBS), and literature for further reading.

The study aims to find out an appropriate volume of power to be procured through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs), the volume to be sourced from the power exchange through day-ahead and term-ahead options and also a suitable volume to be sold at different points of time within a day, which would finally lead to the optimum cost of power procurement.

The study has considered a Delhi-based power distribution utility and has collected all relevant data from its archival sources. A stochastic optimization model has been developed to capture the problem of power procurement faced by the distribution utility, which is modelled as a mixed integer linear programming problem. Sensitivity analyses were carried out on the important parameters including hourly demand of power, unit variable cost of power available through PPAs, maximum back-down percentage allowed under PPAs, etc., to investigate their impact on daily cost of power under PPAs, daily cost of power under day-ahead and term-ahead options, daily sales revenue and also the net total daily cost of power procurement.

The findings include the appropriate volume of power procured from different suppliers through PPAs and from the power exchange under day-ahead and term-ahead options and also the surplus volume of power sold under the day-ahead arrangement. It has also computed the total cost of power purchased under PPAs, the cost of power purchased from the power exchange under day-ahead and term-ahead options and also the revenue generated out of the sale of surplus power under the day-ahead arrangement. In addition, it has also presented the results of sensitivity analyses, which provide rich managerial insights.

The paper makes two significant contributions to the existing body of power procurement literature. First, the stochastic mixed-integer linear programming model helps decision makers in determining the right volume of power to be purchased from different sources. Second, based on the findings of the procurement model, a power procurement framework is developed considering the dimensions of uncertainty in power supply and the cost of power procurement. This power procurement framework would aid managers in making procurement decisions under different scenarios.

Project portfolio management (PPM) has been recognized as critical for the productivity of research and development (R&D) investments, but empirical research on PPM use and outcomes in non-commercial R&D environments is limited. The purpose of this paper is to investigate PPM processes and outcomes in a unique R&D context within Brazilian electric power utilities.

An exploratory best practice survey was used to collect data on PPM processes, methods and performance results in the power sector. Analysis of the data employs descriptive statistics and comparative analysis in the light of the literature.

The findings emphasize the importance of strategic value and the need for PPM to be customized for the specific context. The results also demonstrate the importance of adopting selection criteria and measures in accordance with the organizations strategic goals.

The findings may help organizations better understand how PPM can be tailored for the environment. PPM managers in utilities and other non-commercial R&D environments may find guidance in tailoring and improving their PPM approaches.

The contributions of this paper are twofold. First, it provides empirical findings to support PPM concepts on strategic alignment and the importance of context by demonstrating how PPM works to deliver strategy in a unique environment. Second, it contributes to the management of R&D projects and portfolios in power utilities, providing an example and analysis that may offer guidance. The contributions from this study may also offer insights that are valuable for R&D management in other utilities, or for R&D management in general.

Get ready to shop tor megawatts in an open market.

The purpose of this paper is to return to a long-term business focus that uses Productivity Accounting methodology as a strategy tool for business operation and for making investments to benefit all producers and consumers in the electricity markets.

The research subjected the published annual financial reports data to an analysis using the Productivity Accounting methodology to fathom productivity and price recovery with a focus on productivity changes over the year. Assessment is made of any comments on productivity or efficiency by the utilities in relation to the computed productivity from the methodology of analysis.

The financial data as well as the statistical data that went with it could be analysed independently and productivity and price recovery results obtained. It is possible use Productivity Accounting to measure productivity change and use it for influencing investment and operational productivity for each resource and the utility.

The focus is on power utilities that are experiencing shifts in the way they do business in the environment. However, there is definitely value in using productivity as a strategy for sustainable utilities. It would seem the results may be applicable to other types of businesses.

It is possible for any utility to use Productivity Accounting as a strategic tool to run the operations and support that with continuous investments as a basis of productivity driven sustainable and profitable businesses. It highlights the faults of the booms and bust of the California power industry against a productivity strategy-led utility.

For both developing and developed countries it would mean that electricity is affordable in the long term as it is not a luxury good. Electricity can be used to leverage economies of countries for competitiveness.

The paper provides a fresh look at productivity as a strategic focus of a sustained business performance, for all utilities based on their own unchanged data.

The objective of the present study is to evaluate and analyse the performance of Indian electricity distribution utilities post the implementation of landmark Electricity Act 2003.

Stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) that incorporates exogenous influences on operational efficiency is adopted in the present study. Specifically, a stochastic frontier production function model with a technical inefficiency effects model (Battese and Coelli, 1995) is chosen as a preferred model. In this model, the function that explains the inefficiency scores is estimated in a single stage with the production technology. This avoids the problem of inconsistency which is possible in the two-stage approach.

The sample involved 52 Indian electricity distribution utilities for seven-year period from 2006 to 2013. Major findings of SFA show that Indian electricity distribution utilities post the implementation of Electricity Act (2003) had, on average, experienced efficiency improvement during the observed period. The overall mean technical effciency score is estimated as 78.5% which indicates that there exist wide scope for effciency improvement in the sector. Further, the empirical findings also indicate that publicly owned distribution utilities obtain average technical efficiencies of 71.3%, which is lower than privately owned distribution utilities, which achieve average technical efficiencies of 85.7%.

Power supply quality indicators such as SAIFI, SAIDI, CAIFI, etc. and unobserved heterogeneity also influence the efficiency analysis of electricity distribution utilities. Hence, these parameters as explanatory variables can be incorporated in the future work.

The results obtained from this empirical study would likely be helpful for utility managers and policymakers to know how well they are performing, and how a better corporate strategy a particular utility can formulate to improve its operational efficiency and also its position in the marketplace.

