Professional Documents
Culture Documents
T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I CAT I O N O F
16
2 0 M2M Testing in UK
27 Substation Case Study: China
3 0 Substation Case Study: New York
Oncors New
Way to Engage
Customers
TM
The iConA Gen 4 paired with the Sensus FlexNet communication system helps utilities monitor and control
their infrastructure and realize the full benefits of a smarter grid.
Balances supply and demand
Improves customer service through faster restoration
of outages
Provides increased flexibility in rate structures
EDITOR IN CHIEF
TERESA HANSEN
2 | September 2014
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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Teresa Hansen
918.831.9504 teresah@pennwell.com
SENIOR EDITOR
Kristen Wright
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Deanna Taylor
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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR
Angie ODea
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SUBSCRIBER SERVICE
CHAIRMAN
Frank Lauinger
PRESIDENT/CEO
Robert F. Biolchini
Transformational
trends are shaking up
the utility industry.
Consumers are pursuing
distributed generation
Load growth is slowing
New regulations are changing
the landscape
Visit Opower.com/solutions
Go to www.pgi.hotims.com for more information.
11
24 M2M Testing
4 | September 2014
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Design Efficiency
Cathy Chatfield-Taylor of CC-T Unlimited explains how
Bentleys substation solution unified structural, physical and
electrical design at a PowerChina subsidiary.
35 Products
36 Calendar/Ad Index
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DI
STRI
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BUTE
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TECH
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.COM
COM
Supporting Publication:
Host Utility:
NOTES
6 | September 2014
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Automation begins
with Power Meters
SHARK 2OO
September 2014 | 7
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NOTES
8 | September 2014
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CA S E S T U DY
Generation of Outdoor
Sensing Solutions
GETTING THE
JOB DONE
The utilitys 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 surrounding protected environment, the contractors
selected the Dura-Base
Advanced-Composite
Matting System by
Newpark
Mats
&
Integrated Services.
Originally developed
for the soft-soil conditions found around the
gulf, the matting system
Outdoor Split-Core CT
Split Core CT
September 2014 | 9
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NOTES
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 industries to construct temporary roadways
and work site platforms. The Bala project, however, was the first time the mats
included the feature that allows the system
to do double duty as an EPZ, protecting
Presenting Companies:
CIRCUIT BREAKER SALES CO., INC.
A Group CBS Company
Digital Energy
TRAINING
CONFERENCE
Visit www.enoserv.com/trainingconference
10 | September 2014
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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, youll 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 parents didnt know when power would be
restored. They probably ate takeout by
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.
September 2014 | 11
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14 | September 2014
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earlier in the process by centralizing the The GIS platform can show the phase
data considered and used for a utilitys and voltage, as well as how the voltage
growth.
changes down to the meter. A network
Robust GIS tools can help develop management tool can even display
hypothetical situations to consider as a changes downstream. For example, if
utility executes expansion planning. With the power source were to be shut off at
a design tool integrated with the GIS, point A, the GIS would show everything
there is the added ability to create, control downstream of that source that would
and manage multiple design versions, lose power. This ability to display the
work requests and input from multiple consequences of potential network
employees. In addition,
changes
eliminates
If the power
a utility can view, query
guesswork and shortens
source were
and edit designs without
the
planning
time
to be shut
copying files on the
around asset expansion.
off at point
network. By interactively
When various stages of
A,
the
GIS
designing directly in
the planning process can
would show
the GIS, adding assets
be modeled directly in
everything
hypothetically to perform a
the GIS using design and
downstream
cost estimation or network
network management
of that source
analysis helps ensure
tools,
work
flows
that would
the utility understands
and applications are
lose power.
the impact of the build
simplified, decreasing
on its network. Once these assets are the likelihood that information might
constructed and established in the field, be lost during staff turnover. This
you can convert the infrastructure in the makes GIS a database of real-time asset
GIS to as built, and they become part of information, as well as a critical tool
the system of record.
for future planning and potential asset
In addition, a GIS design tool takes information.
into consideration site conditions,
design parameters and exclusion zones. MANAGING FIELD TEAMS
These capabilities ensure the best design
One of the most important tools
and help reduce costs and avoid excess for a field crew is the transmission
material use. The ability to plot the future and sharing of real-time, secure data.
of a utility with the GIS platform can The process traditionally has been slow
revolutionize the process, making the and time-consuming, thanks to spotty
outcomes more efficient and accurate. network connections and the number
A typical GIS will maintain a generic of steps required to communicate with
electric network model. For instance, the home office. Regardless of the
it will show that points A and B are reason, how quickly and reliably that
connected through line C. But a GIS data is gathered can mean the difference
network management tool gives a much between a disjointed field crew with
deeper understanding of a networks unclear expectations and an optimized
connectivity, giving the utility the ability teams confidentially moving from one
to model scenarios and reduce the time project to the next.
and effort around expansion planning.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 19
September 2014 | 15
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uring the past decade, Brazils economic boom has spurred a major
transition in its energy needs.
With easier access to credit and millions of households growing Brazils
middle class, the country finds itself
among the worlds top 10 consumers of
cars and personal computers.
All of this consumerism is good for
the economy, but it is increasing electricity demand.
Brazil is predicted to add 6,000 MW
of capacity every year just to keep pace
with the new demand.
Brazils mega utilities already are
some of the largest and cleanest compared with their U.S. and European
counterparts.
For example, Electrobras is the 10thlargest 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 worlds largest highway systems
and worst traffic where fewer than 15 percent of roads are paved.
