T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N O F

YOUR POWER DELIVERY MEDIA SOURCE

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16 Brazil Improves Reliability With Smart Grid Sensors

20 M2M Testing in UK

27 Substation Case Study: China

30 Substation Case Study: New York

Oncor’s New Way to Engage Customers

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Teresa Hansen

918.831.9504 teresah@pennwell.com

SENIOR EDITOR Kristen Wright

918.831.9177 kristenw@pennwell.com

ONLINE/ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jeff Postelwait

918.831.9114 jeffp@pennwell.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Deanna Taylor

918.832.9378 deannat@pennwell.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS TransmissionHub Chief Analyst Rosy Lum

Senior Analyst Corina Rivera-Linares

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR Angie O’Dea

918.831.9431 angieo@pennwell.com

VICE PRESIDENT-AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING

June Griffin

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Linda Thomas

918.832.9254 lindat@pennwell.com

SUBSCRIBER SERVICE P.O. Box 3264, Northbrook, IL 60065

phone 847.763.9540 pgrid@halldata.com

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICAN POWER GENERATION GROUP

Richard Baker 918.831.9187 richardb@pennwell.com

PENNWELL CORP. IN EUROPE PennWell International Limited

The Water Tower, Gunpowder Mill Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 1BN, United Kingdom

phone +44.1992.656600 fax +44.1992.656700

pennwelluk@pennwell.com

CHAIRMAN Frank Lauinger

PRESIDENT/CEO Robert F. Biolchini

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION (CFO)

Mark C. Wilmoth

1421 S. Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74112 PO Box 1260, Tulsa OK 74101

Phone 918.835.3161 Fax 918.831.9834 pgi@pennwell.com www.pennwell.com

POWERGRID International is the offcial publication of

2 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

FROM THE EDITOREDITOR IN CHIEF

TERESA HANSEN

For the third year, PennWell is taking DistribuTECH to Brazil.

POWERGRID International is the event’s official publication, and this issue

will be distributed at the event.

Brazil is the largest country in South America with 8.5 million square

kilometers of land mass and 7,500 kilometers of coastline. It has abundant

minerals, ores, fossil fuels and fertile agricultural land, all of which drive the

country’s growing economy. In addition, Brazil is home to many large rivers

that are ideal for hydropower facilities. During years with at least average

rainfall, the 14-GW Itaipu dam on the Paraná River between Brazil and

Paraguay can provide nearly 25 percent of Brazil’s electricity supply. Even

during droughts, which Brazil is experiencing, hydropower provides the

largest percentage of Brazil’s electricity. The country also has substantial wind

corridors suited for wind generation, which is growing steadily there.

Nevertheless, Brazil lacks the infrastructure to deliver electricity to end

users. Most of Brazil’s hydropower is in the Northwest far from load centers

primarily in the Southeast. Long, expensive transmission lines are needed to

move the hydropower and allow Brazil to develop its wind power potential

adequately.

But progress is being made. In November, Interligação Elétrica do

Madeira (IE Madeira), a consortium of three major Brazilian energy

providers, energized the Rio Madeira transmission link in Brazil. The

600-kV bipolar overhead line is the world’s longest high-voltage direct

current (HVDC) transmission line. It is 2,385 kilometers (about 1,500

miles) long, and it can transmit up to 7.1 GW of electricity. ABB and

Alstom supplied power equipment for the Rio Madeira transmission

link, which was constructed in 24 months. A few weeks ago, ABB

commissioned the HVDC converter stations.

Brazil’s distribution infrastructure also needs investment. Energy

theft, aging, inadequate infrastructure and the lack of automation

keep Brazil’s distribution companies from providing adequate, reliable

electricity to their customers. Politics and government policies have

created some of Brazil’s electricity problems, and those are tough to

change. Others problems can be addressed and changed through

innovative technologies and processes, which is why PennWell created

DistribuTECH Brasil. Our goal is to provide conference content and

exhibitors that will help T&D utilities find solutions and partners and

provide reliable electricity to fuel the growing economy.

DistribuTECH Brasil will be co-located with PennWell’s HydroVision

Brasil and POWER-GEN Brasil events. Attendees and exhibitors are sure to

leave with a lot of knowledge. If you’re interested in the Brazilian electricity

industry, please join us Oct. 21-23 in Sao Paulo.

It’s Back to Brazil

1409PG_2 2 9/4/14 4:38 PM

Learn how Opower can help you

realize the opportunity offered by

these trends by focusing on your most

valuable assets- your customers.

Visit Opower.com/solutions

These trends threaten the traditional

utility business model, but can also

be seen as opportunities.

Transformational

trends are shaking up

the utility industry.

» Consumers are pursuing

distributed generation

» Load growth is slowing

» New regulations are changing

the landscape

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1409PG_3 3 9/4/14 4:38 PM

PowerGrid International™: ISSN 1547-6723,

is published 12 times per year (January,

February, March, April, May, June, July, August,

September, October, November and December)

by PennWell Corp., 1421 S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa

OK 74112; phone 918.835.3161. ©Copyright

2014 by PennWell Corp. (Registered in U.S.

Patent Trademark Office). All rights reserved.

Authorization to photocopy items for internal

or personal use, or the internal or personal

use of specific clients, is granted by PowerGrid

International™: ISSN 1085-2328, provided that

the appropriate fee is paid directly to Copyright

Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers,

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tocopying items for educational classroom use,

please contact Copyright Clearance Center,

222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923 USA,

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engineers in electric, water/wastewater and

gas utilities and pipeline companies around the

world. Periodicals Postage Paid at Tulsa, OK

and additional mailing offices. Subscription: $85

per year (U.S.), $94 (Canada/Mexico), $225

(international air mail). Back issues of PowerGrid

International™ may be purchased at a cost of

$13 each in the U.S. and $21 elsewhere. Copies

of back issues are also available on microfilm

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Available on the NEXIS™ Service, Mead Data

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addresses to P.O. Box 122, Niagara Falls, ON L2E

6S4 “PowerGrid International™” is a registered

trademark of PennWell Corp. We make portions of

our subscriber list available to carefully screened

companies that offer products and services that

may be important for your work. If you do not want

to receive those offers and/or information, please

let us know by contacting us at List Services,

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4 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

11

On the Cover: Pam Wheat, director of customer service and solutions at Oncor Electric Delivery.

SEPTEMBER 2014 VOLUME 19.09

Customer Engagement— A New Approach Needed

Mike Guyton of Oncor Electric Delivery shares how the Texas utility is breaking

the molds to meet customers’ needs.

20 LTE Makes Smart Metering Even Smarter Eran Eshed of Altair Semiconductor writes that the Internet connection is one of the most fundamental features of smart meters, and it must be secure, robust and long-lasting. For these reasons, 4G LTE is nearly perfect.

24 M2M Testing Times for UK Utilities Angus Panton of SQS Group Ltd. predicts that the ability to control devices such as thermostats from a smartphone will be big business.

27 Case Study: Jiangxi Electric Power Design Institute Increases Substation Design Efficiency Cathy Chatfield-Taylor of CC-T Unlimited explains how Bentley’s substation solution unified structural, physical and electrical design at a PowerChina subsidiary.

30 Case Study: High-voltage Underground Cable for NY Substation Expansions With Space Constraints Peter Ebersold of Marmon Utility examines how NYSEG expanded the Big Tree Substation that feeds Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills.

32 Wireless Field-area Networks for Smart Grid Communications Bert Williams of ABB Tropos Wireless Communications Systems writes that smart grid applications can help utilities meet conflicting demands, but an additional component is required: a two-way broadband communication network.

35 Products

36 Calendar/Ad Index

From the Editor 2

Notes 6

Beyond Asset Mapping— 14Three More Ways to

Leverage Your GIS Matt Crooks of Schneider Electric

writes that utilities can use their GIS to share knowledge across the organization, plan

an expansion and manage field teams.

Smart Grid Sensors 16Well-positioned to Improve

Reliability at Brazil’s Mega Utilities Kim Getgen of Tollgrade Communications gives the top five advantages of smart grid

sensors, using examples from Brazil.

1409PG_4 4 9/4/14 4:59 PM

®

Owned & Produced By: Off cial Publication of DistribuTECH: Supporting Publication: Host Utility: Water Host Utility:

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NOTES

6 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

J.D. POWER: SATISFACTION WITH RETAIL ELECTRICITY PROVIDERS IMPROVES

surveyed in March and June 2014

(603). Satisfaction among customers

with fixed-price plans declined only

10 points from 2013 (692 vs. 682,

respectively).

> Reasons customers avoid switch-

ing to a retail electric provider are

that: the bill savings are not big

enough to switch (37 percent);

they are satisfied with the level

of service they get from their

local utilities (27 percent); they

don’t know how to switch (24

percent); and they are concerned

about getting worse service if

they were to switch (22 percent).

> Overall, 21 percent of customers

plan to switch from their local

electric distribution companies

during the next three months.

More than one-fourth (27 per-

cent) say they “definitely will” or

“probably will” consider switch-

ing if they knew they would save

up to $20 a month.

•  Among all factors’ driving satisfaction,

enrollment/renewal improved the

least (+18 points) from 2013.

•  In Illinois and Ohio, satisfaction

among customers who have switched

from their local electric utilities via

aggregation (communities negotiate

a retail contract on their behalf) is

substantially lower than among those

who have chosen an REP on their

own (619 vs. 647, respectively).

RETAIL ELECTRIC PROVIDER

STUDY RANKINGS

Connecticut. Ambit Energy ranks

Despite an extremely severe winter and

correspondingly high electricity bills, sat-

isfaction with retail electric providers has

improved dramatically from 2013, driv-

en partly by improved communications,

according to the J.D. Power 2014 Retail

Electric Provider Residential Customer

Satisfaction Study.

The study, now in its second year of

measuring retail electric providers in

competitive markets in addition to Texas,

examines satisfaction among residential

customers of 82 ranked retail electric pro-

viders in nine states across five key factors:

price, communications, corporate citizen-

ship, enrollment/renewal and customer

service. An additional factor, billing and

payment, is measured in Texas.

Overall satisfaction with

retail electric providers (REP)

in Texas is 706 (on a 1,000-

point scale), an increase of 24

points from 682 in 2013.

Satisfaction in the other

eight states is 626, an

improvement of 20

points from 606 in

2013.

Although Texas

ranks highest overall,

Pennsylvania (650)

ranks highest among

the other eight states.

Recall of communications increased

dramatically in 2014.

In Texas, 43 percent of customers recall

an REP communication this year, com-

pared with just 30 percent in 2013.

Recall of communications also improved

in the other eight states to 29 percent in

2014 from 26 percent in 2013.

“One opportunity for retail electric pro-

viders to grow their customer base is

by convincing consumers to switch from

their local electric utility,” said Jeff Conklin,

senior director of the energy practice at

J.D. Power. “Nearly two-thirds of custom-

ers avoid switching because they don’t

perceive the savings as being big enough

to take the time to switch, or they are not

sure how to go about switching. Retail

electric providers need to help customers

overcome these obstacles with better com-

munication about the process and benefits

of switching.”

KEY FINDINGS

•  Perception of price has a strong

impact on customer satisfaction. Price

satisfaction is higher among custom-

ers on a fixed-price contract (704)

than among those on a variable pric-

ing plan (636).

•  Customers with a variable price plan

in eight states paid higher bills this

year because of big market price

swings attributed to severe weather.

Price satisfaction among custom-

ers with variable plans declined 27

points based on surveys completed

during September and December

2013—when the price index was

630—compared with customers

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September 2014 | 7 www.power-grid.com

in the price, communications and cor-

porate citizenship.

