An industrial firm in the US is in the process to initiate the development of a worldwide space based telecommunication service for energy companies. This idea was independently developed by Delft University of Technology in its first international postgraduate systems engineering master degree programme SpaceTech.
It's already there in the telecommunications industry. Anyone can
approach the telecom company of their choice for a subscription: "Only
we can offer you the whole month for 40 guilders." However, this
deregulation is going even further. All over the world, governments are
debating the deregulation of power companies. In the future, the
consumer will be able to choose a power company that supplies
electricity at the lowest price. Modern satellite technology can measure
the consumer's electricity consumption at any instance.
As part of SpaceTech, the Master of Space Systems Engineering programme
of TopTech Studies at Delft University of Technology, a study has been
carried out into just such a world-wide measuring system by means of
satellite communications. This multidisciplinary study comprises both
technical and commercial feasibility. DBSI Industries (DBSI) in the
United States considers the Delft University Study to be a valuable
resource. Moreover they have appointed one of the SpaceTech participants
Vice-President Engineering of the project.
"DBSI has already been involved in a system of this sort for some time
in the United States of America. But the market is ready for it in
Europe too," says SpaceTech Director Prof. H. Stoewer. "Of course, it's
not easy to keep up with the power consumption of consumers who are
frequently switching electricity supplier. And certainly not when we're
talking about millions of consumers. The SpaceTech project is primarily
concerned with measuring the electricity consumption of large companies
and houses that are distant from populated areas." Together with a
number of partners, the SpaceTech participants thought up a solution to
this problem: BusinessSpace Automated Services (BAS). BAS consists of a
number of satellites that measure electricity consumption and a
distributor who looks after the electricity transport network and is
responsible for the transport of electricity from supplier to consumer.
The BAS system is part of a large world-wide network of Automatic Meter
Reading (AMR) for water, gas and electricity. Over the past five years
this market seems to have been growing strongly. AMR is of great
importance in managing large, complex deregulated markets. DBSI has
already secured a launch reservation with Eurockot to launch its LEO
satellite constellation."
In Stoewer's view, participants from research institutes, industries,
and user organizations in Europe, Canada and Indonesia have shown that
SpaceTech can make a substantial contribution to developing new
commercial space projects.
The following organizations worked on the project:
