Utilities Research Articles

Relationship of the Management with the Audience: Comparative theoretical and applied study on developing countries

The Arab administration, like its theories in the world, has its advantages. It is the one that works to implement the policy that it approves at all levels and in all fields, and it is mainly concerned with achieving prosperity, comfortable life, and security for all citizens and seeks to meet their needs. Therefore, each government must monitor the points of poor management and work to eliminate and exclude them.And if the success of any administrative work must have a competent human element, the success of any administration in its mission is mainly related to the extent of the success of those relationships between the administration and the employees and between the administration and its clients, and this can only be achieved by the efforts made to develop and develop the administration, especially in terms of behavior and public relations. The importance of the research comes from the importance of the administration and its role in providing its services to citizens, which is what is known as the policy of proximity and bringing the administration closer to the public, internal, and external customers through its servants’ institutions in the public, mixed, and private sectors. In this research, we tried to identify the reality of management with the public in developing countries and to address some of the imbalances in the relationship between the administration and the public, their causes and mechanisms for reforming them. These imbalances can be seen as obstacles that prevent the administration and its accomplices. However, we have reached many results, including the potential for reconsidering the administrative, legal, and institutional system, activating ethics in public utilities, and using modern technology in dealing with the public. These reforms have the potential to reduce personal friction between the administration and its accomplices, leading to administrative development and then comprehensive development, offering a hopeful future for these relationships. Keywords: public relations, public administration, society

Utilization of Public Open Space: Movement Pattern and Compromised Territory

Understanding open space management based on local culture is an important aspect in creating an inclusive quality of community life. Serang City Square is a public space that has high vitality in its utilization for the local community. The government of Serang City (the capital of Banten Province) currently manages the area including the square. Its spatial layout is optimally organized for directed development, so that it suits the needs of users. The research objectives are 1) to study the movement patterns of space users through user considerations in choosing space, time and place for activities - 2) to reveal the territoriality of space utilization and informal agreements underlying its management. The research method used a quasi-qualitative approach, with place-centered mapping techniques and in-depth interviews. The results show that 1) the pattern of public open space utilization and its changes are influenced by the choice of time, type of activity, weather conditions and distance, 2) spatial territory is built by attachment to space due to habits and agreements of space users based on informal rules and compromises. This research contributes to local governments in considering the planning and arrangement of open spaces.

Based on the Application of VFM and PSC Integration in Infrastructure PPP Project Feasibility Assessment

The main objective of this study is to investigate a superior method of evaluation, to accurately assess the investment value of infrastructure PPP projects, and to compile literature for the development of infrastructure PPP projects. To accomplish this, we propose a comprehensive approach that involves calculating the PSC value and PPP value for a thorough analysis. This analysis aims to determine whether the PPP model should replace the government’s traditional investment and operational approach. Secondly, an analysis of VFM and PSC is conducted at the beginning of the project, and thirdly, a continuous dynamic evaluation of VFM + PSC is implemented throughout the project lifecycle. The results indicate that developing more targeted project implementation strategies in the planning stage and conducting continuous dynamic evaluation throughout the life cycle, the integration and application of VFM and PSC in infrastructure PPP projects can improve the accuracy and objectivity of evaluation, reduce project risks, enhance cooperation between the government and enterprises, provide stronger support for the implementation of projects, promote the development of the PPP model, and enhance the efficiency of public resource utilization. This approach is expected to be increasingly valued and applied in PPP projects in the future.

