Meralco’s winning entry, “Future-proofing the Utility Operations with PIXL,” details how PIXL plays an important role in the distribution utility’s efforts to take bolder steps in modernizing its business operations and contribute to the advancement of the country’s energy industry.
A pioneering, state-of-the-art facility, it features 10 short-throw high-definition projectors, a 360-degree projection wall, LED lights, and extended reality devices such as Microsoft HoloLens, and Oculus Virtual Reality (VR) headset.
“Meralco is a real trailblazer in digital transformation with projects like PIXL. Few companies in the Philippines have considered and deployed VR and digital twin technologies in operations. Beyond novelty, PIXL is also ingenious in how it uses technology to improve efficiency and accelerate innovation through talent enablement,” IDC Asia/Pacific Research Director Melvie Espejo said.
PIXL aims to drive the use of new technologies for the energy industry to achieve the country’s smart grid vision by 2040.
It can also help accelerate innovation and improve Meralco’s business operations as it can serve a variety of functions critical to the power distributor’s mission to deliver reliable and stable electricity service. This includes technology scanning, proof of concept, prototype development, extended reality previews of different vital facilities such as substations and business centers, simulations of critical incident resolutions, distant learning, knowledge transfer, and remote support.
“Innovation isn’t about having the most advanced technology—it’s about solving complex challenges in ways no one else has imagined. PIXL embodies our vision of turning technological potential into practical, impactful solutions that will benefit our customers and the energy ecosystem in the
Philippines,” Meralco First Vice President and Head of Information, Communication, Technology and Transformation Rocky D. Bacani said.
PIXL is envisioned to serve as a venue for co-innovation initiatives with the academe, regulators, other electric cooperatives, and distribution utilities in the Philippines or even other countries.
“By creating a space where extended reality and digital twin technologies converge, we’re not just imagining the future of energy – we’re actively constructing it! PIXL is more than a technology lab; it’s an ecosystem that fosters collaboration and innovation among the key stakeholders in the power industry, including the academe, policymakers, and regulators.” Meralco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho said.
Now on its eighth year, the IDC Future Enterprise Awards (FEA) Asia Pacific has evaluated over 6,000 nominations and honored more than 600 winners in the past seven years, showcasing the rapid growth of Asia/Pacific’s digital agenda since 2017.
With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets
