T&D May14 PDF

Information Technology 32 l Distribution Automation 40 l Grid Updgrade 46
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2009 S&C Electric Company 766-A0901
Conventional reclosers stress the circuit with Iault
current every time they reclose into a Iault. The results:
$YRLGDEOH damage to the windings oI upstream transIormers,
conductor splices, terminators, and connectors . . . shortening
their lives. Plus voltage sags on adjacent, unIaulted Ieeders.
But S&C`s IntelliRupter won`t damage your system. Its
PulseClosing Technology perIorms a Iast close-open operation
at just the right point on the voltage wave, putting a short, 5-ms
pulse oI current on the line to test Ior the presence oI Iaults.
IntelliRupter oIIers you:
A completely integrated package
including controls, communications,
power supply, and three-phase voltage
and current sensing. Eliminates cost,
clutter, and complexity. Controls are
line-powered, no VTs needed.
Easy up, easy on. All system
components are contained in the
IntelliRupter base Ior easy, single-
point-liIt installation.
Simple conguration and operation
Irom the comIort oI your vehicle,
using secure WiFi-based wireless
communication.
NEW! Available with IntelliTEAM SG
Automatic Restoration System. This selI-healing
Ieeder reconfguration system responds to system
disturbances and restores power to all the loads the
system can handle. With new Ieatures like Rapid SelI-
Healing and IntelliTEAM SG Designer, IntelliTEAM SG
is Iaster and easier to use than ever beIore.
NEW! Now with single-phase tripping capability, plus
optional external power supply and ber-optic com-
munication.
88C's
|nte|||kupter

Pu|seC|oser
e||m|notes the
need to c|ose |nto
o fou|t to test the ||ne.
Current versus TimeConventional RecloserFault from Phase Wire to Grounded Neutral
Current versus TimelntelliRupter PulseCloserFault from Phase Wire to Grounded Neutral
PuIseCIosing TechnoIogy tests for fauIts with
non-disruptive 5-miIIisecond current puIses.
With each recIosing, circuit is stressed by fauIt current.
S||| nc
ccnv|nceo?
See an actual demo
oI IntelliRupter
pulseclosing versus
a typical recloser at
www.sandc.com/ir-demo
25-kV Non-Disconnect Style
IntelliRupter PulseCloser
Screen shot
of typical
recloser
closing
into a fault
200
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The key to cost-effective,
reliable and safe power supply

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As lechnology leader in lhe ield o energy aulomalion,
Siemens provides solulions or currenl and ulure dislribu-
lion grid challenges. Whelher lo cosl-eeclively aulomale
and operale primary equipmenl or lo increase supply reli-
abilily and power qualily in order lo quickly ad|usl changes
in lhe dislribulion grid. LNLAS solulions or dislribulion
aulomalion have proven eeclive in numerous applica-
lions worldwide. They are inslalled where il counls - wilh
aulomalion equipmenl direclly in lhe ield.
ln addilion, new superordinaled applicalions such as
aulomalic sel-healing, vollage compensalion and
qualily measuremenl make energy syslems saer and
more reliable. As a resull, all aull deleclion, localizalion
and correclion unclions are covered. Also, bidireclional
load low operalion and aclive conlrol are supporled -
allowing or lhe inlegralion o dislribuled generalors and
eleclric vehicles. All in all, LNLAS solulions in dislribulion
grids ensure energy supply wilh maximum reliabilily.
ZZZVLHPHQVFRPHQHDV
May 2014 | www.tdworld.com 2
Vol. 66 No. 5
CONTENTS
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Does Big Data Provide Enhanced Insight?
Even before the smart grid, there were many information technology
challenges and struggles. Now, the data alone can overwhelm.
By Mathieu Viau, Institut de recherche Hydro-Qubec
Feeder Operations in the Blink of an Eye
Wake Electric follows WiMAX installation with feeder automation
featuring FLISR capabilities.
