The implementation of new digital devices, communications and control systems can help utilities improve their quality of service. Utilities are deploying advanced technologies to plan, manage, and control electricity delivery to enable safe and reliable two-way flow of electricity and information, support growing numbers of distributed energy resources, and support customers participating in electricity markets as power suppliers and demand managers. These devices include for example phasor measurement units (PMU) and specific technology to track and record outages, such as eReliability Tracker Software or supervisory control and data acquisition ( SCADA ) . For example, PMU technology can detect low-frequency oscillations that were missed by SCADA systems, allowing operators to act and prevent widespread disturbances.

To help the technical indicator management process, it is recommended that the utility collect and assess disaggregated interruption data, for example by voltage level and by cause, in order to better identify priorities for practices and network interventions. In the same way individual information on and verification of voltage quality upon user request is carried out at the initiative of the company. DSOs collect information on the number of customer’s voltage complaints, number of resolved voltage problems and publish these on a regular basis.

Utilities should have a protocol for self-supplied electric power quality control as do records of the findings, applying criteria at least as stringent as those set by the regulations. Records are kept of operation parameters measured in all power substations. Remote control systems are available to manage processes and internal parameters of power substation, alarm thresholds exist for corrective maintenance and operation adjustment. Automatic electrical power quality monitoring stations are available at the outlets of the power substations.

Distributors may receive a positive, or  negative, incentive that adds, or subtracts, to their income depending on service performance. For example, performing abov e the required standard may allow for an increase in the distributor’s remuneration. I ncentives can be applied through the correct definition of quality indicators and performance standards, and the ir proper calibration ( i.e., positive and negative incentives must be  aligned with the economic impact an increase or decrease in quality may represent).

Moreover, i ncentives may be determined to apply and be monitored according to the average performance of a quality indicator (average performance of SAIDI, SAIFI, etc.), depending on the performance of individual quality levels (quality of the worst-served customer), or both. For example, if a distributor is making progress in its average quality of service performance, it can be subject to receive a higher income, but if at the same time the worst-served customers have not experienced an improvement in service quality, the distributor must pay an economic compensation to the worst-served customers (i.e. , by charging a lower energy tariff until service quality is improved for this group of customers).

Considering that electricity supply quality may be highly dependent on external factors (i.e. , weather conditions or natural events in a particular year affected grid performance), upper and lower performance standards thresholds should be considered. In this way, distributors can operate within acceptable boundaries within which no positive or negative financial incentives are triggered.

It is especially important that  the regulatory or control authority establishes a periodic public information system , and the obligation to inform in the monthly billing the quality that is required , as well as the one that is being supplied. This incentivizes the distributor to im prove results , provide transparency and enable follow - up by consumers 

Refers  to  the  level of quality  a  company  (or  a  group  of companies) is expected and/or required to provide. The definition of performance standards must take into account conditions that are inhe rent to each system ( i.e., topology, weather phenomena, etc. ) and can sough to be achieved gradually over time.

Even  though  quality  indicators  and  performance  standards  are  most  commonly reported and  tracked  at  an  aggregate  or  average  level  (i.e. , annual  SAIDI  of  a company, average SAIDI in a country, etc.), they can also be specified for groups of end users depending on their importance or prioritization. For example, a SAIDI indicator  or  30  hour s  for  a distributor means , that  on  average,  a  client  will experience 30 hours of electricity supply interruptions within a year, however, the average value most probably conceals the fact that there are a set of customers that  experience supply  interruptions  totaling  way  over 30  hours in  the  year . The previous example reveals that even though a distributor can on average improve its  quality  indicators, it  is  not  necessarily  making  improvements  for  the  users experiencing the worst service quality within the network.

To  cope  with  th is issue ,  the  concept s of individual  quality and worst - served customer (customers whose service quality is below a certain threshold relative to the average service quality ), may be used . P erformance standards can therefore be set a t an individual level or for a group of customers. Service quality monitoring and  analyses  must consequently be  done  at  a  much  lower  disaggregation  level (i.e. , circuit level) 

Appropriate indicators that allow  for  a  proper tracking  and  control of  quality  evolution  over  time must  be defined. The commonly used indicators that have already been mentioned (SAIDI, SAIFI, etc.) serve as a reference . Even though the use of diverse quality indicators within distributors’ operation for management and planning purposes is a common practice and may already be in place , the definition of common and standardized indicators  within  a  particular  country  or  regulatory  framework  allows:  (i) for benchmarking  and  performance  comparison  among  peers;  (ii) to incorporate specific criteria in the indicators’ calculation that may be relevant within a particular context ; (iii) to define mid to long term policy objectives; and (i v ) to calibrate and track  performance  for  the  application  of  financial  incentives within  a  common regulatory framework.