Development of a natural language data query system for utility companies

公用事业的使用情况由智能电表监控，智能电表测量个人客户的自动、详细、准确和频繁的使用数据。与手动(通常每月一次)读取模拟电表相比，智能电表为公用事业公司和客户提供了广泛的好处。例如，平衡负载和消除服务中断的能力，以及客户调整消费习惯或将电力回售给电网的能力。分析海量计量数据的挑战继续严重阻碍了获得更多好处。这些学院的研究将为公用事业公司带来新的产品，为加拿大和国际企业、房主和租户提供更安全、更可靠的电力、水和天然气服务。该项目还将帮助公用事业公司降低成本。此外，这些公用事业公司有节约和/或需求管理的目标，这项技术将帮助他们实现这些目标。这反过来又导致碳排放的减少和水资源的更好管理。企业、房主和租户将受益于更安全、更可靠的电力、水和天然气服务。公用事业公司降低的成本将通过较低的费率转嫁给公众，这是关于省级公用事业的利润率规定。哈里斯SmartWorks是N.Harris Computer Corporation的一个部门，自1976年以来一直是渥太华市场领先的公用事业数据软件解决方案提供商。这项与Okanagan和Langara学院的研究人员和学生的合作正在为一个系统开发应用程序，该系统使用人工智能和软件系统中的海量数据来回答公用事业用户提出的非技术性、浅显的问题。系统将接受打字和发声的问题。

Utility usage is monitored by 'smart meters' which measure automated, detailed, accurate, and frequent usage data for individual clients. Compared to analog meters which are read manually (typically once a month), smart metering offers wide benefits for both utility companies and for customers. Examples include ability to balance loads and eliminate service disruptions, and customers' ability to adjust consumption habits or sell power back to the grid. The challenges of analyzing the vast amounts of metered data continue to seriously hinder reaping many more benefits. The research in the colleges will result in new products for utility companies to provide safer and more reliable electricity, water, and gas services to Canadian and international businesses, homeowners, and renters. This project will also help utility companies reduce their costs. Furthermore, these utility companies have conservation and/or demand management goals which this technology will help them achieve. this in turn leads to carbon emission reductions and better stewardship of water resources. Businesses, homeowners, and renters will benefit from safer and more reliable electricity, water and gas services. The reduced costs for utility companies will be passed on to the public via lower rates, as is stipulated by profit margin regulations on provincial utilities.Harris SmartWorks, a division of N. Harris Computer Corporation, is an Ottawa-based market-leading provider of utility data software solutions since 1976. This collaboration with Okanagan and Langara College's researchers and students is developing applications for a system that answers non-technical, plain language questions from utility users, using artificial intelligence and the vast amount of data within the software system. The system will accept both typed and voiced questions.