By Don Bowman, Wake Electric Cooperative
Substation Upgrades Bring Renewables Home
SDG&E upgrades transmission substations and switchyards to meet
California renewables portfolio standard.
By Yakov Shlemenzon and Karl Iliev, San Diego Gas & Electric Co.
Effective UVM Through Application Software
Union Power sorts out the ever-changing utility vegetation management
puzzle by using new software to rene cost analysis, decision-making
and target establishment.
By Wil Ortiz, Union Power Cooperative
Network Responds to Distributed Resources
Chinas medium-voltage distribution network advances to accommodate
a variety of distributed energy resources.
By Fan Yang, Hangzhou Power Supply Co., and Dr. Ming-Tian Fan,
China Electric Power Research Institute
32
40
42
NV Energy Delivers Renewable Energy
NV Energys new 500-kV transmission line is moving remote
renewable energy to customers and connecting Nevadas north
and south territories for the rst time.
By John Berdrow and Steve Payne, NV Energy
C
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E
R
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46
Hubbell Power Systems is redening the meaning for smart products with the introduction
of the Versa-Tech
II Recloser and Versa-Tech
Recloser Terminal Unit (VTU). The Versa-

Tech II joins our existing line of reclosers, while the VTU is the gateway that connects
Versa-Tech reclosers to your SCADA system.

For more information visit hpstipscom/howclever.
AD_010_052_E
ENDURING PRODUCTS & PEOPLE
YOU CAN DEPEND ON
hubbellpowersystems.com
CLEVER
IS THE NEW
SMART
4 May 2014 | www.tdworld.com
Departments
GLOBALViewpoint
The Power of Team. The true potential of an organization is realized
when management empowers and supports teams to work in alignment
to meet dened goals.
By Rick Bush, Editorial Director
BUSINESSDevelopments
Google Invests in Clean Energy Future
National Grid Enters Next Phase of Itron Smart Grid Solution Installation
GE Modernizes ComEds Electrical Grid
TECHNOLOGYUpdates
800-kV HVDC Converter Transformer Passes Factory Acceptance Test
NV Energy Increases Customer Engagement Using BuildingIQ
Cohocton Wind Marks Five Years of Operations
ENERGYTransitions
Weather Is Money. The connection between efcient, reliable operations
and weather forecasts will be even more crucial in the future, making
monitoring, modeling and predicting weather conditions an integral part
of future utility operations.
By John Baker, Energy Editor
CHARACTERSwithCharacter
Two for One. Eriks Surmanis, a senior engineer at Power Delivery
Consultants, does more than his fair share to help the energy industry,
his family, his community and the people of Haiti.
By James R. Dukart, Contributing Writer
PRODUCTS&Services
Smart Tensiometer
Seamless On Screen Estimating
STRAIGHTTalk
Advanced Meter Fort Collins. Fort Collins Utilities launched its smart meter
initiative to better support, inform, inspire and empower its community.
And its working.
By Steve Catanach, Fort Collins Utilties
In Every Issue
ClassiedADVERTISING
ADVERTISINGIndex
CONTENTS
ABOUT OUR COVER:
More than 1,100 miles of
conductor and ground wire
lead lines were safely strung
with helicopters during the
One Nevada Transmission
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Premier utilities rely on Quanta Services and our industry leading
operating companies to build, maintain and repair their electric
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New on tdworld.com
Visit the website daily
for breaking news, videos
and photo galleries.
National Lineman Appreciation Day:
5 Moving Videos of the Lineman Life
T&D World has collected ve videos that offer a
glimpse of the true heroes of our industry and the
challenges and rewards they face in their chosen
career and in their lives.
http://tdworld.com/commentaries/5-moving-
videos-lineman-life-national-lineman-
appreciation-day
2014 IEEE PES Transmission &
Distribution Conference & Expo
Post-Show Coverage
Visit T&D Worlds dedicated page to the big
event of the industry, including videos, post-show
wrap-ups and photo galleries.
http://tdworld.com/events/ieee-pes
Grid Optimization Blog
Utilities Face Massive Brain Drain
By Paul Mauldin
The utility industry is losing legacy brain power
at a rapid rate and its not yet in the position to
compete with other more exciting and higher-
paying industries to attract the best and brightest.
