Most technology enthusiasts view the future world as a gadget-operated place, sensors collecting information and complicated algorithms performing what would have otherwise been the tedious job of a human being.

This concept reflects in the smart grid idea, which works by gathering information and automatically using it to improve on efficiency reliability and the sustainability of production and distribution of power.

It is to the same end that Cyan Holdings plc announced an amalgamated solution for advanced metering, courtesy of a partner for the Indian smart meter project, CyLec. This Cyan-engineered smart metering approach allows energy utilities to morph their existing power grid infrastructure into the smart grid without having to undertake massive hardware overhauls.

Still in its pilot stages, the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) project will install advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solutions into houses in Puducherry – a move geared toward cutting down on power wastage.

Once in place, utility companies will have the liberty of employing real-time power management activities through feedback data relayed through the smart grids. For instance, companies can use the collected data to monitor power usage at different times of the day, allowing them to deliver the right wattage to customers.

This will also help to detect and plug power theft cases before they take a toll on business operations.

Cyan’s metering partner has deployed these CyLec-enabled meters to Puducherry on evaluation basis by PGCIL for up to six months. In addition, the company is also working with third-party system integrators to realize a Meter Data Acquisition system (MDAS), critical to the management and interpretation of data collected from these smart meters.

With the number of electronic gadgets used per unit person on the rise, coupled with the fact that the world population is also growing, the juice needed to power these gizmos definitely has to keep up. This, in itself, is a problem.

Clearing this hurdle, however, is not all that next-generation power utility companies have to face. They also have to devise means of handling the big customer load they soon will have on their shoulders. This is where smart power grids kick in.