This paper is amongst the first significant attempts that implement SFA approach to the panel dataset over a longer period of time – 2006 to 2013, so, as to evaluate and analyse the operational efficiency of Indian electricity distribution utilities in a single framework after the enactment of Electricity Act (2003). Unlike previous studies, this study investigates the degree to which various exogenous (or environmental) factors influence efficiency levels in these utilities.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of renewable energy on the power supply chain and to study whether the renewable generator or the power grid that purchases power from the power spot market is better when the actual generation of renewable energy is insufficient. The authors want to compare and analyze the different power supply chain operation modes and discuss the optimal mode selection for renewable energy generator and power grid in different situations.

This paper studies the grid-led price competition game in the power supply chain, in which the power grid as a leader decides the price of transmission and distribution, and generators determine the power grid price. The renewable energy power generator and the traditional energy power generator conduct a price competition game; on the other hand, the power grid and power generators conduct Stackelberg games. The authors analyze the power supply of single power generator and two power generators, respectively, and research on the situation that the renewable energy cannot be fully recharged when the actual power generation is insufficient.

The study finds that both renewable and traditional power grid prices decline as price sensitivity coefficient of demand and installed capacity of renewable energy generators increase. Power grid premium decreases as the price sensitivity coefficient of demand increases, but rises as the installed capacity of renewable energy generator increases. When there is a shortage of power, if the installed capacity of renewable energy is relatively small and price sensitivity coefficient of demand is relatively large, the grid purchases the power from power spot market and shares cost with renewable energy generators, leading to higher expected profits of the renewable energy generators. On the contrary, the renewable energy generators prefer to make up power shortage themselves. For the power grid, purchasing the power by the renewable energy generators when there is a power shortage can bring more utility to the power grid when the installed capacity of renewable energy is lower and the demand price sensitivity coefficient is higher. When the installed capacity of renewable energy is high and the price sensitivity coefficient of demand is moderate, or the installed capacity of renewable energy is moderate and the demand price sensitivity coefficient is high, a generator that simultaneously possesses two kinds of energy source will bring more utility to the power grid. If the installed capacity of renewable energy and the demand price sensitivity coefficient both are small or the installed capacity of renewable energy and the price sensitivity coefficient of demand both are large, the power grid prefers to purchase the power by itself when there is a power shortage.

The goal of our paper analysis is to explore the implications of the theoretical model and address the series of research questions regarding the impact of the renewable energy on the power supply chain. The results of this study have key implications for reality. This paper sheds light on the power supply chain operation mode selection, which can potentially be used for the renewable energy generators to choose their operating mode and can also help traditional energy generators and power grid enterprises maximize their utility. This paper also has some references for the government to formulate the corresponding renewable energy development policy.

This paper studies the power operation mode under the uncertainty of supply and demand, and compares the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy generator that makes up the shortage or the power grid purchases the power from power spot market then shares cost with the renewable energy generator. This paper analyzes the power grid-led coordination problem in a power supply chain, compares and analyzes the price competition game model of single power generator and dual power generators, and compares the different risk preferences of power grid.

Almost overnight the political risk map for the decade has been redrafted. This annual forecast of key risk factors keeps score for some 85 countries.

The twin objectives of power sector reforms in India – improving efficiency and attracting private investment – are far from being achieved. It is commonly acknowledged that competition in the sector can help achieve the objectives of the reforms, but although the Electricity Act of 2003 promised to usher in competition, even after seven years of its enactment there is very little competition in generation and absolutely no competition in retail supply. This paper seeks to find a road map for the introduction of competition in the power sector in India by discussing and drawing upon the US model of deregulating generation and retail supply whilst simultaneously keeping transmission and distribution under regulation.

The study is a historical analysis of deregulation in the US power sector and its relevance for India by drawing upon both primary and secondary resources.

The introduction of competition in the USA has brought substantial gains for the consumer and India can follow this model by mandating all distribution utilities to procure their future requirement of power through open competitive bidding. For retail competition, the system of provider of last resort (POLR) with POLR price being fixed with reference to market price can be the way forward.

This paper offers some practical and implementable suggestions for introducing competition in the power sector in India.

Distribution and retail supply of electricity is the most important cog in the power sector value chain. Despite several reforms, most of the Discoms are facing huge financial losses and resorting to a tariff hike which may not be a viable solution. The purpose of this paper is to analyze a case study of Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (Tata Power-DDL) which inoculated itself against the financial ills, and demonstrates how a utility can nurture itself and manage the key stakeholder expectation with innovation, ethics, safety, transparency and agility being its cornerstone.

The study analyses the situation for Tata Power-DDL which needs to realign its strategy to meet emerging sustainability challenges. The case covers the aspect of strategic management, strategy formulation and change management system deployment using tools such as strength, weakness, opportunities, threat (SWOT), political economical social technological legal environment (PESTLE), critical success factor and key performance indicator cascade. It touches upon the emerging need for distribution utilities to look beyond economic signals and take social and environmental impacts into the strategy planning process.

It viewed the distribution business beyond its conventional responsibility of making power available to consumers and to provide quality service. A well thought out adaption and adoption of upgraded technology can be a game changer even for a market which is highly regulated and dominated by players in their respective defined territories.

Since the sector is regulated and each utility has a pre-defined set of area of operation with no competition within its licensed area, hence, there is a limited application of applied strategy tools such as SWOT and PESTLE.

Since the sector is regulated and each utility has a pre-defined set of area of operation with no competition within its licensed area, hence, there is a limited application of applied strategy tools such as SWOT and PESTLE.

India as a market is evolving in energy space and utilities are still struggling to have a fundamental structure to meet the agenda of “power to all.” The paper provides the valuable insights into the process of environmental scanning and formulation of organizational strategy to meet the needs of existing and future energy markets.