Spatial Green Space Assessment in Suburbia: Implications for Urban Development

Nonthaburi, a suburban province adjacent to the Bangkok Metropolis, has experienced a reduction in green spaces due to urban expansion. This study quantified Nonthaburi’s green space through visual interpretation of land use and land cover (LULC) using THEOS and Sentinel-2. Areas of green space were extracted using remote sensing indices and pixel-based classification based on THEOS. The extracted green area was then integrated with the existing LULC patterns to align with the green space characteristic established by Thailand’s Office of Natural Resource and Environmental Policy and Planning. This includes public services, functional utility, median strips, community economics, fallow, and natural green space. The analysis of green space management and planning utilized the Urban Green Space Index (UGSI), Per Capita Green Space (PCGS), and accessibility to public green space. The results revealed that Nonthaburi comprises a green space area of 465.29 km2 or 73.06%, exhibiting a higher prevalence within its western region while displaying a relatively lower extent in the urban zone adjacent to the Bangkok Metropolis. The per capita green space is 367.71 m2 but decreases to 255.82 m2 when accounting for the latent population, meaning it still meets the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Currently, only six parks (single and clusters) meet the criteria for public green space. Additionally, both fallow and median strip green spaces (at road interchanges) need to be considered for their potential use in new public service. Furthermore, very high-resolution imagery from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) should be used for green space planning by the organization.

Investing in regional water sector development: Use of digital technologies in water resources management in Kyrgyzstan

The urgent problem of the Kyrgyz Republic is water resources management. Water is used as a source of drinking water to meet the needs of agriculture, energy, industry, tourism, and residential utilities. To effectively control water consumption, regulate the cost of service provision, and develop projects to modernize the water consumption system, it is necessary to use modern digital technologies that process a large amount of data and can make recommended management decisions based on the results obtained. For this purpose, using the methods of structural analysis, synthesis, groupings, step-by-step refinement, and modeling, digital models of the water consumption system were developed using the example of a settlement in Kyrgyzstan.

Deep CNN and LSTM Approaches for Efficient Workload Prediction in Cloud Environment

In the dynamic landscape of cloud computing, efficient resource allocation and workload prediction are paramount for optimizing infrastructure utilization, cost management, and overall service quality. As a result, an efficient resource management approach involves pooling available resources among many customers in a manner that considers their energy usage, SLAs, and forecasting accuracy all at once. Based on the performance analysis results, it is determined that integrating these techniques would result in the most efficient and adaptable cloud data centre. We proposed a Model based on Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) for handling SLAs in the cloud from both the perspective of consumers and service providers. Subsequently, we delve into the methodology of applying deep CNN and LSTM models to the problem of workload prediction in cloud environments. This methodology encompasses data preprocessing, model architecture, training parameters, and the choice of performance metrics. To anticipate CPU consumption from time series data and detect SLA violations, we suggested a DCNN-LSTM model. The accuracy prediction, energy usage, CPU use, and Service Level Agreement monitoring are all a part of this model. The proposed method is effective in helping cloud providers cut down on service violations and associated fines. Regarding the composite metric of Energy SLA Violation, which assesses the combined aspects of energy use and adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), DCNN-LSTM surpasses ARIMA-LSTM, CNN, LSTM, and ARIMA 6.8%, 10.88%, 16.6%, and 22.4%, respectively.

Employee perceptions of strategy formulation and implementation towards sustainable strategic management in the developing world

In general, an effective strategic management process allows managers to interact with employees in formulating and implementing organisational strategic plans (Nedelea & Paun, 2009). Eskom, an electricity public utility company, in South Africa, suffered a strategy formulation and implementation fatigue for the past two decades leading to a quagmire and lacklustre performance of all time (“Eskom CEOs from 1985 to 2020”, 2020). Therefore, the study investigates employees’ perception of the organisational strategy process towards bridging the gap between the management and non-management employees in strategy formulation and implementation. The study employed a quantitative survey, gathering data from a sample of 331 participants randomly selected from a population of 2400 Eskom, employees. Data was then collected and captured through a questionnaire using an online survey tool called Question Pro and analysed with SPSS version 25. The study revealed that Eskom’s strategic formulation and implementation process was perceived by employees as a downward communication process. Thus, the study revealed that there was a lack of employee engagement before and after the strategy formulation and in implementation process. The study therefore recommended that Eskom should employ a vertical two-way communication process between managerial and non-managerial employees. In addition, the study recommended that Eskom should provide strategy awareness campaigns at ground level towards positively impacting on sustainable and effective strategy implementation.