Vegetation Management
Resource Center
Quaking Resolve
By Sig Guggenmoos
United Illuminating and Connecticut Light &
Power are getting push-back on their enhanced
tree-trimming programs.
GLOBALViewpoint
The Power of Team
G
etting the hang of team defnitely takes a while. When
I entered the industry, I didnt like working on teams.
I couldnt work at my own pace or on my own sched-
ule, and it seemed like every team had at least one slacker who
dragged down the team.
Team is a way of life in the working world. Yes, team still has
its frustrations, but working solo has lost a lot of its appeal as I
have come to realize that, on the main, collaborating is more
fun and brings superior results and increased buy-in.
Here is an example of an initiative that could only be ac-
complished through the power of team. I was on a team at
Georgia Power assigned to develop a residential and small
commercial power-quality program. Over the course of a year,
I discovered frst-hand that Georgia Power had incredible tal-
ent spread throughout the company. We had members from
power quality, operations, customer care, customer research
protection and control, the meter lab and the test lab.
Every person on that team would prove to be essential as we
worked together to come up with a roadmap to offer a higher
level of power quality to our customers. The proposal we made
to management was much stronger than any effort that could
have arisen from any one department. And a series of focus
groups helped us understand what our customers really want-
ed, including how they would like to be approached. The fnal
proposal included a residential offering that provided indi-
vidual surge-suppression devices in the home and a meter ex-
tender that contained lightning protection. Although I left the
company before the fnal program was rolled out, I checked
back to fnd out that the program was quite well received.
Not All Teams Are Supported Equally
Sometimes utility leadership misuses the concept of team.
And without enlightened leadership, collaborative efforts of-
ten fall short. Ive seen utility executives hijack the concept of
team and use it to coerce people into going along by stating,
If you arent willing to get with the team, you will be taken
off the team. More than one engineer has been given the
package for non-compliance.
Even the best utilities occasionally place individuals in ex-
ecutive positions who are a poor ft and, ultimately, hurt the
health of the company. Working with teams under one of the
following executive types is usually an exercise in futility. See
if your department has had to survive one of these executives.
The Rotating VP
This is one of those manufactured executives who has been
preordained for greatness, but before he can put on his des- Editorial Director
tined crown, he is dipped into two-year stints across a wide
spectrum of organizations. He doesnt really know your busi-
ness and, therefore, will have a hard time directing the team.
Also, he will likely be moved to his next rotation before the
team is scheduled to deliver on its assigned task.

The Torch VP
This VP has been brought in to restructure the department
and get rid of dead wood so the company will be leaner and
more productive. His role is to tear apart, not to build. Team is
a foreign concept as long as this person is in place.
The Ex-Military VP
This VP is typically brought in to add a level of discipline to
the department. Of course, with this background, he is quite
comfortable using authority and values process teams. This
VP is often a bust in T&D. Too often, he has a serious defcit in
the area of people skills. And there are so many critical links
between power delivery and the various stakeholders that re-
quire an empowered, not a cowered, workforce.

The Glad-Hand VP
This VP is brought in to mend fences after one of the more
hard-nosed VPs has been running the organization. He is not
likely to hold process teams accountable, so initiatives tend
to drag out. Also, although teams might be crafted, they will
usually tackle cream-puff assignments like handling coffee or
coming up with morale-building activities.
The Enabling VP
Now this is my favorite type of executive. This VP realizes
he cannot have a signifcant impact unless he hires and sup-
ports people as smart or smarter than himself. He wants to
provide the people in his organization with the tools to get
the job done, to encourage his team to work together, to reach
common stretch goals and to celebrate successes.