16 | September 2014
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an installation, and they can be on the line and is a big breakthrough in the reduction
in less than five minutes.
of O&M expenses. Better yet, the new
breed of smart grid sensors
In addition, smart grid
sensors are affordablea
are software-defined and
Although
fraction of the cost of other
can be remotely programmost smart
mable over the air, meansmart grid technologies
grid sensors
such as smart reclosers and
ing key parameter settings
cannot
can be changed and firmsmart switches. Although
offer full
most smart grid sensors
ware can be upgraded;
automation,
cannot offer full automautilities can take advantage
they can give
fault location.
tionthey can only moniof new features long after
torthey can give the fault
sensors have been hung on
location. Some sensors can send all vital the line. This maximizes their worth and
information before an outage, allowing delivers a low-risk, future-proof investsome utilities to take measures first (see ment.
more about this in No. 5). This is what
3. Reliable, flexible communications
many Brazilian utilities need to improve are a reality.
reliability dramatically, shorten drive times
Many communications options exist
and stretch their capital investments fur- when considering a smart sensor solution.
ther across their large network footprints.
Many sensors provide integrated commu2. The latest generation of smart grid nication options with various Wi-Fi and
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. Batteryfree means 100 percent maintenance-free
September 2014 | 17
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18 | September 2014
www.power-grid.com
FIELD DEPLOYMENT:
TOP 3 LESSONS LEARNED
One of Brazils 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.
September 2014 | 19
www.power-grid.com
Makes
Smart
LTEMetering Even
Smarter
I
BY ERAN ESHED, ALTAIR SEMICONDUCTOR
20 | September 2014
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September 2014 | 21
CAN STOCK PHOTO INC. / CUTEIMAGE
www.power-grid.com
22 | September 2014
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Connect
Smartly...
with HDE
Capacitor Controls
Communications ready
or local VAr control, HDE
capacitor controls feature
state-of-the-art technology.
VarCom
COMMUNICATING CONTROLS
NoMax
of time, temp and voltage
places; the front panel or your
computer
and LCD panel display
BY
N
PANTO
ANGUS
ROUP
, SQS G
L T D.
24 | September 2014
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September 2014 | 25
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26 | September 2014
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CA S E S T U DY
The 3-D substation model enabled lightning protection modeling and visualization.
September 2014 | 27
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28 | September 2014
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Project Summary
ORGANIZATION
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 Bentleys 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 anothers 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.
well as the structural design of control
and switch house buildings on-site.
JXEPDI used STAAD.Pro, which integrated seamlessly with ProSteel, for
advanced analysis and design of support structures.
Starting with the structural models
developed in ProSteel for consistency, JXEPDI used AECOsim Building
Designer to construct a single model
September 2014 | 29
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CA S E S T U DY
30 | September 2014
www.power-grid.com
were important for ensuring overall system improvements and supporting system
voltage in the area.
Consulting engineers Laramore,
Douglass and Popham designed the project. The company provides engineering
for investor-owned and cooperative utilities and works on everything from wind
farms to industrial clients. Senior substation 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 couldnt 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 existing 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 locations from overhead to underground. They
then ran the underground cable, coming
up at one central location, terminating
September 2014 | 31
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Wireless Field-area
Networks for Smart Grid
Communications
32 | September 2014
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TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION
Advanced
Control Systems
Smart Devices
Two-way
Communications
Two-way
Communications
September 2014 | 33
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Narrowband
PTMP
Broadband
PTMP
3
Broadband
Mesh
Reliability
Scalability
Capacity
Latency
Security
Mobility
VLANS/QoS
Standards-based
Poor
operating temperature ranges, enhanced
wind survivability and housings fabricated 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-tomachine (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 dont
require tower construction, they also can
cover small areas such as a single distribution feeder economically.
High capacity and low latency.
Broadband wireless mesh networks can
provide greater than 10 Mbps of throughput at each mesh router with latency of
less than 1 ms per mesh hop.
Secure. Broadband wireless mesh
34 | September 2014
www.power-grid.com
Best
PRODUCTS
Line Locator
With Bluetooth, GPS
phase
metering
systems-on-chip
and follow its path. The free RIDGIDtrax app for use on
Ridgid
Texas Instruments
Ground-penetrating
Radar Control Unit
GSSI
XetaWave
September 2014 | 35
www.power-grid.com
23
Vaisala Webcast:
Understanding Moisture
Dynamics in Power
Transformers
www.power-grid.com
8 a.m. CDT
www.elpconference.com
San Diego
Belden Webcast
www.elpconference.com
30
Bentley Webcast
www.power-grid.com
OCTOBER
2
Electric Light & PowerPOWERGRID International
Awards Dinner
25
www.power-grid.com
Noon CDT
3 5
DistribuTECH
Conference & Exhibition
www.distributech.com
San Diego
14 18
International Linemans
Rodeo & Expo
www.linemansrodeokc.com
Overland Park, Kansas
21 23
DistribuTECH Brasil
www.powerbrasilevents.com
Sao Paulo
HydroVision Brasil
www.powerbrasilevents.com
Sao Paulo
ITRON ......................................C4
POWER-GEN Brasil
OPOWER ................................... 3
www.powerbrasilevents.com
Sao Paulo
DECEMBER
FEBRUARY
SEPTEMBER
CALENDAR
9 11
POWER-GEN International
www.power-gen.com
Orlando, Florida
Renewable Energy
World North America
www.renewableenergyworldevents.com
Orlando, Florida
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Margola Ltd.
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REPRINTS
Rhonda Brown
219.878.6094 fax 219.561.2023
rhondab@fosterprinting.com
There are some jobs you dont want to do alone. Upgrading your Utilitys
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.
eading wir
wire
Weve been building industryy leading
wireless communications for 45 years. Our
sservices team will work alongside
you to design, deploy and manage
innovative voice and data solutions
in
tthat 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
itron.com/resourceful