Evaluating the contribution of demand response to renewable energy exploitation in smart distribution grids considering multi-dimensional behavior-driven uncertainties

Demand Response (DR) is recognized as an efficient method for reducing operational uncertainties and promoting the efficient incorporation of renewable energy sources. However, since the effectiveness of DR is greatly influenced by consumer behavior, it is crucial to determine the degree to which DR programs can offer adaptable capability and facilitate the use of renewable energy resources. To address this challenge, the present paper proposes a methodological framework that characterizes the uncertainties in DR modeling. First, the demand-side activities within DR are segmented into distinct modules, encompassing load utilization, contract selection, and actual performance, to enable a multifaceted analysis of the impacts of physical and human variables across various time scales. On this basis, a variety of data-driven methods such as the regret matching mechanism is introduced to establish the analysis model to evaluate the impact of various factors on DR applicability. Finally, a multi-attribute evaluation framework is proposed, and the effects of implementing DR on the economic viability and environmental sustainability of distribution systems are examined. The proposed framework is demonstrated on an authentic regional distribution system. The simulation results show that compared to scenarios without considering uncertainty, the proposed method can fully consider the impact of DR uncertainty, thereby enabling a more realistic assessment of the benefits associated with DR in enhancing renewable energy accommodation for smart distribution grids. From the comparative analysis of new energy installation scenarios, with the integration of photovoltaic and wind power into the system, the presence of DR can increase the renewable energy consumption rate by 6.39% and 37.44%, respectively, and reduce the system operating cost by 1.37% and 3.32%. Through the comparative analysis of different load types, when DR is a shiftable load and a two-way interactive load, the renewable energy consumption rate increases by 20.57% and 26.35%, and the system operating cost decreases by 2.12% and 4.68%. In this regard, the proposed methodology, hopefully, could provide a reliable tool for utility companies or government regulatory agencies to improve power sector efficiency based on a refined evaluation of the potential for demand-side flexibility in future power grids incorporating renewable energies.

From Drips to Data: Preventing Unnecessary Leakages in Water Distribution Networks in Slovakia

Water, a critical resource, suffers from significant losses due to leakages in Water Distribution Networks (WDN). These losses present financial, environmental, and public health challenges. With water utility companies amassing vast amounts of data from enterprise information systems, the opportunity for data-driven leakage detection arises. With the increased use of enterprise information systems, water utility companies are generating vast amounts of data that can be valuable for predicting or detecting water leaks early and also for the development of new, automatic, and effective data-driven leak detection techniques. The presented study utilizes this data, by applying anomaly detection methods to heterogeneous time-series data from various components of the WDN in Slovakia. Our results demonstrate that components of the network, such as measured power consumption, water source temperature, and water source levels show significant positive associations with faults in the Water Distribution Network.

Business models for enhanced solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption: Transforming customer interaction and engagement practices

Solar energy can play an important role in meeting global energy needs in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. However, despite solar energy’s accelerated growth in recent years, its level of diffusion is highly uneven when looked at on a global scale. The solar photovoltaic (PV) companies involved in the sales of PV systems are central to fostering diffusion. A company’s ability to devise and deliver value offerings that match customers’ needs is vital in encouraging the adoption of solar PV technology. The extent to which a company can address market needs and deliver value often depends on the business model it has adopted. The extant research has explored business models based on ownership structures, financing options, the effect of regulatory regimes and policies, industry practices, alliances, and business models for distributed generation and large-scale utility companies. However, the research to date, has mostly neglected the business models of solar companies involved in the sales and installation of solar PV. This qualitative study based on twenty semi-structured interviews contributes to the existing knowledge by exploring how sales and installation companies can enhance solar photovoltaic adoption by transforming customer interactions and engagement practices, which is a key element of a company’s business model. Companies’ ability to communicate value offerings and address consumer concerns is important in enhancing diffusion. The study highlights that transforming customer interaction and engagement practices can help companies broaden customer reach, improve the dissemination of information, reduce transaction costs and efficiently utilise market insights and trends.

