Horizon Power has been named one of the most innovative electricity companies in the nation in a Deloitte report for Energy Networks Australia for its Fault Call Analyser which remotely detects, and helps operators investigate, issues with power supply.
The Innovation in Electricity Networks report assessed the level of innovation in 17 electricity network businesses in Australia with Horizon Power making it into the top three.
Horizon Power’s Fault Call Analyser helps operators determine the nature and location of faults, including whether a customer has intermittent, partial or no power. It also suggests the likely reason for the issue, such as disconnection, a power outage or missing fuse.
Faults can be caused by tree branches encroaching on a power-line or even ants in a meter box. These hazards can put people at risk of receiving an electric shock from some items in their home such as plumbing or metal fixtures. The analyser significantly reduces the likelihood of this happening.
Horizon Power’s Managing Director, Frank Tudor, said the acknowledgment was a reflection of the organisation’s unrelenting focus on the future.
“With the industry undergoing unprecedented change, we have to think differently about what and how we are delivering to our customers,” Mr Tudor said.
“It’s about listening to what they want and then creating a working environment where skilled staff can take calculated risks and be inventive – that’s how we innovate.
“One of our core areas of business is microgrids that work independently of the larger electricity network – we want to be the world’s leading microgrid company.
“This gives customers choice and control over how they receive their power, while the introduction of innovative technology improves processes while lowering operating costs.
“Replacing more than 47,000 aging electricity meters last year with advanced meters that are read automatically has allowed us to implement technology like the Fault Call Analyser while saving $7 million a year.”
Horizon Power’s Fault Call Analyser has also recently secured the organisation a place in the Australian Financial Review’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2017.
From more than 1,000 nominations, the analyser was rated at number 34 in a list of cutting-edge products, making it the highest-placing WA entry.
View the Innovation in Electricity Networks report here.