New Jersey. Ambit Energy ranks

highest in New Jersey with a score of

718 and performs particularly well in

the price, communications, corporate

citizenship and customer service

factors.

New York. Agway Energy ranks

highest in New York with a score of 659

and performs particularly well in the

communications, corporate citizenship

and customer service factors.

Ohio. Direct Energy ranks highest in

Ohio with a score of 659 and performs

particularly well in the communica-

tions factor.

highest in Connecticut with a score of

705 and performs particularly well in

the price, communications, corporate

citizenship and enrollment/renewal

factors.

Illinois. IGS Energy ranks highest in

Illinois with a score of 668, performing

particularly well in the price, enrollment/

renewal and customer service factors.

Maryland. Washington Gas Energy

Services ranks highest in Maryland with

a score of 660 and performs particularly

well in the price, communications and

customer service factors.

Massachusetts. Energy Plus ranks

highest in Massachusetts with a score

of 639 and performs particularly well

© CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / TRANSOCEAN007

Pennsylvania. Ambit Energy ranks

highest in Pennsylvania with a score of

718 and performs particularly well in

the communications factor.

Texas. Green Mountain Energy ranks

highest in Texas with a score of 762

and performs particularly well in the

corporate citizenship factor.

The 2014 Retail Electric Provider

Residential Customer Satisfaction Study

is based on responses from 25,757

retail electric residential customers and

9,016 avoiders—those who avoided

switching providers—of 82 ranked

retail electric providers in nine states

regarding their experiences with their

retail electric providers.

EYE ON THE WORLD

Power and automation technology group ABB has been awarded a contract by

Atlantis Resources Ltd. to provide the onshore grid connection for Phase I of the MeyGen

tidal stream project in Scotland’s Pentland Firth.

The MeyGen tidal stream project is at the forefront of world marine energy develop-

ment and will harvest the tidal resources of one of the most energetic maritime sites in

Europe: the strait connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea between the Orkney

Islands and the Scottish mainland.

The first 6-MW demonstration phase of the U.K.’s first large-scale tidal array scheme

will see four submerged turbines installed in the Inner Pentland Firth just north of

Caithness with first power expected to be delivered by 2016.

ABB is responsible for the onshore power conversion and grid connection systems

to feed the electricity safely and reliably into the local distribution grid. ABB’s project

scope includes design, engineering, supply and commissioning of the power conversion,

switchgear and transformer solution, as well as associated civil engineering and cabling

works. Major product supplies include transformers, medium-voltage switchgear and

power converters.

Studies including those by engineers from the University of Edinburgh and University

of Oxford indicate the Pentland Firth’s tidal stream has vast energy potential, with ocean

currents estimated at 5 meters (about 11 feet) per second; among the fastest in the

British Isles.

The initial phase of the MeyGen development has the potential to generate up to 86

MW of electricity—enough power for some 42,000 homes, potentially catering to the

needs of nearly 40 percent of households in the Scottish Highlands.

Within the next 10 years, MeyGen intends to deploy up to 398 MW of offshore tidal

stream turbines in the Pentland Firth to supply clean and renewable electricity to the U.K.

National Grid.

ABB to provide UK grid connection for Europe’s largest tidal energy project

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8 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

NOTES

GE: MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WILLING TO PAY $10 MORE A MONTH FOR RELIABLE GRID

contacting via utility websites (11 percent)

or sending emails (9 percent).

Conversely, 36 percent of U.S. adults

still prefer to communicate with their utili-

ties via traditional landlines.

“As our expectations for up-to-the-

minute data increases, consumers will

demand that utilities leverage digital

communication and social media tools

to keep them informed in real time,”

McDonald said. “To meet this growing

demand, domestic and global utilities

have an opportunity to partner with con-

sumers to better understand how their

digital lifestyles are shaping their energy

consumption habits.”

CONSUMER CONCERNS

In looking at the root cause of power

outages, 50 percent of U.S. adults believe

natural disasters and weather-related

events are the greatest threat to the U.S.

power grid.

This threat is most evident for those

in the Northeast, with 61 percent of U.S.

adults in this region claiming weather as

the greatest threat to the grid compared

with 48 percent in the South and Midwest

and 43 percent in the West.

“Natural disasters such as Superstorm

Sandy, Hurricane Irene and the recent

polar vortices highlighted the challenges

utilities face providing power to meet

high energy demand,” McDonald said.

“They also revealed the reliability chal-

lenges utilities experience when the U.S.

electrical grid is under extreme stress.

With summer season underway—and

the potential tornados, droughts and

hurricanes that come with it—utilities

should ask themselves if they are any

more prepared to handle this stress.”

GE’s Digital Energy business released the

results of its Grid Resiliency Survey that

measures the U.S. public’s current percep-

tion of the power grid, its experiences and

expectations.

The survey was implemented after an

active 2014 winter storm season that led

to several power outages that affected mil-

lions of Americans.

According to the survey conducted

by Harris Poll in May and June among

more than 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18

and older, 41 percent of Americans liv-

ing east of the Mississippi River are more

willing to pay an additional $10 a month

to ensure the grid is more reliable com-

pared with 34 percent of those living

west of the Mississippi.

The survey also found that during the

past 12 months, consumers living east of

the Mississippi experienced nearly three

times more power outages on average

than those living west of the Mississippi

(3.1 vs. 1.3).

Of all adults in the U.S. who experi-

enced an outage, more than half (56 per-

cent) were without power for at least one

hour during their most recent outage.

“The survey results are an indicator

that consumers want to invest in tech-

nology to prevent power outages and

reduce the time it takes their local utility

to restore power,” said John McDonald,

director of technical strategy and policy

development of GE’s Digital Energy busi-

ness. “We live in an on-demand world

that depends on electricity—one where

productivity, food, entertainment and

even chores can be achieved with the

touch of a button. Our appetite for

automatic is so great that millions of

American adults would be willing to pay

more on their utility bills to maintain

their electrified lifestyles.”

CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS

Overall, consumers expect more value

from their utilities. Eighty-two percent

of U.S. utility customers would like their

utilities to do more to encourage energy

conservation and share ideas to improve

energy efficiency in their homes.

Meanwhile, 81 percent of utility cus-

tomers expect their utilities to use more

renewable energy such as electricity pro-

duced from solar, wind and geothermal

biogas to meet their energy needs.

These findings indicate that consum-

ers want utilities to provide more energy

conservation tips and continue to value

renewable energy as a source of clean

power.

Consumers’ grid expectations are not

limited to energy management. More

than half of utility customers (52 percent)

become frustrated when they’re without

electricity for an hour or less.

If a power outage occurs and consum-

ers’ electronic devices are not charged,

nearly half of U.S. adults (39 percent) also

would be frustrated with the absence of

their smartphones, with laptops’ following

closely behind (25 percent).

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

As energy consumers’ expectations

evolve, so does the way they communicate

with utilities.

In the event of a power outage, 70

percent of U.S. adults would prefer to

communicate with their utilities digital-

ly or online, whether calling them from

cell phones and smartphones (60 per-

cent), sending text messages (14 percent),

© CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / CHONES

1409PG_8 8 9/4/14 4:39 PM

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is a tough, field-proven system used to

perform line upgrades, repair storm dam-

age and conduct routine maintenance. The

mats quickly interlock using a patented

twist-lock feature on all four sides, distrib-

uting weight and eliminating differential

movement in rugged terrain. Each mat’s

nonslip, advanced-composite formulation

is tested to withstand loads up to 600

pounds per square inch and can support

heavy equipment such as excavators and

cranes. The mats also weigh half as much

For an ongoing large-scale project near

the town of Bala in North Wales, a

major U.K. utility tapped two contractors

to refurbish miles of power lines in an

environmentally sensitive area.

The contractors needed remote access

to the transmission towers in ancient peat

bogs and moorlands—areas designated

Sites of Special Scientific Interest, a con-

servation status granted to protected areas

in the U.K. In addition to the sensitive

flora within the bogs and moors, the

area is native to an endangered species of

snake, the adder, whose hibernation sites

have been threatened by encroachment in

recent years. Operations in the area must

be taken with great care to protect the

overall habitat.

Operating in Wales challenges utilities

logistically for other reasons, too. The

region’s notoriously narrow lanes pose

problems for trucks. There are also farm-

land and pastureland needs, and local

farmers are concerned about how projects

will leave the land.

In addition, U.K. utilities typically work

with only one side of the transmission line

de-energized, and they must safeguard

against potential hazards such as static or

magnetic induction, along with accidental

energization or atmospheric conditions

that could lead to lightning strikes or static

discharge.

Utilities typically use aluminum mats

to create an equipotential zone (EPZ)

at ground level to maintain a common

potential between workers and equip-

ment. The object of this measure, also

known as “bonding,” is to minimize the

potential difference and risk of harmful

shock currents.

Unfortunately, these aluminum equipo-

tential mats are not well-suited for envi-

ronmentally sensitive terrain, and they

pose a security concern

because they are prone

to theft by scrap metal

thieves.

GETTING THE

JOB DONE

The utility’s power line

repairs were planned to

run from April through

October in the Bala

countryside. To get the

job done with minimal

impact to the surround-

ing protected environ-

ment, the contractors

selected the Dura-Base

Advanced-Composite

Matting System by

Newpark Mats &

Integrated Services.

Originally developed

for the soft-soil condi-

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gulf, the matting system

BY JEFFERY L. JUERGENS, NEWPARK MATS & INTEGRATED SERVICES

CAS E STUDY UK Utility Protects Linemen, Environment With New EPZ Mats

The matting system has been used worldwide, but the Bala project was the frst time the mats did double duty as an EPZ.

1409PG_9 9 9/4/14 4:39 PM

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NOTES

10 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

NOTES

to the earth, protecting everyone atop

the work surface. Dura-Base’s Advanced-

Composite formulation also contains an

anti-static additive that dissipates static

charge.

The EPZ mats gave the contractors the

best of both worlds: an equipotential mat,

along with ground protection in environ-

mentally sensitive areas, all in a package

that locks together and is secure enough

to discourage aluminum thieves. The EPZ

feature was a core factor in the contractors’

decision to use Dura-Base.

as wooden alternatives, which means

more mats can be transferred per truck

load. The mats also protect the ground and

add stability. And because they are highly

mobile and easy to install, the mats can

be moved rapidly and leapfrogged from

site to site.

The matting system has been used

worldwide throughout the oil and gas,

utility, pipeline and petrochemical indus-

tries to construct temporary roadways

and work site platforms. The Bala proj-

ect, however, was the first time the mats

included the feature that allows the system

to do double duty as an EPZ, protecting

linemen in the field from electrical hazards.

Each EPZ component is fashioned from

a single Dura-Base Advanced-Composite

Mat retrofitted with a specially designed

metallic mesh that equalizes the electrical

potential of equipment and personnel on

the mat, reducing the chance of discharge.

Once the mats have been installed, a

copper braid is run between them to pro-

vide the cross-panel electrical connectivity

that ensures all items situated on the mat

rise to the same potential following a fault.

In the event of a fault, the current flows

across the surface of the mats and ground

1409PG_10 10 9/4/14 4:39 PM

September 2014 | 11 www.power-grid.com

BY MIKE GUYTON, ONCOR ELECTRIC DELIVERY

named Ellen.

Ellen grew up in our service area,

and her parents did, too. She can recall

as a young girl her parents’ surprise at

the monthly electric bill and the Texas

winter storms that made their power go

out. In those days, her parents might

have pulled out the phone book to look

up our number and dialed using a rotary

telephone, which, you’ll remember, still

worked during outages. They probably

took turns waiting on hold to report

it, and I bet they might have had some

choice words for us as they waited.