УПРАВЛІННЯ ВИРОБНИЧИМ ПОТЕНЦІАЛОМ КОМУНАЛЬНОГО ВИРОБНИЧОГО ПІДПРИЄМСТВА ЩОДО ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ ХАРЧУВАННЯ У НАВЧАЛЬНИХ ЗАКЛАДАХ ОСВІТИ

It was established that for effective management of the enterprise it is important to take into account the factors affecting the formation and development of the enterprise's potential. It was found out that it is necessary to understand the specifics of the activity of each individual utility company in order to draw conclusions about the state and efficiency of the use of its fixed assets. It is important to know the effectiveness of the use of communal property provided to the enterprise for carrying out activities on the basis of operational management or economic management, in order to develop practical recommendations and measures aimed at identifying and reducing non-productive costs caused by deficiencies in the organization of management. It is substantiated that the production potential is an important component of the overall potential of the enterprise, ensuring its stable development and competitiveness. Directions for solving the problems of effective management of a utility enterprise are proposed, including: marketing and partnership; financial aspects; provision of basic means; personnel potential; technologies and processes; quality and safety, logistics and raw materials, etc. It is substantiated that the listed decisions will directly affect the management of the potential of production and working capital. It is proposed to use the factory-kitchen model for the provision of food services in secondary schools. Estimated costs for opening a kitchen factory at the enterprise and a forecast of development indicators after the proposed measures are given. It was established that the proposed measures have a positive effect on indicators that reflect changes in economic activity compared to 2021. The use of the factory-kitchen model has a more effective approach in the implementation of production activities during 2024–2026. The dynamics of profitability shows a significant increase in 2024 and a gradual decrease during 2025–2026, but remains positive. This is due to an increase in the wage fund to motivate the production staff. The company should use the improvement in its financial condition to diversify its activities and increase its own competitive advantages.

Advanced Time Series Forecasting Models for Electricity Demand Prediction: A Comparative Study

Electrical loading prediction is a key aspect of the power system governing, operating, and scheduling. Energy suppliers can control the running system cost by using a lot of information it provides thereby optimizing the power system operation performance. The demand for the electricity well forcasted means more than half of their energy efficiency. Implementation of this work traces out an in-depth detail of integrated quality time series forecasting models on the prediction of electrical consumption. The primary goal of the study is to assess the performance of two state-of-the-art forecasting models: Deep LSTM version and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks, Seasonal autoregressive integrated ma. The main task is to evaluate the models’ precision in predicting daily energy consumption based on the historical demand data, holiday data and other time-related lines of evidence. The performance of the models is assessed based on the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). The method covers feature engineering, the data preparation, model selection, and assessment. The generated MAPE values illuminated the performance of the models— SARIMA performed relatively inaccurately, and LSTM and deep LSTM significantly improved, obtaining a very good MAPEs of 7.5% and 7.45%, respectively. Notably, the deep LSTM version shows a superiority in prediction compared to other models, with particular emphasis on capturing the temporal relationships. This study makes a great contribution to the field of energy forecasting as it shows applicability of LSTM- and SARIMA- based models for the very good forecast of the consumption power. It captures the attention on how the LSTM networks at 20% of depth; may help in improving prediction accuracy when there are complex patterns and long-distance dependence is a concern. To utility companies, the grid operators and lawmakers who are out to harness every energy resource, to cut the costs, and ensure a continuous flow of electricity; such results are so very helpful.

IOT based Smart Unlawful Electricity Usage Surveillance and Warning System

The global issue of electricity theft has a negative impact on both the utilities and the people who use the energy. It impairs utility company economic growth, creates electrical risks, and has an effect on consumers' expenses for electricity. The emergence of smart grids is crucial for the detection of power theft as they provide vast amounts of data, including information on consumer consumption that can be used to identify theft using over voltage and over current detection methods. The solution presented in this article employs an Arduino uno micro controller board and IOT to monitor and maintain surveillance on power theft. An alarm with SMS notification will be sent to the officials and the power will be shut off whenever there is a power outage or tampering with an energy meter.