Though we are all familiar with the concept of team, we
dont always experience true alignment. Only when manage-
ment believes in an empowered workforce and works to un-
leash the talent that exists in our organizations will we reach
our true potential. Most of us came into power delivery to
serve, and we are more than willing to work together to make
a bigger difference.
Consulting Engineering Construction Operation I www.bv.com
Balancing aesthetics with practicality.
The power deliver industry continues to seek
alternatives to overhead transmission for many
situations. Black & Veatch provides underground
transmission solutions that balance cost, aesthetics
and environmental concerns. Our experienced
professionals maximize each design while minimizing
the impact on the surrounding environment. When it
comes to underground transmission, some of our best
work goes unnoticed.
Were building a world of difference. Together.
Visit bv.com/transmission
to learn more.
Innovative
Invisible
National Grid Enters
Next Phase of Itron
Smart Grid Solution
Installation
National Grid has entered the next
phase of its smart grid project, com-
pleting installation of Itrons OpenWay
smart grid platform for its Smart Energy
Solutions Program in Worcester, Mas-
sachusetts, U.S. The platform, which
features an advanced IPv6 network pow-
ered by Cisco, enables National Grid to
increase electric service reliability, im-
prove response to power outages and
empower customers to save energy. Na-
tional Grid uses Itron Services to man-
age and maintain the network.
In this new phase of the smart grid
project, National Grid is using Itrons
smart grid solution to enable consumer
engagement programs that give the util-
itys customers better insights into their
energy use and costs. Later this year,
National Grid will also offer customers
time-based pricing plans to help custom-
ers achieve even more energy savings.
Visit www.itron.com.
Prysmian Wins 40 Million Contract
for Underwater Power Link in Ireland
Prysmian Group has been awarded a contract worth approximately 40 million
euros by ESB (Ireland) for the Shannon River Crossing project to provide electricity
between Kilpaddoge and Moneypoint, across the opposite banks of the river and
along an underwater route of approximately 3 km (1.8 miles).
The project involves supply, installation and commissioning of a 220-kV HVAC
power cable double-circuit connection, comprising 21 km (13 miles) of submarine
cable, including spare lengths and fber-optic connection, network components and
commissioning services. The cables for the Shannon River Crossing project will be
manufactured in the Pikkala plant (Finland), one of the Prysmians centers of tech-
nological and manufacturing excellence for submarine cables. Underwater cable
installation will be performed by one of the Prysmians own laying vessels.
Completion of the project is scheduled in early 2016.
For more information, visit prysmiangroup.com.
GE Modernizes ComEds Electrical Grid
GEs Digital Energy business, in collaboration with Commonwealth Edison
(ComEd) and UL, has confrmed that its residential smart meters have achieved UL
voluntary safety certifcation.
GEs UL-certifed smart meters are being rolled out as part of ComEds recent
grid-modernization efforts, which include the installation and deployment of
nearly 4 million meters across ComEds 11,300-sq-mile (29,267-sq-km), 3.8-million
customer territory. GE smart meters, which have been shipped to ComEd for this
project since August 2013, are fully compliant with ANSI industry standards for per-
formance and safety. With the new UL certifcation, GE is providing ComEd and
its customer base with an added level of confdence surrounding the quality and
functionality of their smart meter installations.
For more information, visit www.gedigitalenergy.com and www.comed.com.
Pepco Holdings Taps
Parsons Brinckerhoff
as Owners Engineer
Parsons Brinckerhoff will provide
owners engineer services to Pepco Hold-
ings Inc. (PHI) in support of a fve-year
power transmission capital program val-
ued at more than US$1 billion.
The PHI program will include over-
head and underground power transmis-
sion systems. Voltage classes include 69
kV, 115 kV, 138 kV, 230 kV and 500 kV for
overhead; and 69 kV, 138 kV and 230 kV
for underground.
Parsons Brinckerhoff will manage
and coordinate the activities of the de-
sign-engineering consultants engaged
in the transmission plan, perform com-
prehensive design and constructability
reviews and quality-assurance tasks, and
will provide expertise as needed in areas
such as civil, structural and geotechnical
engineering; maintenance and protec-
tion of traffc; environmental services;
and permitting.