Once the report was made, her par-

ents didn’t know when power would be

restored. They probably ate takeout by

n our old guise as a mid-century

electric utility, we knew Oncor was

getting by. We were proud of our 132-

year history serving Texas. Thousands

of dedicated employees carved out a

hard-won legacy of reliable service for

our customers; however, we also knew

it was time to shed the one-size-fits-all

mindset common in the industry. We

needed a facelift.

With that frank self-assessment in

mind, we tightened up and sharpened

our focus, operations and customer ser-

vice. We are working to make a growing

system better, faster and smarter. We

want to solve problems before custom-

ers even know they exist. Oncor is a big

operator in a heavily regulated business,

and sometimes our customers’ needs

have changed more quickly than our

industry’s traditional standards of service.

To be candid, we were not always ready

or able to recognize, meet and exceed

these expectations. That mindset led to

outdated infrastructure and customer

satisfaction numbers that did not always

pass muster.

Today, we’re breaking these old molds.

As we invest in new technology, we are

becoming a different company—one that

acts as a trusted adviser for consumers.

Changing the way we do business is

exciting, but it’s not easy. Change rarely

is, especially in our industry.

One person helps put a human face

to this shift in culture, operations and

mindset at our company today: a proud

Texas native and Oncor customer

Mike Guyton is senior vice president

and chief customer officer for Oncor

with system responsibility for customer

operations including communications,

community relations and customer and

market operations.

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12 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

more than our technology; we need to

change our culture.

This is why I’ve asked our teams in the

field who interact with customers every

day to talk to those customers. Their

assignment: Bridge the gap between how

things were and how things need to be. It

seems basic, but this is a dramatic change

for a regulated company such as ours. For

years we talked at our customers but left

a lot of their suggestions in the comment

box. Now, with those teams in the field

and some exciting new forays we’ve made

into social media, we are better able to

hear and respond to customer feedback.

We are using these new opportunities to

open two-way, substantive conversations

that don’t stop. It’s not easy. Sometimes

we hear things that are uncomfortable or

hard to listen to, and sometimes we com-

municate in ways that are new to us and

our employees.

Our responsibility as a utility, however,

is to engage with customers, share insights

and improve our company. It’s the only

long-term solution that’s sustainable.

HOW WE’RE ACHIEVING

ENGAGEMENT

Apart from improving our use of social

media, one way we use the Internet

to engage more with our customers is

through two websites.

One of them, SmartMeterTexas.com,

provides energy use data from advanced

meters in 15-minute increments. All

our customers have to do is create

an account using information on their

electric bills to get a detailed glimpse

of their energy use before they get an

unwelcome surprise in their monthly

bills. Access to this type of information

puts customers in control of their elec-

tricity use. They can monitor electricity

usage in real time—watch the usage

climb when the kids come home from

school or when they turn on the heat,

air conditioning or oven.

On the TakeaLoadOffTexas.com web-

site, we provide access to tools and

programs to educate consumers about

energy efficiency in their communities.

These programs help residential con-

sumers, business owners and govern-

ment and educational facilities jump-

start their energy efficiency efforts.

Since 2002, these programs have

spent more than $542 million and

helped customers reduce 1,152 MW of

peak demand while saving more than

2.7 million MWh.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

These two new user-centered web-

sites are important, but they only cover

good news: how to save money and use

energy more efficiently.

To keep sharpening our culture

change, we must respond to all cus-

tomer concerns all the time, especially

when customers lose power.

We’ve started responding to outages

and problems through social media

because conversations about us occur

candlelight and used some extra blankets

at night to stay warm. At some point

the power would return, and life would

resume to normal.

  Today, Ellen is a mom and doctor

with her own practice. She has time and

responsibility constraints that she never

saw growing up, and she needs access

to electric power information, tools and

customer service that her parents never

were offered. She doesn’t have a rotary

phone—or even a home phone. She has

a smartphone with access to Facebook

and Twitter, and with that she’s more

plugged in than her parents ever were.

After learning about Ellen’s needs and the

needs of thousands of customers like her,

we’re giving ourselves a jolt and work-

ing to become a better, more responsive

company.

HOW WE’RE CHANGING

For the past five years we have invested

more than $1 billion annually in our grid,

installing new equipment and substan-

tially improving technology. This commit-

ment has paid off, and we will continue

this infrastructure investment for at least

the next five years. But to meet the needs

of customers like Ellen, we must improve

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September 2014 | 13 www.power-grid.com

to capture the 10-day blackout. So

we occasionally tweeted funny remarks

and comments on some ridiculous

aspects of the film. Humor is a power-

ful communications tool, and brands

that use it wisely benefit from positive

customer sentiment.

Social media is helping us open and

maintain dialogues with customers and

respond to their concerns. But dialogue

isn’t enough. Responding isn’t enough.

If we want to implement those culture

changes fully, we must act, too. We

must ask ourselves, “What’s the next

big innovation that we can give to our

customers?”

As every good company should reco-

gnize, we don’t have all the answers.

But if we listen, we will find them.

That’s why we’re investing in technol-

ogy and asking our customers what

they want. Our goal is fundamental:

Come to a solution together and work

toward putting the fix in place.

Just as Ellen let us know how our old

one-size-fits-all style of doing things

didn’t fit her needs, we hope more cus-

tomers will let us know what works and

doesn’t work for them. That way, we

can grow in the direction they want.

whether we’re there or not.

It also allows us to have one-on-

one conversations with customers; to

respond to them as needed; and, when

possible, to educate them. It allows us

to be part of big conversations early.

We know social media posts sometimes

drive the news cycle, too, so this gives

us an early warning.

For example, during a multiday

December storm, we posted or tweeted

information more than 60 times, were

mentioned in more than 9,000 social

media conversations and privately

responded to more than 650 people

with updates on their particular

situations.

  All of those conversations weren’t

positive, but we know that trusted

advisers engage with customers through

their positive and negative experiences.

Doing this also gives us greater visibility

when we assess our operational chal-

lenges. During that storm, a customer’s

social media comment alerted us to an

issue with our Text Oncor program,

which allows customers to communi-

cate directly with our company about

outages. That comment gave us a three-

hour jump on the problem.

By the time the news media became

aware of the issue, we had a solution.

Not everyone embraces new technol-

ogy, though. We understand and want

to accommodate that. Customers com-

municate differently. Some have the

equivalent of the old rotary phone, and

some don’t even use phones anymore

because they rely on the Internet. It’s

up to us to find and engage them on

their terms.

Oncor’s push into social media also has

given us the opportunity to launch some

creative thought leadership initiatives.

For example, on Sunday, Oct. 27,

the National Geographic Channel aired

“American Blackout,” a fictional movie

about a national power failure caused by

a cyberattack. Oncor Communications

saw the film as an opportunity to edu-

cate our social media audience, pro-

mote goodwill with our customers and

position Oncor and our executives as

engaged leaders.

Our “American Blackout” social

media campaign focused on live tweet-

ing during the movie with three main

components:

Facts and information. To educate

our Twitter followers, we tweeted facts

and information about what the movie

was portraying, including correcting

movie points that we deemed inac-

curate.

Expert commentary. During the

movie, we filmed, posted to YouTube

and tweeted brief videos of Oncor

subject matter experts’ reacting to what

they had just seen in the movie—simi-

lar to sports commentators or expert

analysis during a History Channel show.

Humor. “American Blackout” had

some farfetched scenarios, such as cell

phones with enough battery power

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14 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

©CANSTOCKPHOTOINC/NOSIKIKK

of geospatial experts to manage and

maintain a GIS. This group of people

understand mapping and how a GIS

operates, giving a utility the power of

a single system of record to ensure an

accurate view of the network at any

given time. If that network big picture

is locked inside the GIS, the utility

isn’t getting everything it could from

A geographic information system

(GIS) is the backbone of many

utilities: It provides a central repository

for asset and network data, immediate

updates on assets’ conditions, as well

as the ability to track, manage and

analyze infrastructure. With it, a utility

has unprecedented visibility into its

network and the ability to record data

far more quickly than was possible with

paper maps and charts that traditionally

were used to manage assets.

As valuable as these capabilities are,

a GIS can be leveraged far beyond the

straightforward tracking and managing

of assets. A utility may be poised to

strengthen other areas of its business

with this same tool, heightening

efficiencies and optimizing operations

in new ways. There are three areas in

which expanding the use of a GIS will

reap even more benefits and further

lower the total cost of ownership of the

platform.

SHARE KNOWLEDGE ACROSS

THE ORGANIZATION

Traditionally, utilities rely on a group

Matthew Crooks is a technical product

manager at Schneider Electric. He guides

development of the ArcFM product and many

of its extensions and works with customers to

develop gas, water and electric solutions.

Beyond Asset Mapping

—Three More Ways to Leverage Your GISBY MATT CROOKS, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

1409PG_14 14 9/4/14 4:39 PM

September 2014 | 15 www.power-grid.com

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The GIS platform can show the phase

and voltage, as well as how the voltage

changes down to the meter. A network

management tool can even display

changes downstream. For example, if

the power source were to be shut off at

point A, the GIS would show everything

downstream of that source that would

lose power. This ability to display the

consequences of potential network

changes eliminates

guesswork and shortens

the planning time

around asset expansion.

When various stages of

the planning process can

be modeled directly in

the GIS using design and

network management

tools, work flows

and applications are

simplified, decreasing

the likelihood that information might

be lost during staff turnover. This

makes GIS a database of real-time asset

information, as well as a critical tool

for future planning and potential asset

information.

MANAGING FIELD TEAMS

One of the most important tools

for a field crew is the transmission

and sharing of real-time, secure data.

The process traditionally has been slow

and time-consuming, thanks to spotty

network connections and the number

of steps required to communicate with

the home office. Regardless of the

reason, how quickly and reliably that

data is gathered can mean the difference

between a disjointed field crew with

unclear expectations and an optimized

team’s confidentially moving from one

project to the next.

that data. This is where Web maps

can help get the right information

into the hands of those who need it

without requiring them to become

GIS gurus.

A utility’s GIS group can publish

maps and make them available

internally via a Web browser. Web

maps that leverage geospatial

data can be used to inform

decisions, improve customer

satisfaction and support a wide

variety of tasks. For example,

Web maps that display

historical data about outages

in the network can be shared

throughout the utility. Control

room operators can use this

information to optimize how

the network is maintained.

Utilities also can use maps

to communicate with

customers. For example, a

map that highlights failover

measures taken to protect

a critical customer, such

as a hospital, helps build

consumer confidence.

Geospatial information

can be leveraged across

the organization for

various purposes. Using Web maps

makes it easy to share information

in lightweight, easily deployed and

intuitive formats. Employees across the

company can access what they need

without extensive or any GIS training.

PLANNING AN EXPANSION

As a utility grows, a GIS can be

used for asset planning and expansion.

Many utilities likely already are adding

new assets to the GIS, which makes

it especially useful for recording what

has taken place. It also can be helpful

earlier in the process by centralizing the

data considered and used for a utility’s

growth.

Robust GIS tools can help develop

hypothetical situations to consider as a

utility executes expansion planning. With

a design tool integrated with the GIS,

there is the added ability to create, control

and manage multiple design versions,

work requests and input from multiple

employees. In addition,

a utility can view, query

and edit designs without

copying files on the

network. By interactively

designing directly in

the GIS, adding assets

hypothetically to perform a

cost estimation or network

analysis helps ensure

the utility understands

the impact of the build

on its network. Once these assets are

constructed and established in the field,

you can convert the infrastructure in the

GIS to “as built,” and they become part of

the system of record.

In addition, a GIS design tool takes

into consideration site conditions,

design parameters and exclusion zones.

These capabilities ensure the best design

and help reduce costs and avoid excess

material use. The ability to plot the future

of a utility with the GIS platform can

revolutionize the process, making the

outcomes more efficient and accurate.

