EET&D : What is Operational Analytics?

Dr. Rothwell : Operational analytics is an industry-recognized emerging business process that focuses on improving day-to-day operational performance with the power of sophisticated analytics. It is a process that converges information technology, operational technology, and engineering technology by transforming historical and real-time data into actionable just-in-time data for improving operational efficiencies using predictive techniques. Data aggregation and analysis tools are used to provide clarity and context for decision making and business planning, as well as to provide a platform for organizational strategy. The software that enables the process is configurable and provides day-to-day visibility into the performance of existing assets. It also offers predictive analytical opportunities for utilities to improve their operations. This can be used in conjunction with an existing model to extrapolate relevant information as and when it is required, extending asset performance modeling capabilities for real-time operations.

EET&D : How does OA differ from other types of analytics that are available?

Dr. Rothwell : There are many forms of analytics that perform well within their own right. Descriptive and diagnostic analytics provide insight into what happened and why it happened, but nothing about what will happen in the future. Predictive analytics takes that a step further. Traditional business intelligence provides users with conventional and dashboard reporting in near to real time. What is needed is a solution that combines the level of reporting for management, the data mining capability to look closely at what happened and what is currently happening in real time, and the predictive capacity offered to forecast events and opportunities. Software such as Bentley’s Amulet, offer descriptive, diagnostic, and predictive analytics for a complete analytical solution.

EET&D : Why is Operational Analytics important to the Grid?

Dr. Rothwell : T&D organizations generate a lot of data. This has been accelerated with the arrival of the Energy Internet of Things and the explosion of Big Data, where the deployment of millions of smart meters and other grid devices is generating a huge amount of data. Managing, interpreting, and turning this data into actionable information is where operational analytics comes to prominence, giving utilities the ability to collect, analyze, and act on the information they receive. Gartner predicts that by 2021, 1 million IoT devices will be purchased and installed every single hour* – so the need to start harnessing the IoT starts now. Not only will data grow in volume and size, but it will also vary in type due to the large variety of data sources. This is why aligning operational technology (OT) with information technology (IT) (and also engineering information technology, or ET) is so important. Operational analytics can bridge the gap between these different technologies by bringing them altogether into one place to realize benefits such as cost and risk reductions and enhanced performance and flexibility.

* Top Strategic Predictions for 2016 and Beyond: The Future Is a Digital Thing, G00291252, 2 Oct 2015

EET&D : How can the Convergence of IT/OT present opportunities to the grid?

Dr. Rothwell : On the whole, operational intelligent platforms can be used to collect data across all sources by interfacing to a wide range of operational technologies, such as smart meters, sensors, SCADA systems, energy management systems, and field equipment, as well as by importing data from the back office, including customer information systems, asset inventories, maintenance planning, energy planning, and demand response systems. It can provide meaningful analytics showing the patterns and relationships to different groups of people on dashboards across the entire organization for better informed decision making.

EET&D : How can Operational Analytics help the Electric T&D (Transmission and Distribution) sector?

Dr. Rothwell : Operational analytics can help utility companies drive operational efficiency by providing a broader view of their assets and how they are performing. With assets spread over a wide geographical area, it’s important to have all of the available information in one place to give you a clear and concise picture of health, condition, and performance right down to the component level. By monitoring a variety of parameters connected to health and condition, decisions can be made earlier via analytics that help to determine how likely it is that a failure or significant event will occur, so a contingency plan can be activated before it happens.

EET&D : What areas within utilities operations can operational analytics help with?

Dr. Rothwell : Amulet’s operational analytics capability has been used to help users gain extra visibility into their assets’ performance, effectiveness, and efficiency across transmission and distribution. Within substations, operational analytics has been used to monitor the condition of transformers using sensors to measure a variety of parameters, alerting engineers to any problem that may arise due to oil temperatures, dissolved gas anomalies, and more. In the field, the lifecycle of transmission towers can be extended by calculating and modeling the life span using corrosion, environmental, geospatial, and maintenance history data, to name but a few. Additionally, line inspections can be improved by using handheld devices to upload and download inspection data live from the field. Asset health indexing empowers utilities with the proof to make defensible asset investment decisions, formulating asset life extension strategies where possible to do so safely and reliably.

EET&D : How do T&D companies reduce costs with operational analytics?

Dr. Rothwell : The risk of failure increases due to age and condition of T&D assets. It is essential to know how assets are performing at all times. For example, monitoring the level of dissolved gasses and the temperature of the cooling oil that circulates within transformers 24/7 identifies potential problems quickly. This allows assets to be taken off line or operated in a safe window, reducing costly failures and unplanned maintenance expenditure, ensuring the integrity and availability of the grid.

EET&D : Finally, what advice can you give to those in the T&D industry on operational analytics?

Dr. Rothwell : Operational analytics is generating a lot of interest and with good reason. For those who lack operational visibility across their assets, need to reduce operational and maintenance costs, and need to make smarter and more informed business decisions, I would recommend they give serious consideration to operational analytics. It can help them manage all these challenges and achieve clarity and confidence in the data they have at their disposal.

EET&D : We can’t thank you enough Dr. Rothwell for taking time out of your busy schedule to share with our readers the benefits to electric utilities of operational analytics of their T&D assets. Improving the smart grid is the way going forward.