Trends in Consumer Prices and Expenditures for Public Utilities (2024) (Presentation Slides)

Trends in Consumer Prices and Expenditures for Public Utilities (2024) (Presentation Slides)

City Life of Kamianets-Podilskyi Inhabitants in the Autumn of 1919 under Russian-Ukrainian War (based on the sources of local newspapers)

The article offers an analysis of the city life of Kamianets-Podilskyi inhabitants during the active phase of the Russian-Ukrainian war in the autumn of 1919 based on the local periodicals. The identical situation of today’s Ukrainian society led to an active research search for historical truth. The goal of our paper is to highlight the everyday and public life of the residents of Kamianets-Podilskyi in the fall of 1919 through the prism and analysis of local newspaper publications. It has been established that the increase in the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR) population in Kamianets-Podilskyi, a state center of UNR, led to the exhaustion of the Municipal Economy, in particular, there were problems with power, water supply, and lightning of city dwellings. The inability of local structures to quickly solve public utility problems prompted the townspeople to make frequent use of an additional source of light i. e. kerosene lamps and candles. The quality of nutrition and healthcare has worsened. Food products were not available for many residents either, black-market practices and high prices for staples spread in the city. Cheap food establishments could not provide everyone with a hot lunch, and bakeries that went into operation after the threshing of grain sold their products for funds that were not available to all Kamianets residents. A typhus epidemic spread, which was difficult to stop due to the lack of sanitary conditions. With the cold weather approaching fuel crisis of economic origin became more acute. It has been found that some factors were positive for city dwellers. First, the work of the railway was restored and served the passengers in several directions. Second, the city educational network was extended (primary, secondary, and higher educational institutions, as well as courses for advanced training). Third, the wide cultural leisure for the inhabitants (attending theatre plays, concerts, libraries, etc.) was organized. To some extent, this experience became popular in other cities of the region.

The Role of Individualized Analytical Reports in Managing a Medical Entity

Abstract Introduction In the face of the increasing complexity of health care systems, growing competition and changing patient needs, modern health care facilities face the challenge of constantly improving management strategies and prac‑ tices. A key element of this process is the use of precise, adequate, and effective analytical tools. Purpose of the work presenting the most important analytical instruments used in the practice of hospital management, their impact on financial efficiency and their importance for the decision-making process in the context of the medical sector. Material and methods Analytical tools used to improve the management pro‑ cess of a medical entity were analyzed in terms of their effectiveness. Results When examining the impact of analytical methods on the financial sit‑ uation of medical facilities, it is important to focus on financial aspects, mainly related to the balance of costs and revenues. Public utility facilities operating within structures such as independent public health care facilities or budgetary units do not aim to generate profit. Conclusions 1. Hospital management must have tools that not only provide specific knowledge about the current situation, but also enable forecasting future trends and challenges. 2. Operational efficiency, financial profitability, and quality of services pro‑ vided are just some of the areas where advanced analytical methods can bring significant benefits. 3. The effectiveness of analytical tools is closely related to the ability to in‑ terpret and implement them in management practice.

Experience on centralizing the Asset Management and Maintenance Engineering function in an Italian multi-utility company

The paper explores the centralization process of the Asset Management and Maintenance Engineering functions drawing from a project experience carried out in an Italian multi-utility company. The path towards centralization of the management of assets emerges as a strategic response to enhance operational synergies, improve resource allocation, and capitalize on economies of scale. The project is described in this paper, providing insights proposing a comprehensive, standardized approach for utility Asset Management, considering diverse utility services (water, gas, electricity and heating) and asset types to be managed. The centralization effort follows a three-step process: maturity assessment, common performance measurement system design, and sharing practices company-wide. This strategic response to evolving business demands offers a valuable framework for utility asset management in diverse industries and may be of help to companies following the same evolution path. Existing areas of research to be further explored are also emerging and discussed.

