For Utility Operations

Transcription

1 For Utility Operations Provided For: SCAMPS 2014 Annual Meeting Presented By: Michael E. Jenkins, PE What Are We Talking About? Simply, Preparing A Clear Picture Of Where And How The Utility Is Headed Into The Future With Needed Technology Operations Engineering Customer Service Rates IT Management 1

2 Purpose? Has Our Industry Requirements, Rules, Obligations and Work Procedures Changed Since You Started Working? The Utility Industry Will Always Be A Dynamic Beast Working On A Plan To Change Practices Tomorrow Internal Goals, System Upgrades, Plans Industry Mandates Customer Expectations Financial Requirements A Key Element For Utility Success Utility Requirements Technology Plan Success Economical Operations Realized 2

3 The Basic Elements Bring To Light Challenges Current & Future Efficiency Standards, Gov t Reports, Agreements, Purchasing & Construction Standards, NESC, OSHA, EPA, System Model, etc. Evaluate Existing Technology and Processes Protective Equipment, Communications, GIS, CIS, Work Order Mng, Billing, SCADA, AMR, AMI, Load Control, OMS, IVR, Computers, Servers, Firewalls, etc. Evaluate Strengths and Weaknesses Internal Staff Capabilities, Work Force Age, Training, Maintenance Schedules, Outage Response Times, Accessibility To Existing and Future Data, Records and Models Identify Opportunities and Threats A Thorough Assessment Internal Knowledge Base, Vendor & Consultant Relationships, Single Hinge Pin Equipment, Cyber Security The Basic Elements Management Involvement and Sanction The Largest Bottle Neck in Utility Action Plans Is The Ability To Receive Approval Management With Decision Making Responsibilities Must Take Time To Be Involved Establish Assessment Priorities Some Key Technology Improvements Will Be Critical and Must Take Precedent Over Others. A Solid List of Priorities Must Be Established. Form Steering Committees Action Plan There Will Be Several Areas To Be Addressed From The Assessment. Form Small, Adequate Committees To Support Decision Making Solid Solutions with Justifications and Specifications Must Be Established Utilize Expertise From Inside or Consultants To Confirm Monies Spent Will Provide Strategic Plans Goals and Resolve The Issue Without Creating Another One 3

4 Some Interesting Information Smart Grid Theoretical Tag Line - Improve Energy and Operational Efficiencies There are over 1 Billion Miles of Overhead and Underground Lines and Cables Providing Distribution Services To The Customer of The U.S. Today Due to This Vast Infrastructure, We Utility Operators Have Little Visibility of What Is Truly Happening On Our Systems At Any Given Time Smart Grid - Commercialization The Commercial Industry Is Banking Billions on The Ability To Transform The Electric Customer To Becoming Managers of Their Energy Use and Energy Selfsufficiency Smart Grid The Real Utility World Utilities Are Being Forced To Provide Unpredicted Data Access To Customers and To Communicate With Customer Level Devices. We Must Have A Plan. Back To Technology Planning Today Can I Have A Strategic Technology Plan For A Project Now The Strategic Technology Plan is An Approach To Guide Smart Decisions for Technology Purchases and Improvements That Supports The Utility From Being Limited In Meeting Future System Needs and Integration Even If A Strategic Technology Plan Is Developed For The Entire Utility Operations System Today, It Is A Dynamic, Ever Changing Roadmap A Great Approach To Achieving A Complete Technology Strategic Plan For The Entire Utility Operation s System Is To Begin By Implementing The Fundamentals Of Approach To Your Current or Planned Projects What May Seem To Be A Straight Forward Technology Project, Will Provide Great Insight To Financial Benefits Of Completing The Plan 4

5 Utility Operations When Would I Consider Technology Planning Obsolesce In-Use Equipment Needing to Upgrade Mechanical Overcurrent Relays Regulator Controls SCADA RTU s Communication Equipment Customer Driven Improvements Distributed Generation, Solar Panels Automated Feeder Switching Desire to Add Business Functions Pre-Pay Metering Smart Grid Initiatives Smart Grid In Today s Typical Utility Much of Our Utility Technology Is Not Considered Smart Used As Loose Terminology For A Bucket of Utility Technologies Most of The Technologies Are Not New Or Particularly Smart Most Technologies Are Already Utility Standard Equipment 5

6 Smart Grid Utility Technology Complexity Reasons To Complete Strategic Planning Now Utility Technology is Interconnected and Works Best When Properly Integrated and Exchanging Data Schweitzer 351R Relays (IED) to SCADA AMI Meters to MDM to CIS IVR to OMS GIS to CIS Any One Of The Core Utility Systems Involve Multiple Users, Servers, Databases, and Communication Networks DNP3, Modbus, WonderWare Oracle, Windows Server 2003, Legacy, MultiSpeak, Batch Files, Proprietary IP Addressable, RS232, Options Not Selected New Upgrades Need A Defined Process and Strategic Approach The Worst Thing Is To Purchase New Equipment With Options To Work With Existing Systems But Will Not Be Usable When Another Component Of The System Is Upgraded Later 6

7 Smart Grid 7

8 Strategic Approach Technology Work Plan or Strategic Plan Can Follow A Total Approach With Short Term and Long Term Investment Goals Existing Systems and Utility Work Processes are Reviewed to Determine Existing Gaps and Future Needs Technology Investments Are Prioritized It Is Important To Note That Most Utility s Technology Purchases Are Not Strategically Reviewed To Fit Into Either A Single Piece or Complete Overhaul Project Strategic Approach For Any Technology Project A Complete Needs Assessment Should Be Carried Out Either Internally or Via Outside Consultant Focus On Integration Between Systems Review The Support Networks And Communications Systems For Hidden Upgrade Costs Research and Discuss With Department Heads Their Future Upgrade Plans Apply A Strategic Approach No Matter What The Project Scale 8

