Tech research company launches prototype to detect real time line losses, auto-generate bills. ILLUSTRATION: JAMAL KHURSHID
The Center for Intelligent and Secure Network Research (CISNR) at the University of Engineering and Technology has successfully launched ‘electrocure’, a solution to electricity theft.
“The invention will cater to 150 consumers at a time,” said CISNR Director Dr Gul Muhammad at a ceremony at the Pearl Continental hotel on Wednesday. “It will include transparent data acquisition and real time theft detection.”
According to CISNR’s Facebook page, electrocure is a prototype for “secure billing” that will use wireless sensor networks to detect electricity theft directly at the source, calculate line loss and will introduce automatic billing. The idea is an amalgam of software and hardware design which will create an “efficient surveillance system” where data will be directly taken from the grid to a centrally managed database, “without any end user intervention” - which means, no tampering with meters, or wires at the customer’s end.
“CISNR has introduced the idea of harmonics through which Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) will be warned of the theft and the number of units stolen,” added Muhammad. “The abuser will first be notified and then the system will automatically damage his electronic appliances if he does not comply with the warning.” During his address at the launch, Pesco Chairman Malik Asad said, “Theft and line losses resulted in a shortfall of 3,200 megawatts in the province.” Pesco will lay down 600 kilometres of insulated cable and has already introduced digital meters, claimed Asad.
“We would like to sit with CISNR researchers to find local solutions to local problems in the future,” he suggested. Asad urged the media to create awareness on how to save electricity by better managing usage. He appreciated CISNR’s efforts and encouraged them to present their work to the Pesco board so viable solutions could be devised.
A number of cases have been registered against people caught in electricity theft. Terming them ‘no-go-areas’ because of the alleged resistance of locals, Water And Power Development Authority has suspended electricity to different parts of the province. Wapda claims a majority in such locales do not pay their bills.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2014.
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The idea is interesting but the research need to be funded and the technology should be brought to the matured state if not and then implemented. Needs the will of the WAPDA to do so. I appreciate the center for their research work which is oriented towards finding solutions to the real problems we are facing.
No device or technology can stop Big Fish from stealing