Smart Grid: New Tool Makes It Easy to Find Data on U.S. Metering Projects - Smart Grid News

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New Tool Makes It Easy to Find Data on U.S. Metering Projects
By Alex Yu Zheng
Jul 8, 2009 - 6:31:35 PM

Coincident, Inc. has announced the beta release of the Coincident Visualization & Analysis Tool, an Internet application with information on smart metering projects and utility initiatives around the U.S. and Canada. Users can explore the projects visually instead of having to look through dozens of individual filings. The product maintains a database of metering projects and uses that information to create interactive maps, data filters, summary information, and detailed project tables. The product is targeted at utility professionals and related organizations involved in AMI.

“One of the ongoing challenges we face as a startup has been identifying and tracking the progress of smart metering initiatives across various utilities and geographies,” said Jason Hanna, President and Founder of Coincident. “There’s a lot of great information in the public domain, but much of it is tucked away in press releases, regulatory filings, and utility presentations. We wanted to create a framework that adds some structure to this data. Once you’ve done that you can start exposing the information in some very interesting ways — applying mapping, charting, aggregate analysis, filtering, etc.”

Presently, the beta edition has the following features:

AMI Project Details: Utility information, deployments by state or province, projected timelines, etc.
Thematic Mapping: Interactive map of states or provinces showing intensity of smart meter deployments
Advanced Data Tables: Quickly locate and sort metering projects by utility, region, no. of planned meters
Drill-Down Capability: Clicking map and data table information drills into detailed project information
Data Filtering: Remove projects from analysis based on project type, deployment timelines, and/or utility type

The Coincident Visualization & Analysis Tool is currently free and the beta program is scheduled to continue for several weeks. During this time Coincident is seeking feedback from the community about data and features they would like to see added to future releases. Timing, availability, and pricing of a premium edition are also being considered.

A number of readers have e-mailed me asking whether a comprehensive list of AMI projects in the US and Canada exists. This is perhaps the first step in building an accessible tool to fill this role. I encourage you to check it out.

Free Coincident Visualization and Analysis Tool

Coincident home page

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