A typical GIS will maintain a generic

electric network model. For instance,

it will show that points A and B are

connected through line C. But a GIS

network management tool gives a much

deeper understanding of a network’s

connectivity, giving the utility the ability

to model scenarios and reduce the time

and effort around expansion planning.

If the power source were to be shut off at point A, the GIS would show everything downstream of that source that would lose power.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

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16 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

BY KIM GETGEN, TOLLGRADE COMMUNICATIONS

smart grid sensors have been a good fit in

Brazil, which can help other utilities weigh

the decision or evaluation criteria in mak-

ing such an investment:

1. Sensors are lightweight, affordable

and easy to install.

Smart grid sensors offer the perfect

retrofit solution for improving reliabil-

ity because they are extremely lightweight

(often weighing about 5 pounds) and can

be installed easily on power lines. Some of

the most advanced sensors have clamp-on

designs that require crews to use a hot-

stick only once. The sensors are so safe that

there is no need to take an outage during

uring the past decade, Brazil’s eco-

nomic boom has spurred a major

transition in its energy needs.

With easier access to credit and mil-

lions of households’ growing Brazil’s

middle class, the country finds itself

among the world’s top 10 consumers of

cars and personal computers.

All of this consumerism is good for

the economy, but it is increasing elec-

tricity demand.

Brazil is predicted to add 6,000 MW

of capacity every year just to keep pace

with the new demand.

Brazil’s mega utilities already are

some of the largest and cleanest com-

pared with their U.S. and European

counterparts.

For example, Electrobras is the 10th-

largest and fourth-cleanest power utility

in the world.

Meeting demand, however, is only

half the battle. Keeping the lights on

and restoring power as fast as possible

are equally important.

This is never easy in a country that has

one of the world’s largest highway systems

and worst traffic where fewer than 15 per-

cent of roads are paved.

Fighting difficult terrain and traffic and

trying not to let extreme weather get the

best of line crews are many of the key

reasons Brazil is turning to new technol-

ogy that can lessen drive times while still

improving reliability. It should come as

no surprise that these mega utilities are

the trendsetters when it comes to grid

modernization. Brazil plans to make smart

grid investments of $36.6 billion by 2022,

according to the Northeast Group.

Many utilities are turning to the new

breed of smart grid sensors that allows

them to receive real-time information

about grid conditions where they remain

most blind: the millions of miles of largely

unmonitored feeder networks that con-

nect cities and stretch into rural Brazil.

With this real-time sensor data, many

Brazilian utilities find they can be armed

with the data they need to improve reli-

ability dramatically and, in some cases,

prevent outages at a fraction of the cost of

other technologies.

TOP 5 ADVANTAGES

OF SMART GRID SENSORS

Smart grid sensors offer many advantag-

es. The following are the top five reasons

Kim Getgen is vice president of marketing

at Tollgrade Communications. Before joining

Tollgrade, she worked as a marketing

executive for smart metering company

Echelon Corp. and cybersecurity companies

including a venture-backed start-up she

co-founded, which was later acquired by

McAfee. Getgen received a Bachelor of Arts

from Wake Forest University and an M.Phil

in International Development Studies from

Oxford. Reach her at kgetgen@tollgrade.com.

1409PG_16 16 9/4/14 4:39 PM

September 2014 | 17 www.power-grid.com

and is a big breakthrough in the reduction

of O&M expenses. Better yet, the new

breed of smart grid sensors

are software-defined and

can be remotely program-

mable over the air, mean-

ing key parameter settings

can be changed and firm-

ware can be upgraded;

utilities can take advantage

of new features long after

sensors have been hung on

the line. This maximizes their worth and

delivers a low-risk, future-proof invest-

ment.

3. Reliable, flexible communications

are a reality.

Many communications options exist

when considering a smart sensor solution.

Many sensors provide integrated commu-

nication options with various Wi-Fi and

cellular coverage options. Many smart grid

sensors can work on advanced metering

infrastructure (AMI) backbones such as

those provided by Silver Spring Networks

or Tropos so utilities with smart meter

investments can leverage them further.

4. Smart grid sensors deliver the fault

location so crews can restore power

faster.

Most smart grid sensors can detect and

locate faults in two ways: circuit segmenta-

tion and distance to fault estimation. Some

utilities have a preferred method, but both

approaches allow power to be restored

faster.

A. Circuit segmentation. Some utilities

segment or sectionalize their circuits

with sensors. When a fault occurs,

it is captured by all smart grid sen-

sors on that circuit. The centralized

sensor software receives all fault and

an installation, and they can be on the line

in less than five minutes.

In addition, smart grid

sensors are affordable—a

fraction of the cost of other

smart grid technologies

such as smart reclosers and

smart switches. Although

most smart grid sensors

cannot offer full automa-

tion—they can only moni-

tor—they can give the fault

location. Some sensors can send all vital

information before an outage, allowing

some utilities to take measures first (see

more about this in No. 5). This is what

many Brazilian utilities need to improve

reliability dramatically, shorten drive times

and stretch their capital investments fur-

ther across their large network footprints.

2. The latest generation of smart grid

sensors are battery-free, so there is no

maintenance.

The new breed of smart grid sensors

are inductively powered, meaning they

require no batteries to be operational.

Prior to these new sensors, batteries

or even solar panels were used as

the power supplies, and that

required utilities to send field

crews to the sensors after

they were installed to

replace batteries or fix

solar panels. Battery-

free means 100 per-

cent maintenance-free

Although most smart grid sensors cannot offer full automation, they can give fault location.

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18 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

indications of anomalous behavior that

might be early indications of future fail-

ures. Having this level of analysis makes

it possible to filter nonevents that have

been notorious in tripping earlier sensor

technologies such as fault circuit indicators

(FCIs), tricking them into reporting faults

although no power outage exists.

Events that can be detected by smart grid

sensors to help prevent outages include:

•  Failing underground cables;

•  Blown capacitor bank fuses;

•  Blown fuses from vegetation, animal

disturbances or both;

•  Improper coordination of circuit pro-

tection timing;

•  Slack span faults; and

•  Disturbances from trees or vegeta-

tion growth.

FIELD DEPLOYMENT:

TOP 3 LESSONS LEARNED

One of Brazil’s leading utilities deployed

Tollgrade LightHouse Smart Grid Sensors

to improve its network reliability. The

solution helped the utility monitor load,

identify emergency load levels and help

pinpoint outages to reduce drive times

in hazardous conditions. The Tollgrade

LightHouse Smart Grid Sensors were the

first to receive homologation certification

and be approved for use by the Brazilian

government.

outage notifications on the circuit,

analyzes them and notifies the crew

of the fault location via email or text

or via DNP3 messages to other back-

office systems (supervisory control

and data acquisition, energy man-

agement system, historian, etc.) in

near real time. When multiple sen-

sors are deployed on a circuit, only

the sensors closest to the fault are

reported. Some advanced sensor

packages include Google Maps so

they can plot the outage on the map

and crews can plan the safest route,

use the best roads and avoid the

most traffic.

B. Distance to fault estimation. Some

utilities prefer to use the RMS fault

current measurements from smart

grid sensors with their circuit imped-

ance models. When a fault occurs

on a circuit, sensors report the phase

or phases affected and the RMS fault

current. If control center operators

have access to impedance models

for the circuit (individual spread-

sheets integrated with DMS or other

tools) and circuit maps, dispatchers

can identify one or more candidate

locations for crews to investigate. If

multiple fault locations are possible,

dispatchers might be able to identify

specific candidate locations based on

customer outage calls, smart meter

notifications and downstream sen-

sors’ notifications.

Regardless of their desired approach-

es, utilities should look for smart

grid sensors that can email or text

notifications with the

following information:

•  Event type: permanent fault, momen-

tary fault, power off, power on;

•  Timestamp;

•  Substation/circuit/phase (multiple

phase events may be reported togeth-

er or independently);

•  Fault current magnitude (configu-

rable to report RMS or peak cur-

rent); and

•  Sensor’s logical and GPS location.

5. Smart grid sensors can help utilities

prevent the next outage.

There is a new breed of smart grid sen-

sor that can provide sophisticated wave-

form analysis of disturbances and grid

events to review disturbances on the grid

continuously and keep a watchful eye to

spot specific patterns or abnormalities.

Several seconds of waveform samples from

each disturbance can be analyzed. These

predictive grid analytics packages can eval-

uate parameters such as the disturbance

surge magnitude, number of surge cycles,

rate of decay of surge, and pre- and post-

disturbance load levels. Analytics rules

can be defined to filter out disturbances’

resulting from standard network opera-

tions (e.g., load switching events), as well

as to alert network operators to inefficient

operating conditions, system failures or

WAVEFORMS CAPTURED BY A SMART GRID SENSOR INDICATING A FAILING

UNDERGROUND CABLE

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September 2014 | 19 www.power-grid.com

The field deployment yielded lessons

that highlight the value of real-time moni-

toring to restore power faster and, in some

cases, prevent outages.

1. Outage avoidance. During the

deployment, sensors determined circuits

that were significantly overloaded and

coincided with outages. By configuring

high-current alarms for these circuits,

engineers can respond to overloaded con-

ditions as they happen before they lead

to outages. Sensors detected a series of

momentary outages on one phase of a

circuit over a week. Shortly after, a per-

manent outage took nearly 24 hours to

repair. Now, the utility can monitor this

circuit for frequent momentary faults so

crews can investigate and resolve prob-

lems before an outage.

2. Restore power faster. Sensors

detected an outage on some circuits and

detected the faults on Google Maps to help

crews get to fault locations and restore

power faster.

3. Load monitoring. Sensors moni-

tored the load of the circuits to see

emergency overloading and if phases

were in balance. The utility quickly

pinpointed what circuits were out of

balance so it could redistribute loads to

free up additional capacity and reduce

technical line losses.

CONCLUSION

Brazil will be a trendsetter for devel-

oping useful cases for the advancement

of smart grid sensors. The first deploy-

ments in Brazil already show this afford-

able technology can improve reliability.

When it comes to making the smart grid

sensor investment, look for solutions

that are: battery-free, software-defined

and flexible in their communications

options so you are not hit with hidden

O&M expenses over the lifetime of the

deployment.

Reliability is being improved because

sensors pinpoint outages and can help

utilities avoid outages. By monitoring

networks for faults that are the precur-

sors of outages, utilities can prevent out-

ages. Most smart grid sensors have built

a value proposition around delivering

better fault location, but utilities should

consider the impact predictive grid ana-

lytics could have on their networks.

The more utilities that can prevent, the

more reliability can improve and the less

crews drive to restore power in treacher-

ous terrains and bad conditions.

operators can predict damage better

because they have a record of what

has been installed where and previous

repairs that might have helped harden

that area to oncoming weather. This

informs better decision-making for pri-

oritizing damage assessment activities.

MOVE BEYOND MANAGEMENT

A GIS platform is a key tool for any

modern utility, but chances are good that

many are not using the solution to its full-

est. A record of asset inventory and the

real-time management of those assets are

important, but leveraging a GIS beyond

the basics to help with getting intuitive

data into the hands of those who need it,

expansion planning and execution, and

enhancing the productivity and accuracy

of the field team will set new standards of

responsiveness and customer service.

A GIS system on a mobile device can

maximize a field-worker’s time out on

the job as he or she receives new work

orders without having to return to the

dispatch office. The field team can be

as mobile as possible while accessing

the most up-to-date information. For

instance, a utility can provide workers

with the same GIS system upon which

the rest of the enterprise depends. In

other words, a single, spatially aware

source can talk to other systems and

provide data synchronization that is

fast, transparent and that users can

take to the field. This ensures everyone

is working from the latest version of

reality and can communicate with the

home office regarding additional proj-

ects, unexpected challenges and the

status of assets.