9 Single Piece or Single System Project Scale Overall System Parts Are Generally Found to Have Needed Functionality in the Short Term and Should Be Compatible With The New System Usually Single System Selection Is More Focused Since Other Computer Systems Will Remain Unchanged Existing System Will Need To Integrate To The New System What We Don t Want Is For A Single System Upgrade To Cascade In A Complete Overhaul Of Multiple Systems Overhauls Project Scale Upgrades Across Multiple Systems To Address Integration and Obsolesce Issues Avoid Early Obsolesce Costs By Avoiding Upgrades On Equipment At Its End of Life Cycle Supporting IT Technology Is Constantly Changing Therefore Evaluate Each Vendor s Track Record In Development and Support Tech Changes: PC/Laptops/Tablets 2-3 Years, Servers 3-5 Years 9

10 Create A Project Team Evaluate If You Have A Driver Or If An Outside Consultant Would Be Beneficial Set A Schedule Formulate Vendors To Consider Have A Fixed Set Of Vendor Presentations And Have Vendors Answer A Set Of Prepared Questions (RFI) Prepare And RFP Defined Vendor Selection Evaluate Vendor Bids Not Only By Costs But Also Use A Scorecard Process Get Support To Review Vendor Contracts Sample RFI Questions What Are The Power Requirements And Operating Temperature Range Of All AMI Communication Equipment? Please Describe The Process Of Obtaining Newly Installed Ami-ready Meters For Your Solution After The Initial Deployment Is Complete. Does The Meter Module Prevent A Direct Visual Reading Of The Installed Meter? Is The Module Clearly Labeled With A Unique Serial Number And Identification Code? 10

11 Sample RFI Questions Continued How Will The Utility Be Able To Collect Data Determining The Amount Of Load Shed? What Happens In The Event That Customer Located Equipment Cannot Communicate With The Controlling Server Or Software? Does The Load Control Solution Offer The Ability To Define Parameters For Automated Load Management? What Methodology Or Algorithms Can The Load Control Solution Employ To Ensure That Load Shed Targets Are Met By The Utility? Sample Scorecard Information Technology 1 Does the software and hardware offer options and flexibility in deployment? Is the software and hardware proposed compatible with the current IT environment? Is the IT office infrastructure required scalable? (components) Are software updates structured and deployable with minimum downtime? Can the software, hardware, support be secured or be flexible enough to secure? Are the initial deployment and annual operating costs within an acceptable range? Does the support and implementation team have experience integrating with current IT systems? Does the solution offer an integration option for multiple pre-pay solutions? Does the solution offer preferable pricing for implementing Disaster Recovery options? Does the solution offer data management tools, database support, and data views for AMI data? Staff Evaluation of Vendor Information Technology Category Score Communications 1 Does the communications system use a method that is susceptible to outside interference? Does the communication system use licensed or unlicensed frequencies? Is the communication method proven? Does the communications system have a high field device count? Does the proposed solution offer coverage of electric and water meters through a single system? Are the initial deployment and annual operating costs within an acceptable range? Does the system offer redundant communication paths in the case of a single collector failure? Can field devices be deployed and commissioned onto the system with limited effort? Rate the required make-ready to deploy the networking solution? Staff Evaluation of Vendor

12 Technology Aspects AMI AMI- Advanced Metering Infrastructure Integration To CIS Systems Still Hold Up For Many Systems Network Selections Have No Clear Leader: Mesh Vs. Tower Vs PLC Communication Back Hauls Limited Load Management Offering Technology Aspects SCADA New Vendors From The Industrial Sector Protocol/Control Improvements Are Becoming More Evident Throughout The Industry Station Fiber Optic Upgrades Ethernet Equipment And Secured Station Networks 12

13 Technology Aspects DA DA- Distribution Automation- Terminology For Any Automated Distribution Equipment. Usually Line Reclosers, Switches, Switch Gear. Capacitor Automation- Can Be Stand-alone, Usually The Projects Involve Switched Cap Units. Some Activity With Volt/VAR, However The Centralized Decision Making Systems Are Still Developing. Line Sensors- Fault Indicators, Sag, Transformer Monitors, Dlr. Seen As Technologies That Will Be Able To Mitigate The Impacts Of Distributed Generation. Technology Aspects GIS GIS- Geographic Information Systems- Most Are ESRI Based, Many Utilities Without Accurate Map Databases. Correct GPS Collection And Maintenance Hit-and-miss. EA- Engineering Analysis- (GIS Connectivity) Full Featured Engineering Analysis Supported By GIS Databases OMS- Outage Management Systems- (GIS Connectivity)- Accurate Predictions Require Customer-transformer-linestation Modeling 13

14 Technology Aspects CIS CIS- Customer Information Systems- Foundation Component Web Presentation Of Bills And Online Payment Pre-pay Billing Customers- (AMI- Meters With Integrated Disconnect) Customers Have No Late Charges Disconnected Remotely When $$ Run Out Receive No Paper Bills Pay $5-10 Per Payment To Keep Lights On No Agreements Many Choices Utilities Have Many Choices Of Where Spend Dollars Norm For Most Utilities To Be Concerned With: Priority: CIS, GIS, AMI, SCADA Secondary: EA, OMS, IVR, DA Many Utilities Are Working On The 3-4th Generation Of Many Technologies 14

15 Obstacles Communication Networks Utility Organizational Structure IT Department Workload Integration of Systems Project Initiation Strategic Planning vs Vendor Driven Thank You Michael Jenkins, PE (864) Cell 110 Liberty Drive Clemson, SC Main (864)