Visit www.pbworld.com.
Google Invests in Clean Energy Future
On Earth Day, Google announced its largest renewable energy purchase yet: an
agreement with its Iowa utility partners to supply Google data center facilities in
Iowa with up to 407 MW of wind energy. Now Google is taking another step toward
a clean energy future with its next major investment.
Together with SunPower Corp., Google is creating a new $250 million fund ($100
million from Google and $150 million from SunPower) to help fnance the purchase
of residential rooftop solar systems making it easier for households across the
U.S. to go solar. Using the fund, Google will buy the solar panels and lease them to
homeowners at a cost thats typically lower than their normal electricity bill. Par-
ticipating in the program allows customers to help the environment and save money.
SunPower delivers solar to residential, utility and commercial customers and
also manufacturers its own solar cells and panels. The company is known for having
high-quality, high-reliability panels that can generate up to 50% more power per
unit area, with guaranteed performance and lower degradation over time. Thus,
fewer solar panels are needed to get the same amount of energy. SunPower makes
the panels and manages the installation, so the process is seamless.
This is Googles 16
th
renewable energy investment and its third residential roof-
top solar investment. Overall, the company has invested more than $1 billion in
16 renewable energy projects around the world.
For more information, visit www.google.com/green.
NECA & IBEW
Your Quality Connection
F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n : w w w . n l m c c . o r g O n l i n e v i d e o ma g a z i n e : www. e l e c t r i c t v. n e t
Do you need
something
done up here?
Were the ones
that will do it.
You want qualifed contractors
who employ skilled, safe
electrical linemen.
We at NECA & IBEW have
signifcantly increased the
number of apprentices in
lineman training.
When you need help,
were the answer.
Find us at the sites below.
May 2014 | www.tdworld.com
12
FERC Directs NERC
to Develop Physical
Security Standards
The Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) directed North
American Electric Reliability Corp.
(NERC) to develop reliability standards
requiring owners and operators of
the bulk-power system to address risks
caused by physical security threats and
vulnerabilities.
The reliability standards require
owners and operators of the bulk-power
system to take at least three steps to pro-
tect physical security:
Perform a risk assessment of their
system to identify facilities that, if ren-
dered inoperable or damaged, could
have a critical impact on the operation
of the interconnection through instabil-
ity, uncontrolled separation or cascad-
ing failures of the bulk-power system
Evaluate potential threats and vul-
nerabilities to those facilities
Develop and implement a security
plan to address potential threats and
vulnerabilities.
Recognizing that critical facilities
identifed pursuant to the required reli-
ability standards could contain sensitive
or confdential information that, if pub-
licized, could jeopardize the operation
of the grid, FERC directed NERC to
include a procedure that ensures con-
fdential treatment of sensitive or con-
fdential information, but still allows
for the appropriate oversight to ensure
compliance.
Visit www.ferc.gov.
Glendale Water & Power Named Reliable Electric Service Provider
Superior ConcreIe engineered waIIs can be
designed wiIh a wide array oI securiIy IeaIures,
incIuding baIIisIics proIecIion, gaIes, barbwire,
cameras and moIion deIecIors.
The IhreaI on subsIaIions is reaI
and ever-increasing. Superior
ConcreIe ProducIs provides a IuII
Iine oI precasI Iencing soIuIions
wiIh BALLISTICS PRDTECTIDN.
The soIuIion is reaI and currenI.
Call abcut Ballistics Prctecticn (800) 942-9255
Security.CcncreteFence.ccm
Glendale Water & Power (GWP) has earned the Diamond
Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) designation from the
American Public Power Association (APPA). Diamond RP3 is
the highest level of the APPA recognition awarded to those
public power utilities that provide customers with the highest
degree of reliable and safe electric service.
