THE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will start implementing next month its Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS), which would integrate the function of an outage and its distribution management systems.
“Next month, we will implement our ADMS, a key building block on our journey toward a smarter and more automated grid. This system will provide a great level of visibility to our network and will allow us, among other things, to minimize the impact of outages by rerouting power,” Meralco President Oscar Reyes said during the second Meralco Technology and Innovation Summit (MTECH) held at the Meralco headquarters in Pasig City.
The summit brought together local experts to discuss the challenges brought about by new and pervasive digital technologies.
Meralco officials said the company is embracing modern technology as a way to better serve its more than five million customers. During the summit, officials illustrated how important technology and innovation has become in Meralco and how the utility firm is leading the industry in implementing solutions to improve grid operation.
“A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to demonstrate our Advanced Metering Infrastructure, or AMI, to our regulators. We were encouraged by their positive feedback and the mutual desire to implement new technologies that will help us serve our customers better. We are also investing heavily in building new platforms for our customers to interact digitally with Meralco and for us to offer an enhanced level of customer service and experience,” Reyes said.
Meralco Chief Technology Advisor Gavin Barfield said the company’s digital transformation would support new technology like solar, wind and battery, as well as IT development, such as cloud, big data, mobility and social media.
“It will ensure we utilize modern technologies to build an electricity grid fit for the future. We are disrupting ourselves, pushing the boundaries of technology and evolving into a new Meralco, equipped to take on the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities of the digital age,” Barfield said.
Meralco Senior Vice President Al Panlilio said disruptive technologies are fundamentally changing the way Meralco interacts with its customers.