A GIS system can optimize talent

further by leveraging cross-functional

workers. For example, the back office

can use this data exchange to send a

field-worker additional tasks after it sees

that the first one is completed. Rather

than going out and simply completing

one task, the worker can do several

more projects as they arise. Or, if an out-

age is detected, crews already in the area

can be dispatched to address problems

and improve customer satisfaction with

faster response times.

As a worker completes a task or

repair, he or she can submit that data to

the GIS platform from a mobile device.

This saves the back office the time it

takes to enter information from hand-

written paperwork and helps build a

more accurate and detailed knowledge

base around repairs. In a future scenario

when severe weather is on the horizon,

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 : Beyond Asset Mapping —Three More Ways to Leverage Your GIS

1409PG_19 19 9/4/14 4:39 PM

© CAN ST

20 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

Makes Smart Metering Even Smarter

LTEBY ERAN ESHED, ALTAIR SEMICONDUCTOR

In a world where everything is

becoming smart, from smartphones

and smart watches to smart homes and

smart cities, having metering systems

that require on-site readings by techni-

cians is passé and inefficient.

That’s why utilities were among the

first vertical markets to implement

machine-to-machine (M2M) commu-

nications solutions, leading us to today,

where we are seeing a shift toward

smart metering systems. Regulation

supports this initiative. The EU Third

Internal Energy Package (IME 3), for

example, required member states to

perform a cost-benefit analysis of smart

meter rollout by September 2012.

Where positive, member states were to

prepare a timetable to implement smart

metering systems “with at least 80% of

consumers attached to smart electricity

metering systems by 2020.” These regu-

lations are being followed by countries

such as the U.K., where the Smart Meter

Implementation Programme has been

put in place.

Machina Research projects there will

be some 400 million smart meter con-

nections by 2022.

What makes meters smart is not an

advanced hardware design or extraor-

dinary software functionality; it is their

ability to operate in a grid and be con-

trolled by smart central intelligence—in

other words, connectivity to the cloud.

This makes Internet connection one of

the most fundamental features of smart

meters, and it must be secure, robust

and long-lasting. For these reasons, 4G

LTE is a uniquely suited connectivity

technology for smart meters.

Although the initial investment to

convert conventional meters to smart

meters is high, the return on investment

(ROI) from the improved efficiencies

gained by utilities and energy distribu-

tion service providers, together with the

advanced and monetizable services that

Eran Eshed is co-founder and vice

president of marketing and business

development for Altair Semiconductor, a

provider of single-mode LTE solutions.

1409PG_20 20 9/4/14 4:39 PM

© CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / CUTEIMAGE

September 2014 | 21 www.power-grid.com

© C

AN

STO

CK

PH

OTO

IN

C. /

CU

TEIM

AG

E

1409PG_21 21 9/4/14 4:40 PM

22 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

Aggregating several sensors into a

single access hub is a flexible architec-

ture; however, it is not flawless.

The usage of technologies such as

PLC and ZigBee are not always reliable

and impose physical constraints in the

maximal distance between meters or

between a meter and the hub. In addi-

tion, the cost of the hub eventually

offsets the cost upward.

Integrating cellular

connectivity into each

meter is the simplest

and most flat architec-

ture. It provides maxi-

mum flexibility because

no intermediate aggre-

gation points are

required. This reduces

cost, simplifies com-

munications protocols

and enhances reliability

and security.

CELLULAR OVERCOMES

SHORTCOMINGS OF SHORT-

RANGE COMMUNICATIONS

The question then becomes, “Which

cellular technology to use?” There are

2G, 3G and 4G LTE networks, but 2G

networks are coming to the end of their

life cycle. AT&T Wireless and Verizon

announced they will decommission

their 2G networks. As 2G networks shut

down, carriers will re-farm the available

spectrum for use in either 3G or 4G LTE

networks; however, carriers that are look-

ing for a long-term solution likely will

choose 4G LTE for this spectrum realloca-

tion because 3G networks are inefficient

and costly. Moreover, the world’s major

carriers are investing heavily in 4G LTE,

so maintaining 3G networks while rolling

out 4G LTE networks is not cost-effective.

That leaves us with 4G LTE.

can reduce peak consumption of energy

by shifting demand loads.

THE REGULATOR/

GOVERNMENT ANGLE

With smart meters, regulators gain

more control over electricity, an expen-

sive, important and limited resource.

With more knowledge and control

over smart metering systems, regulators

can better assess and

monitor what utilities

charge users and can

ensure adequate quality

of service.

Increased knowledge

of how and when ener-

gy is being consumed

can save money for con-

sumers and utilities.

This is because smart

meters increase efficien-

cy and can lower excess

usage.

With regulator initiatives such as

the U.K.’s Smart Meter Implementation

Programme, entire countries can expe-

rience increased efficiency and lower

usage, which can benefit economies

and help them become greener.

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

IN SMART METERING

Two main smart metering architec-

tures exist:

1. Smart metering endpoints connect-

ed via technologies such as ZigBee,

Power Line Communications

(PLC) or mesh architectures such

as 6LowPAN that are connected to

the cloud via an access hub, which

in most cases use cellular technol-

ogy for access; and

2. Integration of a cellular chip or mod-

ule into each metering endpoint.

these companies will offer, will justify

the investment.

THE CONSUMER ANGLE

Consumers can benefit greatly from

the two-way communication offered by

smart metering systems. Smart meters

in smart homes can communicate with

appliances within the homes, and home

appliances can benefit from the knowl-

edge of smart meters. For example,

appliances such as an icemaker can

function only during off-peak hours of

energy use. This two-way communica-

tion enables users to be more mindful

of their energy consumption.

Utilities’ real-time and precise knowl-

edge and control over individual home

and neighborhood supply points will

enable them to minimize power outage

time and provide a higher-quality and

more personalized service to consumers.

Finally, consumers also can enjoy

more precise billing because meters are

read in real time rather than bills’ being

prorated.

THE UTILITY ANGLE

Smart metering benefits utilities

through lower operating costs. Fewer

employees are needed for meter reading

and routine maintenance. For example,

because smart meters can provide noti-

fications if there is a problem, person-

nel are sent only when needed.

In addition, old metering systems

are more susceptible to tampering and

manipulation. A utility could send a

technician to read a meter, but there

would be no clear way to know if there

had been tampering. With smart meters

this is nearly impossible, so there is a

significant decrease in energy theft.

Smart meters also offer more efficient

energy use. Two-way communication

With regulator initiatives, entire countries can experience increased effciency and lower usage, which can beneft economies.

1409PG_22 22 9/4/14 4:40 PM

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There is also a tremendous benefit

for utilities to pass on the burden of

connectivity to MNOs or mobile virtual

network operators (MVNOs) who spe-

cialize in communication technology.

MNOs such as Telefonica, Vodafone

and AT&T already offer end-to-end

connectivity and management plat-

forms for the utility market.

Alternatively, utilities can outsource

this task to energy management compa-

nies such as Kore Wireless and Wyless,

which offer wireless backhaul services

and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) man-

agement platforms.

These companies purchase airtime

from carriers and then offer cellular

connectivity to utilities.

The companies often receive better

rates from carriers in various countries

than utilities could negotiate on their

own.

The final piece to widespread adop-

tion of LTE in smart metering applica-

tions is an LTE chip that is optimized

for M2M use.

This chip needs to be small with low

power and low cost to compete with

alternative technologies. With an M2M

optimized chip, the cost of integrating

these chips or modules into every smart

meter endpoint becomes negligible.

The world is shifting to smart meter

usage; however, the way these smart

meters communicate with one another,

consumers and utilities is still in pro-

cess. Still, using cellular connectiv-

ity for metering, particularly 4G LTE,

makes the most sense because of its

low-cost, high-efficiency, long-term

capabilities and the backing of MNOs.

When these smart metering networks

are fully deployed with the optimal

technology, we will see the widespread

benefits for all involved.

There are three primary market-driv-

ers for the adoption of LTE-only in

smart metering:

1. Long-term usability;

2. Spectral efficiency; and

3. Investment of mobile network

operators.

LTE technology was designed for

long-term use. As utilities switch to

smart metering systems, they will want

a technology that will be reliable for

at least the next decade. Smart meters

with LTE chips or modules will be

effective well into the 2020s.

Because M2M applications such as

smart metering require smaller amounts

of data transmission, LTE offers much

better spectral efficiency, meaning many

more smart meter endpoints can be

serviced on a given chunk of spectrum.

Finally, mobile network operators

(MNOs) have every interest in becom-

ing major players in smart metering

connections. Given the exploding mar-

ket for Internet of Things (IoT) applica-

tions, the only way for MNOs to benefit

is by providing the pipes of connection.

As such, we are seeing huge invest-

ments by MNOs in launching 4G LTE

networks.

Last year, Verizon announced that by

late 2014 it would be weaning users off

of aging 3G networks and that smart-

phones released by the carrier would

be compatible only with LTE networks.

This is good news for users, as well,

because an LTE-only option cuts out

royalty payments to 3G technology pat-

ent owners. Although Verizon’s switch

to LTE so far applies only to its mobile

users, the move to LTE only likely will

hit its M2M users eventually, as well.

And we likely will see the same trend

with other carriers worldwide.

1409PG_23 23 9/4/14 4:40 PM

© CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / ALEXEYBOLDIN

24 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

BY ANGUS PANTON, SQS GROUP LTD.

and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), residents

spend on average 1,342 pounds ($2,240)

annually on energy, with heating being

responsible for more than 60 percent of

the bill.

Evidence of savings comes from Nest

Learning Thermostat customers in the

U.S. who are experiencing average savings

of 20 percent on heating and cooling bills.

Now the company is targeting U.K. cus-

tomers with similar savings opportunities.

Underpinning this new wave of home

energy technology is M2M communica-

tions amid the Internet of Things (IoT),

which poses technological and regulatory

challenges from spectrum allocation to

reliability and security.

As such, energy suppliers’ involvement

carries risk.

Should the security be breached or

the installation fail to fulfill claims for its

performance, then consumers might look

elsewhere for their services.

The pace of smart technologies’ growth

in energy will depend on combining great

functionality with ease of use and high

levels of security.

Naturally, companies want assurance

that applications they offer to the market

will work as advertised, and this technol-

ogy poses particular challenges, given the

he utilities sector is in the vanguard

of consumer machine-to-machine

(M2M) communications, but the scale

and pace of change are challenging.

When consumer technology giant

Apple made its recent move into smarter

homes with its HomeKit announcement,

you knew something major was afoot.

The ability to control devices such as

thermostats from a smartphone will be big

business, with Apple, Google and others’

unleashing a flood of apps for the utilities

market.

By 2023, two-thirds of the 30 billion

smart, wirelessly connected devices in

homes and industry worldwide will be

for utilities, recent research by Analysys

Mason shows.

Already, markets such as the U.K. are

seeing the introduction of remote and

automatic central heating controls run

from smart mobile devices, enabling con-

sumers to manage their energy costs using

Web-based technology that has driven

so much innovation and convenience in

other areas such as mobile commerce and

social media.

For energy suppliers, empowering con-

sumers to keep on top of their con-

sumption using smart devices rapidly is

becoming a differentiator in the largely

commodity-based utilities market and

can provide suppliers with a potential

goldmine of marketing, consumer data,

operational opportunities and escalating

revenues.

Three players in computerized thermo-

stats are active in the U.K.: Hive, owned

by energy giant British Gas; the Google

subsidiary Nest Labs; and German firm

tado.

Each uses mobile device apps to sim-

plify running home central heating from

anywhere.

Functions include automatic response

to weather patterns; firing up the heat-

ing from a location app when a resident

is heading home; and learning from a

householder’s manual tweaks to replicate

them automatically. Meanwhile, informa-

tion technology (IT) and communica-

tion giants AT&T Inc. and IBM this year

formed an alliance to develop M2M sys-

tems with a focus on utilities.

For society, the potential prize is huge

in cutting and controlling energy con-

sumption.

British Gas estimates, for example, that

as many as 7.8 million U.K. homes are

being heated annually when no one is

home.

According to the U.K. Office of Gas

Angus Panton is director of power and

communications at software quality specialist

SQS Group Ltd.

1409PG_24 24 9/4/14 4:40 PM

September 2014 | 25 www.power-grid.com

interconnection issues across networks, as

with any complex IT system.

SCALING UP FOR SMART METERS

Smart meter rollouts are a powerful

spur to M2M growth in the energy sector,

and governments are pressing for speedy

implementations.

Along with consumers’ security sensi-

tivities, the size of the program—from the

immense installation task to the meter’s

operation—carries huge potential for

positive or negative impact on consumer

acceptance of smart connected devices.

In the U.K., replacing 53 million con-

ventional domestic power and gas meters

in some 30 million premises by 2020 will

be Britain’s biggest home energy technol-

ogy change for more than 40 years.

A smart decision has been made in the

U.K.: A license to manage the communica-

tions infrastructure for the Smart Metering

Implementation Programme has been

granted to the Data and Communications

Co (DCC).

But there is trepidation within the

energy industry. For example, as Neil

Pennington, smart program director at

energy firm RWE npower, said recently

during an industry seminar, “Testing must

be robust—end-to-end across industry

parties and the DCC and in live situations.

“If interoperability is not consistent and

systems and processes not failsafe, it risks

undermining consumer confidence.”

In written evidence to the government’s

Energy and Climate Change Committee,

RWE npower also stated, “Enduring tech-

nical, end-to-end design needs to be estab-

lished quickly to generate certainty and

ensure that equipment is developed and

manufactured to provide the industry with

the capability to provide 100% coverage,

in a consistent and timely manner.”

The imperative to test rigorously and

promptly is clear, and it applies to the

M2M cascade that almost certainly will

follow.

Large energy suppliers must be ready

for DCC interface testing in autumn 2015.

They have huge rollout profiles that will

run to installing tens of

1409PG_25 25 9/4/14 4:40 PM

26 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

was assurance that the device enhanced

the utility brand and minimized the risk

of damage to its reputation.

Unflawed continuity was crucial

between the branding on the device and

the website via which customers would

control it.

Solution. From the outset, SQS provid-

ed comprehensive reporting via a quality

barometer, which provided clarity at any

given stage in the development that the

company’s requirements were being met.

Testing included:

•  Early exploratory testing to ensure

the system operation was intuitive

and the device was easy to use;

•  Engaging the utility closely during

the peak simulation exercise with

the IT infrastructure architect and

database administrators at test runs;

•  Repeat testing on a range of brows-

ers along with testing on different

screens. Tests encompassed usability

and performance;

• Manual testing on the prototype

version to prevent incorrect images

or missed content. This decision

reflected the intense need to ensure

all the utility’s aims were met, partic-

ularly its expectations for the device’s

usability and consistent branding;

and

•  Nonfunctional tests, which included

failover and disaster recovery with a

top priority to ensure user settings

were preserved in either instance.

The utility had confidence that the

device would provide customers with a

reliable, resilient service and be a first-

rate representation of the company.

thousands of meters a week to meet the

2020 deadline.

Small energy suppliers, too, will need

to interface with the DCC by the 2020

deadline.

Even before smart metering is in play,

the installation program carries signifi-

cant risk.

The need to enter homes increases

reputational risks from poor delivery.

According to consultant Ernst & Young,

“With so little upside, the energy supplier

is looking carefully at the costs and risks.”

QUALITY TO THE FORE

Installation will be the first big data

challenge in the smart metering program.

The task will involve upgrades in

utilities’ IT, including changes in enter-

prise resource planning systems, asset

management, job scheduling and hand-

held devices.

Interfaces and back-end systems will

have to be tested to ensure they can han-

dle the load as it increases through rollout.

Much complex integration and opera-

tion acceptance testing will be required

and will need careful management.

Software quality is playing an ever

more important role in developing cus-

tomer value, and the pace of change in

the energy sector puts such quality into

sharp relief.

For companies’ facing such major

and looming deadlines, testing must be

incorporated early in a project life cycle

because the cost and delays associated

with addressing defects found later in the

project will be high.

Adrian Tuck, vice chairman of the

ZigBee Alliance, which develops M2M

standards, counsels the energy sector to

prepare for technology-driven disruption.

“I believe we are about to go through a

revolution in the energy space every bit as

big as the telecom revolution,” Tuck said.

Energy sector business strategists will

differ in their interpretations of what is

needed for success in a digital utility

market.

But crucial requirements for the indus-

try and its customers will be assured resil-

ience and reliability in the technologies.

And customer experience needs to be

assessed equally rigorously because ease

of use can be as potent in influencing per-

ceptions as sound performance.

The importance of assured performance

and usability in connected devices to the

development of the energy industry is a

responsibility to which the testing indus-

try is keenly sensitive.

The IoT offers energy firms an opportu-

nity to connect better with its customers.

For the energy sector, confidence in

smart, connected technology will be

the fuel it needs to achieve and benefit

from the pace of change the market will

demand.

TESTED AND TRIED—EXAMPLE

OF QUALITY IN ACTION

A U.K. utility venturing into the remote

energy control market with a new device

needed confidence that the product would

enhance the utility’s reputation by fulfill-

ing customer expectations with no room

for shortfalls.

The company needed to be assured that

the device was reliable, easy to operate

and a sound reflection of its commitment

to customers.

The utility selected SQS as an inde-

pendent quality partner to provide

expert advice based on its utilities sec-

tor experience and to manage the gov-

ernance of testing.

Challenges. The primary requirement

1409PG_26 26 9/4/14 4:40 PM

September 2014 | 27 www.power-grid.com

CASE STUDY Jiangxi Electric Power Design Institute Increases Substation Design Efficiency

BY CATHY CHATFIELD-TAYLOR, CC-T UNLIMITED

had rendered the design team unable

to provide a comprehensive substation

model for construction.

JXEPDI sought a comprehensive solu-

tion that could help accomplish substa-

tion projects more efficiently through a

collaborative design process among all

disciplines. JXEPDI routinely promotes

technological innovation and commu-

nicates with domestic and international

leaders in the field to learn from their

experience and adopt best practices.

JXEPDI adopted Bentley’s substation

solution to improve collaboration, qual-

ity and efficiency and to facilitate the

transfer of a digital substation model to

construction.

As an energy industry leader, the

Power Construction Corp. of

China (PowerChina) provides services

from planning, survey, design and engi-

neering to finance, construction, instal-

lation and operation and maintenance

of hydropower, thermal power, new

energy and infrastructure projects.

PowerChina subsidiary Jiangxi

Electric Power Design Institute

(JXEPDI) delivered the 220-kV Duxiling

Substation for owner-operator China

State Grid Corp. to support economic

development and enhance the quality

of life in Jiangxi Province by improving

the electricity network and power sup-

ply reliability.

“Bentley Substation provides a con-

solidated platform for electric substa-

tion design that enables greater collabo-

ration within and across the physical

and electrical design disciplines,” said

Chenhong Liu, of JXEPDI.

Using Bentley’s substation solution,

which provided a unified environment

for structural, physical and electrical

design, the institute eliminated incon-

sistencies and performed concurrent

engineering. As a result, the design effi-

ciency of the CNY 81 million substation

was significantly enhanced by avoiding

silos of data and many errors that can

occur when using separate products for

site design, physical layout and electri-

cal systems design.

IMPROVING SUBSTATION DESIGN

JXEPDI recognized that past sub-

station design practices were ineffi-

cient and caused duplication of effort.

Without a collaborative design process,

each design discipline (site, structural,

physical and electrical) had created its

own substation model, which led to

design inconsistencies, collision prob-

lems and rework. This work flow also

Cathy Chatfield-Taylor is a freelance writer

and principal of CC-T Unlimited specializing in

trend stories, case studies and white papers

on technology solutions for the AEC industry.

Reach her at cathy@cc-tunlimited.com.

The 3-D substation model enabled lightning protection modeling and visualization.

1409PG_27 27 9/4/14 4:40 PM

28 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

well as the structural design of control

and switch house buildings on-site.

•  JXEPDI used STAAD.Pro, which inte-

grated seamlessly with ProSteel, for

advanced analysis and design of sup-

port structures.

•  Starting with the structural models

developed in ProSteel for consisten-

cy, JXEPDI used AECOsim Building

Designer to construct a single model

for the on-site control and switch

houses, encompassing architectural,

structural, mechanical and electrical

systems design, construction docu-

mentation and 3-D visualization.

PROJECT COLLABORATION

ENVIRONMENT

JXEPDI also implemented ProjectWise,

Bentley’s project collaboration and

INTEGRATED SUBSTATION DESIGN

Bentley’s substation solution is com-

posed of integrated design, simulation and

collaboration software products that enable

all disciplines to accelerate design, improve

constructability and reduce the operating

costs of electric substations. The solu-

tion components implemented by JXEPDI

included Bentley Substation, GEOPAK

Civil Engineering Suite, Bentley Raceway

and Cable Management, ProSteel, STAAD.

Pro and AECOsim Building Designer.

•  Bentley Substation, the only integrated

software product for intelligent elec-

trical and physical substation design,

supported the creation of an intelli-

gent substation model. The designers

developed a 3-D physical layout with

wiring and sag modeling to check

clearance and spacing. From the

comprehensive 3-D physical model,

2-D schematics and 2-D construction

drawings were generated, along with

bills of material and 3-D renderings

for review by the owner.

•  GEOPAK Civil Engineering Suite, civil

engineering and road design soft-

ware for designing and sustaining

infrastructure, enabled the generation

of the digital terrain model using

topographic data from a site survey.

The software supported the design of

roads and calculation of cut-and-fill

quantities. The complete site model

was exported for use by the structural

and physical design disciplines.

•  JXEPDI used Bentley Raceway and

Cable Management to execute effi-

cient layout, routing and material

quantities for raceways, cable trays,

conduits and cables.

•  ProSteel was used for the structural

design of truss work, gantries and

other support structures for electrical

equipment, conductors and cables, as

Project SummaryORGANIZATION

POWERCHINA, Jiangxi Electric Power Design Institute

SOLUTION

Utility Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure

LOCATION

Pingxiang, Jiangxi, China

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

• Design and deliver the 220-kV Duxiling Substation.

• Improve design quality and efficiency by implementing a unified,

multidisciplined, collaborative design environment.

• Deliver an intelligent digital substation model for construction and

operations.

PRODUCTS USED

AECOsim Building Designer, Bentley i-model Composer, Bentley

Navigator, Bentley Raceway and Cable Management, Bentley

Substation, GEOPAK Civil Engineering Suite, MicroStation,

ProjectWise, ProSteel, STAAD.Pro

FAST FACTS

• JXEPDI implemented Bentley’s substation solution comprising

integrated design, simulation and collaboration software.

• The solution enabled collaborative and concurrent design within and

among disciplines.

• ProjectWise enabled all disciplines to work simultaneously and have

timely access to one another’s design work.

ROI

• Substation design efficiency increased some 30 percent.

• Project quality was increased by eliminating errors and

inconsistencies across disciplines.

The comprehensive digital substation model will deliver ongoing

efficiencies across the life cycle of the substation infrastructure.