Now in its ninth year, the RP3 program encourages public
power utilities to demonstrate profciency in four important
disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development and sys-
tem improvement. Each category is scored based on demon-
strable and proven practices, and represents a utility-wide
commitment to safe and reliable delivery of electricity.
GWP is one of 184 of the nations more than 2,000 public
power utilities to earn the RP3 award. GWP earned 98.5% of
the criteria to earn the Diamond RP3 award. Utilities must
meet 80% to 89% of the criteria to earn the Gold RP3 award,
or 90% to 97% of the criteria to earn the Platinum RP3 award.
Utilities that score 98% to 100% earn the Diamond RP3 award.
GWP earned the RP3 recognition for the Platinum award in
2011 and 2013. The designation is valid for three years.
Visit www.GlendaleWaterAndPower.
com and www.publicpower.org.
www.tdworld.com | May 2014
13
NYISO Opens $38 Million Power Control Center
On April 15, government offcials and energy industry
leaders gathered to celebrate the completion of construction
of the New York Independent System Operators (NYISO) new
US$38 million primary power control center, which features
the latest digital monitoring technologies to strengthen grid
reliability and security throughout the state and region.
Located adjacent to the NYISOs headquarters in Rens-
selaer County, the 64,000-sq-ft (5,945-sq-m) control facil-
ity serves as the primary operations and control center for
NYISO, which oversees New Yorks bulk electricity grid and
wholesale electricity markets.
This control center will help NYISO provide reliable, clean
and affordable energy to all New Yorkers, says FERC Acting
Chairman Cheryl A. LaFleur. The control centers state-of-
the-art technology will enhance NYISOs ability to react to
problems on the grid as they occur and to run its competitive
markets more effciently for the beneft of all customers.
For more information, visit www.nyiso.com.
Siemens, Accenture
Create Joint-Venture
Omnetric Group
Siemens Smart Grid and Accen-
ture have completed the formation of a
joint-venture company called Omnetric
Group. Omnetric Group will bring to-
gether Siemens smart grid products and
solutions with Accentures management
and technology consulting, systems inte-
gration and managed services capabili-
ties. It will provide utilities with advanced
smart grid solutions and services focused
on data management and systems inte-
gration to improve energy effciency, grid
operations and reliability.
By applying a system integration
framework, these solutions will integrate
operational technologies, such as distri-
bution management and real-time grid
operations, with information technology
systems, such as meter data management
to support smart metering, demand re-
sponse to manage energy consumption
and virtual power plants to enable load
management. This will provide utilities
with an integrated view of their systems
and data, and support advanced analysis
and decision making.
Omnetric Group is headquartered in
Munich. Siemens and Accenture have ap-
pointed Maikel van Verseveld, formerly
managing director of Accenture Smart
Grid Services in Europe, Africa and
Latin America, the CEO of Omnetric
Group; Martin Runge, who leads the Sie-
mens Smart Grid Center of Competence
for Central and Eastern Europe, the
COO of Omnetric Group; and Carsten
Speckmann, formerly head of Supply
Chain Management for Siemens Smart
Grid, the CFO of Omnetric Group.
Visit www.omnetricgroup.com.
TECHNOLOGYUpdates
Cohocton Wind
Marks Five Years
of Operations
First Wind recently celebrated the
ffth anniversary of successful commer-
cial operations at its 125-MW Cohocton
Wind project in Steuben County, New
York, U.S. Construction of the 50 tur-
bine project began in the fall of 2007,
and Cohocton Wind began commercial
operations in January 2009. The project
produces enough clean, cost-competi-
tive energy to power more than 35,000
homes each year.
Since 2009, the Cohocton Wind proj-
ect has provided signifcant local rev-
enue and benefts by generating more
than 200 jobs during construction, pro-
viding for 10 permanent operational
positions and helping to stimulate the
local business economy. Cohocton Wind
provides substantial tax revenue for the
Town of Cohocton, generating a total of
at least US$14 million in tax payments
over a period of 20 years, with almost
$4 million paid in the frst fve years. It
also serves as a source of tax revenue for
local schools, Town of Cohocton Special
Districts and Steuben County govern-
ment, thereby reducing pressure on
property taxes while helping to improve
schools and strengthen local services.