Upgrading utility infrastructure systems in the Russian Federation: Concession mechanisms

In the Amur region (Russian Federation), the extent of wear and tear of engineering heating networks was 21 percent as of the year-end 2022, which was an average value for this region. In some cities of the region under study wear and tear reaches 72 percent. The current wear and tear of utility infrastructure systems substantially degrades the quality of utility services provided to the population and boosts the percentage of heat losses and accidents in heat networks. The goal of the research project is to devise an action plan to reduce the rate of accidents and the wear and tear of heat networks in the Amur region of the Russian Federation by developing a concession mechanism focused on upgrading utility infrastructure systems. Logical analysis of the regulatory legal framework, as well as analysis of qualitative and quantitative values of utility infrastructure systems (heat networks in the Amur region). The need for the mechanism of concession agreements was substantiated as a means of upgrading utility infrastructure systems. Actions are proposed to boost the funding of repair and replacement of utility infrastructure systems in the Russian Federation.

How Is the Utilities Sector Contributing to Building a Sustainable Future? A Systematic Literature Review of Sustainability Practices

Utilities have a key role in the transition to a more economically and socially sustainable future. Driven by pressures from investors, regulators, government and society, companies across all sectors are setting bold ambitions for sustainability. However, they strongly depend on the utility industry meeting their own sustainability goals. Despite the relevance of their role, the determinants and obstacles to the adoption of sustainability practices by utility companies have been little investigated by scholars. This article aims to bridge this gap through a systematic literature review of 72 articles published from 1990 to 2023 in the accounting and management fields. After the analysis of bibliometric data and keywords used for science mapping, this study developed an in-depth review of the literature. Five different clusters, corresponding to the main research topics on which management and accounting literature has focused over the last 30 years, were identified. The results highlight that the expanding regulation and institutional pressures coming from governments, financial investors, consumers and society represent the primary factors that are driving utility companies toward sustainability. However, there are still several obstacles preventing utility companies from radically changing their business models, including the high costs associated with the technological and process innovations required. This study offers theoretical and practical contributions and policy implications. It contributes to systematizing literature on this topic, evidencing existing gaps and future research guidelines. It also outlines some managerial propositions that may be useful for practitioners, governments and policymakers.

DIGITAL LABOR AND RENTIER PLATFORM CAPITALISM: REFORM OR REVOLUTION?

Digital labor has become an umbrella term for describing a range of digitally mediated practices from paid work in the gig economy (Srnicek 2017) to cultivating a personal brand online (Scolere, Pruchniewska, and Duffy 2018). This wellspring of activities now referred to as labor has muddied the waters, making digital labor an ambiguous concept at best (Gandini 2021; Goodwin 2022). This framing of user activity as labor also has limitations, as it necessarily produces reformist, rather than revolutionary, political ends. Following Sadowski (2020), this paper challenges the conceptual framework of digital labor by re-theorizing the user/platform relation as rentier capitalism. Engels (1970) explained how tenants confront landlords not as sellers of labor-power but buyers of a commodity, and we argue that typical social media users confront platforms in an analogous way. Platforms thus only circulate existing value rather than create it, and this distinction matters in understanding their role in economic crises. Because the digital labor concept misidentifies the user/platform relationship and concedes the commoditization of communication, reformist demands emerge from this discourse, like “Wages for Facebook” (Ptak 2014 as cited in Jung 2014) or data ownership as compensation (Chakravorti 2020). Capitalist data relations (Couldry and Mejias 2020) and the profit motive of corporate platforms cannot be addressed by renumerating users. As platforms attain infrastructural status (Plantin et al. 2018), our politics must reflect the need for their transformation into public utilities with democratic accountability, a revolutionary demand that has been displaced in the turn towards digital labor.