1409PG_28 28 9/4/14 4:40 PM

Jiangxi Electric Power Design Institute Duxiling Substation

September 2014 | 29 www.power-grid.com

SUBSTATION SOLUTION

ENABLES FASTER DESIGN

Bentley’s substation solution allowed

JXEPDI to achieve concurrent, stream-

lined work flows that improved quality

and increased substation design effi-

ciency some 30 per-

cent.

Stakeholder com-

munications improved

because of the ability

to deliver an integrat-

ed 3-D visualization

of the civil, structural

and electrical design in

the context of the sur-

rounding terrain.

Upon project com-

pletion, the design team delivered a

comprehensive, intelligent digital sub-

station model that will improve the effi-

ciency of operations, maintenance and

subsequent refurbishment projects.

information management software for the

design and construction of architecture,

engineering, construction and operations

projects. Used for multidiscipline collab-

orative design and results sharing, the soft-

ware unified the design team with a single

source of truth for models and analysis cre-

ated using the various design applications.

The standardized working environ-

ment, engineering data and project infor-

mation were all hosted on a dedicated

ProjectWise server. With ProjectWise’s

directory management and permissions

controls, appropriate read, write and other

access permissions were set up according

to project team members’ needs.

INCREASED QUALITY, EFFICIENCY

THROUGH CONCURRENT

ENGINEERING

Although JXEPDI gained independent

productivity and quality benefits from

each software application for substation

design, the biggest gains in efficiency

and quality arose from the collabora-

tion enabled by ProjectWise. Having the

entire substation design process in a uni-

fied environment improved work quality

and efficiency within and across disci-

plines. Hosting all project

information on a dedi-

cated server enabled shar-

ing of up-to-date models

across disciplines (e.g.,

between structural and

building with ProSteel,

STAAD.Pro and AECOsim

Building Designer), elimi-

nating work duplication

and inconsistencies. This

timely, accurate exchange

of current project information trans-

formed what was a step-by-step design

process into an agile, concurrent engi-

neering process that shortened design

time and increased its quality.

The substation solution helped JXEPDI increase substation design effency some 30 percent.

1409PG_29 29 9/4/14 4:40 PM

30 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

BY PETER EBERSOLD, MARMON UTILITY

the underground cable and connecting

to two circuit breakers and two capacitor

banks. The solution is uncommon for a

substation; underground cable transmis-

sion lines are used more frequently when

an airport is nearby and it is important to

keep circuits from interfering with airport

operations.

After deciding on the engineering

approach, Bail began looking for a com-

pany that could supply the cable, termina-

tions and testing components.

He consulted with the client about its

existing relationships with suppliers of

high-voltage underground cable, then

began discussions with Kerite, which is

Substation expansions can become

extremely complicated when space is

limited. That’s when high-voltage under-

ground cable becomes a viable option.

What makes the option even more favor-

able is a turnkey approach in which the

high-voltage underground cable manufac-

turer installs the cable and terminations

then tests the cable installation and delivers

complete project documentation.

During a recent substation expansion

near Buffalo, New York, where expansion

of a substation yard and extension of an

overhead 115-kV bus was impracticable

and relocating facilities within the substa-

tion was expensive and time-consuming,

Seymour, Connecticut,-based Kerite Co.

provided turnkey underground cable

installation services that allowed new

capacitor banks to be installed and ener-

gized in a short time with no disruption to

other circuits in the substation.

BUFFALO-AREA PROJECT

REQUIRED NOVEL SOLUTION

NYSEG, a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA,

needed to add capacitor banks to improve

the electrical system to handle load growth

in the Buffalo area. The utility, which serves

877,000 electricity customers and 261,000

natural gas customers across more than 40

percent of upstate New York, installed two

new 115-kV, 25 MVAR switched capaci-

tor banks at Big Tree Substation, an older

facility constructed in the 1940s. The sub-

station feeds Ralph Wilson Stadium, home

of the Buffalo Bills. New capacitor banks

were important for ensuring overall sys-

tem improvements and supporting system

voltage in the area.

Consulting engineers Laramore,

Douglass and Popham designed the proj-

ect. The company provides engineering

for investor-owned and cooperative utili-

ties and works on everything from wind

farms to industrial clients. Senior substa-

tion engineer Stan Bail said that although

the Big Tree Substation seems large, it

was impossible to add both banks above

ground as is common with substation

expansions. There was a wide open space

on the south side, but the north side was

close to a fence, and a house is just outside

the fence.

“We came to the conclusion that the

banks had to be underground because

transmission lines were in the way,” Bail

said. “We couldn’t place the capacitor

banks off the existing bus because it was

35 feet in the air and there was no room to

place the capacitor banks under the exist-

ing structure.”

There was room within the substation

fence, Bail said, if they could have gotten

the overhead wire bus extended to the area

where the capacitor banks would fit. But

NYSEG needed two capacitor banks and

two breakers.

Because the bus was split with one on

the north end and one on the south end,

the best solution was taking the two loca-

tions from overhead to underground. They

then ran the underground cable, coming

up at one central location, terminating

Peter Ebersold is the director of market

and product development for the Kerite and

Hendrix brands at Marmon Utility, a Marmon

Engineered Wire & Cable/Berkshire Hathaway

Company. Prior to Marmon Utility, he was

a marketing director at Honeywell and a

business unit manager at Perkin-Elmer. He

started his career as an electrical design

engineer. Ebersold has bachelor’s and

master’s degrees in engineering.

CASE STUDY High-voltage Underground Cable for NY Substation Expansions With Space Constraints

1409PG_30 30 9/4/14 4:40 PM

September 2014 | 31 www.power-grid.com

necessary, then returning the next morning

to pull the next phase.

The northern end connection cable was

some 275 feet, and the south bus connec-

tion underground cable link was closer to

150 feet.

Each end of the connections requires

three terminations (one for each phase), so

there were 12 terminations at the substa-

tion. The terminations for the end of the

cable are 6.5 feet tall, and each termination

takes some eight hours to complete.

Because of the project’s complexity, Bail

was attracted especially by the turnkey

installation services Kerite offered, includ-

ing supplying the cable, doing the termina-

tions and conducting the testing.

The testing included high-voltage

DC high potential testing at the facto-

ry to ensure no defects and additional

lower-voltage field testing.

Bail said the project went so smoothly

that the utility has written into its stan-

dard specifications for similar projects

that the electrical contractors must hire

Kerite for cable and terminations.

“There was a great deal of coop-

eration between Kerite and Northline

Utilities on-site,” Bail said. “When you

are terminating cables, it is extremely

important to avoid any wet conditions.

Each one of the terminations took

hours of sanding and dressing the cable

after it was pulled, and Kerite needed a

shelter to keep the wind, mist and rain

off while doing the terminations.

Northline built a shelter to keep them

dry so they could keep working through

whatever conditions the weather threw

out there.”

He said he plans to use Kerite for

another capacitor bank in the Rochester

area, where underground cable is needed

because there is no space to expand the

substation.

“When you are limited by space,

underground high-voltage cable is a

viable option when compared to other

more expensive substation expansion

alternatives.”

known for its high-voltage underground

cable and experience in recent installa-

tions.

“I explained the substation project and

found it was a perfect match,” Bail said.

“We needed high-voltage underground

cable, and they had services to provide.”

TURNKEY APPROACH

FOR CABLE RUNS

The design included a conduit system

to facilitate cable pulling from the bus area

to the capacitor bank, including a conduit

plan that showed how and where to place

the 6-inch PVC conduit, with one conduit

per cable per phase.

After the conduit system was installed,

Kerite brought the cable to the site for elec-

trical subcontractor Northline Utilities to

do the cable pulls. Instead of working with

one large 1,300-foot reel, Kerite cut each

run individually to length on smaller reels,

which are easier to store and make pulling

individual runs much faster and simpler.

This allowed the subcontractor the flex-

ibility of pulling one phase and leaving it if

1409PG_31 31 9/4/14 4:40 PM

TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION 1

AdvancedControl Systems

Smart DevicesTwo-way

Communications

Two-wayCommunications

Two-wayCommunications

Mobile Work Force

32 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

Wireless Field-area Networks for Smart Grid Communications

BY BERT WILLIAMS, ABB TROPOS WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS2, fill the communication gap between the

core Internet Protocol (IP) network and

devices, as well as personnel, in the field.

FANs most often are implemented

with wireless networking technologies

because their large geographic coverage

areas, many connected devices and the

need to support mobile field-workers

make them technically and economical-

ly infeasible to implement using wired

technologies.

Wireless networking technologies

used in FANs include cellular, nar-

rowband point-to-multipoint (PTMP),

broadband PTMP and broadband wire-

less mesh networks.

To support a portfolio of smart grid

applications, FANs must meet these

requirements:

High reliability. Communications

are most critical during outages. FANs

must operate even when events disable

the electric grid.

Ideally, the wireless network will

incorporate cognitive radio software

that can, for instance, automatically

From the executive suite to linemen in

the field, utilities and their employees

are coming under increasing pressure

from various stakeholders.

Shareholders, regulators, politicians,

customers and consumer and environ-

mental advocacy groups all push fre-

quently conflicting agendas: Lower rates;

Encourage conservation; Increase earn-

ings and dividends; Improve reliability;

Reduce emissions; Integrate renewable

generation sources; Implement net meter-

ing; Fill the imminent labor gap. These

are but a few utility challenges.

“Smart grid” is an overused, ill-defined

catch phrase, but the term conveys an

important concept.

Software applications installed in oper-

ation and control centers, specialized

computers and software in substations,

plus intelligent electronic devices (IEDs)

and other smart apparatuses in substa-

tions and along distribution feeders can

implement a comprehensive smart grid

application portfolio.

A smart grid portfolio can include vari-

ous distribution automation applications,

including fault detection, isolation and

restoration/fault location isolation and

service restoration (FDIR/FLISR), active

volt/VAR management and conservation

voltage reduction (CVR), substation auto-

mation and advanced metering infra-

structure (AMI).

Additional applications can be enabled

by equipping field-workers with laptops,

tablets and handheld computers.

Smart grid applications can help

utilities meet conflicting demands.

An additional component is required

to implement a smart grid system: a

two-way broadband communication net-

work (see Figure 1). The communication

network links people and devices in the

field with software at substations and the

utility’s operations and control center,

enabling vast improvements in efficiency,

security, reliability and resiliency.

Figure 2 shows a typical utility com-

munication network architecture and

how the communication network relates

to components of the electricity distribu-

tion system.

FIELD-AREA NETWORK

REQUIREMENTS

Field-area networks (FANs), represent-

ed by the dashed, light blue lines in Figure

1409PG_32 32 9/4/14 4:40 PM

COMMUNICATION NETWORK ARCHITECTUREAND ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

2

Field-areaNetwork

Fiber/Licensed PTP

2.4/5.8 GHz

900 MHz

HAN (ZigBee)

Core IP Network BetweenData Center and Substations

Utility DataCenter

Substation

EnergyStorageDevice

Nan

(AMI System)HAN

Mobile Data

Substation

CapacitorBank

Feeder

AMI Collector

VoltageRegulator

Feeder

Recloser

September 2014 | 33 www.power-grid.com

support mobility.

Multiapplication. It may seem a tautol-

ogy that a network that can support many

applications must offer multiapplication

support; however, supporting multiple

applications drives some specific technical

requirements such as the need to provide

virtual local-area networks (VLANs) and

quality of service (QoS).

Flexible. To support the widest variety

of applications and devices, the FAN must

be built on industry standards such as

TCP/UDP/IP, 802.11 (Wi-Fi) and 802.3

(Ethernet).

To best integrate legacy field devices

and avoid stranded assets, the FAN also

must support secure network connections

to devices that use serial links and auto-

mation protocols.

