The utility T&D network represents one of the key assets for most utilities. Unfortunately much of this infrastructure is aging, with segments that are often over 50 years old, and has no ‘smarts’ built into it. As a result, even in today’s networked world, most utilities operate with little or no real-time information from the distribution grid. The very information utilities require for day-to-day operations is often extremely costprohibitive to obtain or is simply not available.
As a result, utility business processes driven by events that occur at customer facilities or on the distribution network, suffer.
For instance, a major C&I utility customer experiences a power interruption that causes an expensive interruption to their manufacturing process. When this customer turns to the utility for an explanation, the utility may lack data to locate the source and resolve the problem. In fact, it typically takes 2-16 weeks to research and understand the customer’s problem, very expensive and frustrating to both the utility and the customer.
Even when there is a complete power outage, the utility typically does not know until a customer calls the utility! Today’s technologically savvy customer finds it astonishing that the utility does not have continuous knowledge of the status of the T&D network - one of its primary and most expensive assets.
Many other utility business areas also require grid data to function: operations engineers need to locate and diagnose grid faults; senior management requires real-time impact reports on the effects of storms; operations engineers need historical reliability data for specific distribution feeders; and planning engineers want baseline reliability data for different regions in a service territory
Operating without grid information, utilities commonly experience an increased frequency and duration of outages, inefficient responses to problems on the grid, less than optimal reliability levels, and dissatisfied customers.
Using currently available systems for such information is very limited, and prohibitively expensive. Security and control issues prevent most utilities from providing real-time access to their SCADA or financial systems. Further, the high cost of SCADA monitoring and complexity of implementing fully featured and functioning AMR systems, has made it impractical to extend the monitoring to the distribution grid and feeders.
Clearly, there is a need for a solution that provides real-time situational awareness and knowledge of the T&D network at an affordable price.
Recent technology advances in low cost microprocessors, communications, powerful database systems, and the internet can be harnessed to provide a secure and cost-effective 24x7 real-time grid information resource for the utility.
New value streams, such as notification by email, pager, or phone of major grid events, and immediate, web-based access to detailed information on these events can dramatically enhance the utility’s response to service disruptions. The ability to view and analyze power quality disturbances remotely and in real-time, can improve the utility’s ability to effectively manage their support for their C&I customers.
Access to information on event details, including waveforms and RMS voltage data associated with the events, can provide root cause analysis and diagnosis, fast location of faults and the possibility of preventing major failures through early intervention.
Finally, the database associated with the grid information resource can provide valuable benchmarking, reliability performance assessment, and can enable new service level agreements with customers based on a differentiated level of quality and reliability.
Utilities clearly need to have better knowledge (and thus control) of the T&D network. The ability to reduce the amount of time needed to support a major C&I customer from 2-16 weeks to under an hour can dramatically enhance the level of customer satisfaction, increasing customer loyalty and opening up avenues for new revenue streams from these existing customers.
From a strategic perspective, improving operations and asset utilization while reducing costs and creating new revenue streams, is absolutely key to sustaining and enhancing a utility’s competitive position. A proactive move towards realizing a 24x7 grid information resource is clearly one that will pay rich dividends.
These new capabilities, made possible by significant technological advance coupled with cost reductions, are already helping utilities to-
About the Author
Dr. Deepak Divan, Fellow IEEE, is Chairman, Founder & CTO of SoftSwitching Technologies, a leader in the power technology market. Their I-Grid system offers a web-based real-time power monitoring system that is the basis for a grid information resource that can operate alone or interface with OMS systems. Their Dynamic Sag Corrector (DySC) product offers industrial manufacturers and OEM’s the ability to eliminate the leading source of unscheduled process or equipment downtime – poor power quality and reliability. He can be reached at 608-662-7200 or ddivan@softswitch.com
As a result, utility business processes driven by events that occur at customer facilities or on the distribution network, suffer.
For instance, a major C&I utility customer experiences a power interruption that causes an expensive interruption to their manufacturing process. When this customer turns to the utility for an explanation, the utility may lack data to locate the source and resolve the problem. In fact, it typically takes 2-16 weeks to research and understand the customer’s problem, very expensive and frustrating to both the utility and the customer.
Even when there is a complete power outage, the utility typically does not know until a customer calls the utility! Today’s technologically savvy customer finds it astonishing that the utility does not have continuous knowledge of the status of the T&D network - one of its primary and most expensive assets.
Many other utility business areas also require grid data to function: operations engineers need to locate and diagnose grid faults; senior management requires real-time impact reports on the effects of storms; operations engineers need historical reliability data for specific distribution feeders; and planning engineers want baseline reliability data for different regions in a service territory
Operating without grid information, utilities commonly experience an increased frequency and duration of outages, inefficient responses to problems on the grid, less than optimal reliability levels, and dissatisfied customers.
Using currently available systems for such information is very limited, and prohibitively expensive. Security and control issues prevent most utilities from providing real-time access to their SCADA or financial systems. Further, the high cost of SCADA monitoring and complexity of implementing fully featured and functioning AMR systems, has made it impractical to extend the monitoring to the distribution grid and feeders.
Clearly, there is a need for a solution that provides real-time situational awareness and knowledge of the T&D network at an affordable price.
Recent technology advances in low cost microprocessors, communications, powerful database systems, and the internet can be harnessed to provide a secure and cost-effective 24x7 real-time grid information resource for the utility.
New value streams, such as notification by email, pager, or phone of major grid events, and immediate, web-based access to detailed information on these events can dramatically enhance the utility’s response to service disruptions. The ability to view and analyze power quality disturbances remotely and in real-time, can improve the utility’s ability to effectively manage their support for their C&I customers.
Access to information on event details, including waveforms and RMS voltage data associated with the events, can provide root cause analysis and diagnosis, fast location of faults and the possibility of preventing major failures through early intervention.
Finally, the database associated with the grid information resource can provide valuable benchmarking, reliability performance assessment, and can enable new service level agreements with customers based on a differentiated level of quality and reliability.
Utilities clearly need to have better knowledge (and thus control) of the T&D network. The ability to reduce the amount of time needed to support a major C&I customer from 2-16 weeks to under an hour can dramatically enhance the level of customer satisfaction, increasing customer loyalty and opening up avenues for new revenue streams from these existing customers.
From a strategic perspective, improving operations and asset utilization while reducing costs and creating new revenue streams, is absolutely key to sustaining and enhancing a utility’s competitive position. A proactive move towards realizing a 24x7 grid information resource is clearly one that will pay rich dividends.
These new capabilities, made possible by significant technological advance coupled with cost reductions, are already helping utilities to-
- Reduce frequency and duration of outage – improved system reliability
- Improve SAIDI, SAIFI and CAIDI indices – increased revenue potential
- Improve efficacy of work crews and operations engineering – reduced cost
- Improve customer management – enhanced customer satisfaction
About the Author
Dr. Deepak Divan, Fellow IEEE, is Chairman, Founder & CTO of SoftSwitching Technologies, a leader in the power technology market. Their I-Grid system offers a web-based real-time power monitoring system that is the basis for a grid information resource that can operate alone or interface with OMS systems. Their Dynamic Sag Corrector (DySC) product offers industrial manufacturers and OEM’s the ability to eliminate the leading source of unscheduled process or equipment downtime – poor power quality and reliability. He can be reached at 608-662-7200 or ddivan@softswitch.com