FIELD-AREA COMMUNICATION

NETWORK TECHNOLOGY

CHOICES

Numerous wireless technology choices

exist for implementing FANs (see Figure

3); however, when the characteristics of

these technologies are compared to FAN

requirements, broadband wireless mesh

networks supplemented by broadband

PTMP links when needed best meet the

requirements.

Broadband wireless mesh networks offer

the following characteristics:

Highly available. Wireless mesh net-

works provide high availability by auto-

matically selecting the best route through

the network from multiple radio frequency

(RF) paths, channels and bands.

To withstand extremes in climate,

mesh routers are available with extended

route around interference, fail-

ures and congestion. Individual

communication devices must be

ruggedized, be weatherized and

supply battery backup.

Scalable. Field-area commu-

nication networks must scale to

cover large geographic areas—

potentially a utility’s entire service

territory.

They also must scale to sup-

port, directly or via neighbor-

hood-area networks (NANs),

millions of connected devices.

Conversely, because utilities may

roll out smart grids incremen-

tally, FANs must be economical to

implement on a small scale, say,

at a single substation or along a

single distribution feeder.

High performance. As IEDs and other

intelligent field devices proliferate, become

smarter and gather more information,

higher-capacity networks are required

because more applications and devices use

the FAN and they send and receive more

data. Additional capacity also is required

to support mobile work force applications.

Many applications in the distribution

system are not latency-sensitive; however,

the few that are, including protection and

safety applications, are critical.

Because a unified FAN must support

the requirements of all deployed applica-

tions, low latency is essential.

Secure. Like all networks, wireless

FANs come with potential vulnerability to

cyberattacks.

In IP-based FANs, this challenge can

be met by implementing a multilayer,

defense-in-depth security architecture

using enterprise tools and techniques.

Mobility. Providing communications

for field crews requires that the FAN

Bert Williams is director of global

marketing for ABB Tropos Wireless

Communication Systems. He brings 30

years of experience in leading the marketing

organizations of networking companies. He

has a Bachelor of Science with University

Honors in Electrical Engineering from

Carnegie Mellon and an MBA from Harvard

Business School. Reach him at bert.

williams@nam.abb.com.

1409PG_33 33 9/4/14 4:40 PM

WIRELESS FAN TECHNOLOGY CHOICES 3

Broadband

Mesh

Reliability

Scalability

Capacity

Latency

Security

Mobility

VLANS/QoS

Standards-based

Poor Best

Cellular

Narrowband

PTMP

Broadband

PTMP

34 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

networks support open standards includ-

ing TCP/UDP/IP, 802.11 (Wi-Fi) and

802.3 (Ethernet). They can interoperate

with other standards-based smart grid

components. To integrate legacy field

devices and avoid stranded assets, some

mesh routers support secure network

connections to devices that use serial

links and automation protocols such as

DNP-3 and IEC 61850.

CONCLUSION

Communication networks are a key

component to smart grid implementation.

Utilities that are implementing smart grid

communication networks generally use

a multitier network architecture. Many

wireless technology choices are available

for FANs. When comparing the capabili-

ties of these technology choices with FAN

requirements, broadband wireless mesh

networks supplemented by broadband

PTMP links when necessary provide the

best match to the requirements.

operating temperature ranges, enhanced

wind survivability and housings fabri-

cated using specialized alloys and plating.

Scalable. Broadband wireless mesh

networks have been proven to scale to

large coverage areas (3,000 square miles

in Abu Dhabi), massive volumes of data

(1 TB of data transferred daily in Ponca

City, Oklahoma), many machine-to-

machine (M2M) endpoints (more than

1 million electricity and water meters in

Abu Dhabi) and many routers (more than

3,000 routers’ operating in the network in

Abu Dhabi).

Because mesh networks generally don’t

require tower construction, they also can

cover small areas such as a single distribu-

tion feeder economically.

High capacity and low latency.

Broadband wireless mesh networks can

provide greater than 10 Mbps of through-

put at each mesh router with latency of

less than 1 ms per mesh hop.

Secure. Broadband wireless mesh

networks can implement a multilayer,

defense-in-depth security architecture

using open security standards.

Using a multi-layer, defense-in-depth

approach with standards-based tools,

wireless mesh networks have attained

FIPS 140-2 compliance and are compat-

ible with NERC CIP v5, NISTIR 7628 and

IEC 6235.

Mobility. Broadband wireless mesh

networks provide seamless, session-per-

sistent roaming at vehicular speeds within

the coverage area.

Clients, including those that have

established an IPsec/VPN connection,

can move between router and IP subnets

without losing connections.

VLANs/application QoS. Broadband

wireless mesh networks support VLANs

and QoS. VLANs enable traffic from dif-

ferent applications and user groups to be

segregated.

Flexibilty/interoperability/open

standards. Broadband wireless mesh

1409PG_34 34 9/4/14 4:40 PM

PRODUCTS

September 2014 | 35 www.power-grid.com

Line Locator

With Bluetooth, GPS

Ridgid’s SeekTech SR-24 Line Locator

is a locating receiver that streamlines

the creation of accurate maps of under-

ground utilities. The SR-24 uses integrat-

ed Bluetooth communications to trans-

mit locating data to either a third-party

survey-grade GPS or a mobile device such as a tablet or

smartphone. Data logging capabilities allow recording

GPS and locating data to an onboard micro SD card. In

addition to OmniSeek passive locating capabilities, the

SR-24 can be programmed to detect any active frequency

from 10 Hz to 35 kHz. Its omnidirectional antennas capture

the complete signal field, making it easy to locate a line

and follow its path. The free RIDGIDtrax app for use on

iPhone, iPad or Android provides basic utility mapping on

a mobile device. When paired with the SR-24 Line Locator,

the RIDGIDtrax app will display GPS position and depth

of the target utility on a real-time map. A user can identify

the utility type and display multiple utilities on the same

map. A completed map can be saved and viewed inside

the app or exported to a universal file format for use with

GIS programs such as Google Earth.

Ridgid

GO TO WWW.PGI.HOTIMS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

Ground-penetrating

Radar Control Unit

GSSI’s SIR 4000 ground-penetrating

radar (GPR) control unit offers unique

collection modules, including Quick

3D, UtilityScan, StructureScan and Expert Mode for effi-

cient data collection and visualization. It also incorporates

advanced display methods and filtering capabilities for

in-the-field processing and imaging. Fully integrated, the

SIR 4000 provides a 10.4-inch high-definition LED display,

a simple user interface, plug-and-play GPS integration

and Wi-Fi-enabled data transfer functionality. The SIR 4000

includes a casted aluminum chassis that offers superior

temperature stability and an impact-resistant design.

GSSI

GO TO WWW.PGI.HOTIMS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

3-phase smart e-meter SoCs

Texas Instruments’ new three-

phase metering systems-on-chip

(SoC) for smart electricity meters and

portable measurement applications,

MSP430F67641, include high-performance delta-sigma

analog-to-digital converters for energy measurement

products’ requiring high accuracy across a wide dynamic

range. An integrated 320-segment LCD eliminates the

need for external drivers and enables developers to cre-

ate the next generation of smart energy measurement

devices with detailed displays and extended language

support while still maintaining low-power consumption in

sleep mode. The MSP430F6779A metering SoCs include

advanced security and electrostatic discharge features. A

128-bit AES hardware-accelerated module speeds encryp-

tion time, improves meter security and performance.

With more flash memory integrated on-chip, smart grid

developers can incorporate more sophisticated metering

features such as multidwelling dynamic pricing, large buf-

fers for interval data, DLMS/COSEM for meter data for-

matting and communication stacks for wired and wireless

protocols. Developers also will benefit from the TPS54060

step-down converter that provides a regulated DC supply

of 3.3V with low quiescent current to ensure full-speed

operation of the MSP430F67641 and MSP430F6779A

devices.

Texas Instruments

GO TO WWW.PGI.HOTIMS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

900-928 MHz Radios

XetaWave’s Xeta9x Emancipator series of 900-928 MHz

radios can interoperate within an MDS TransNET network,

specifically communicate with a 900 MHz MDS TransNET

repeater or master. The Xeta9x can be implemented in

place of legacy MDS TransNET radios with no interruption

to the operation of the network. It offers MDS TransNET

users a migration path to a technology platform that offers

higher serial speeds and Ethernet capability. The Xeta9x

offers an over-the-air data rate of up to 2.6 Mbps—20

times faster than with 115.2 kbps with a MDS TransNET.

XetaWave

GO TO WWW.PGI.HOTIMS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

1409PG_35 35 9/4/14 4:40 PM

CALENDAR

36 | September 2014www.power-grid.com

DistribuTECH 2015: The industry’s most comprehensive conference on automation, smart grid and T&D engineering. Feb. 3-5, 2015, San Diego. 918.832.9265 www.distributech.com

1421 S. Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74112 P.O. Box 1260 : Tulsa, OK 74101 918.835.3161, fax 918.831.9834

www.pennwell.com

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICAN POWER GENERATION GROUP

Richard Baker 918.831.9187 richardb@pennwell.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER Daniel Greene

918.831.9401 danielg@pennwell.com

ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER Glenda Van Duyne

918.831.9473 glendav@pennwell.com

EASTERN, WESTERN, INTERNATIONAL SALES MANAGER

Tom Leibrandt 918.831.9184 fax 918.831.9834 toml@pennwell.com

CHINA & HONG KONG SALES MANAGER Adonis Mak

ACT International Unit B, 13/F, Por Yen Building

478 Castle Peak Road, Cheung Sha Wan Kowloon, Hong Kong

+86.138.252.678.23 fax +852.2.838.2766 adonism@actintl.com.hk

ISRAEL SALES MANAGER Daniel Aronovic

Margola Ltd. 1/1 Rashi Street, Raanana 43214 Israel

phone/fax +972.9.899 5813 aronovic@actcom.co.il

SENIOR DISTRIBUTECH EXHIBIT & SPONSORSHIP SALES MANAGER

Sandy Norris 918.831.9115 fax 918.831.9834

sandyn@pennwell.com

DISTRIBUTECH EXHIBIT & SPONSORSHIP SALES MANAGER

Melissa Ward 918.831.9116 fax 918.831.9834

mward@pennwell.com

REPRINTS Rhonda Brown

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DE

CE

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1409PG_36 36 9/4/14 4:40 PM

There are some jobs you don’t want to do alone. Upgrading your Utility’s

communication network is one of them. Fortunately, Tait Communications is here

to help.

At Tait Communications, we pride ourselves on partnering with utility

organizations to unify their critical communications and deliver game changing

business outcomes.

We’ve been building industry leading wireless communications for 45 years. Our

services team will work alongside

you to design, deploy and manage

innovative voice and data solutions

that help you lower CAIDI and SAIDI,

save energy, and improve your

worker safety.

LEARN MORE about how Tait can

help your organization at

www.taitradio.com/team

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do this alone.

y

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in

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eading wireeading wir

Go to www.pgi.hotims.com for more information.

1409PG_C3 3 9/4/14 4:41 PM

With advanced metering for electricity generating unprecedented amounts of data,

Darby and Fred can solve just about any challenge that comes along. From helping

utilities conserve resources and predict usage to recognizing and reducing theft,

their work is essential to Itron’s commitment to our customers.

According to Darby and Fred, there is no end to what data can do. We’re limited

only by our own imagination. We fi nd that pretty exciting, and it’s the perfect way to

envision a more resourceful world.

itron.com/resourceful

– Darby McKee, Analytics Manager

“The most important questions are

the ones we haven’t asked yet.”

Darby McKee and Fred Behrmann, Itron AnalyticsGo to www.pgi.hotims.com for more information.

1409PG_C4 4 9/4/14 4:41 PM