Visit www.frstwind.com.
800-kV HVDC Converter Transformer
Passes Factory Acceptance Test in China
NV Energy Increases Customer Engagement Using BuildingIQ
On March 1, 2014, Alstoms frst 800-kV HVDC converter transformer passed
factory acceptance tests in Shandong, China. This converter transformer will en-
able the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) to power part of the Jinping to
Sunan 2,090-km (1,299-mile)-long UHVDC power link. The link will transport
clean hydropower from generating stations in central western China across to the
industrialized coastal area in eastern China.
This leading-edge technology is the result of a cooperative project between
Alstom Grid and Shandong Power Equipment Co. Ltd. (SPECO), a subsidiary
of SGCC. The trans-
former was designed
by Alstom Grids
HDVC experts based
in Stafford, U.K.,
and engineers work-
ing out of Alstoms
Wuhan factory in
eastern central Chi-
na. Alstom supplied
all the critical mate-
rials and supervised
the production at
SPECO. Alstom also
provided the neces-
sary training from its
experts based in both the U.K. and China. Alstom also undertook critical parts of
the production process and provided bushings from its factory in Italy.
For more information, visit www.alstom.com.
NV Energy has implemented a new program using Build-
ingIQs integrated energy-effciency and automated demand
response (autoDR) solution and has enrolled some of its larg-
est customers in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., including casinos,
government and commercial buildings.
BuildingIQs cloud-based software, which incorporates
Predictive Energy Optimization, receives electronic signals
from NV Energy and automatically manages DR events for
customers without disruption to comfort or operations.
NV Energy has reduced peak HVAC power consumption in
buildings by as much as 20% on DR event days. The program
has signifcantly lowered on-going daily HVAC energy use for
customers by 10% to 18% compared to baseline.
The incorporation of BuildingIQ is part of a larger custom-
er engagement program for NV Energy through its mPowered
Optimization program, in which customers receive access to
the software and associated energy savings in return for partic-
ipating in DR events. The program, launched in the summer
of 2013, has already boosted energy effciency in its customers
facilities while providing signifcant peak load reductions for
the utility. The M Resort Spa Casino, a Forbes Travel Guide
four-star resort and casino in Las Vegas, has deployed Buildin-
gIQ in its offces, conference space, restaurants and casino ar-
eas, and has realized signifcant results in the frst few months
of the program, achieving 12% energy savings in HVAC en-
ergy in September 2013. Energy usage has been optimized
without sacrifcing the comfort of guests, visitors or staff.
BuildingIQ is a unique player in the smart buildings mar-
ket, using its proprietary software to hunt for and automati-
cally take advantage of untapped energy-effciency gains
in commercial buildings in real time, says Eric Bloom, senior
research analyst at Pike Research, a division of Navigant. The
need for automated, real-time response from commercial
buildings will only grow as utilities face an increasingly dif-
fcult challenge of maintaining grid reliability cost-effectively.
With autoDR capability built into its platform, BuildingIQ is
poised for signifcant expansion in the utility sector, and its
program with NV Energy is a key example of the promise
BuildingIQ holds.
For more information, visit www.buildingiq.com.
The 800-kV HVDC converter transformer marks the highest voltage
level Alstom has acheived to date.
TECHNOLOGYUpdates
Con Edison Rolls Out AC-Integrated Energy Storage System
Eos Energy Storage will integrate Ideal Powers 30-kW bat-
tery converter technology with its Aurora energy storage sys-
tem. This system will be connected to the grid and deployed
by Con Edison in a New York City pilot project in the second
quarter of 2014.
The Aurora system employs Eos Energy Storages safe, low-
cost zinc hybrid cathode (Znyth) battery technology and is
designed to enhance renewable energy generation, increase
the grids effciency and resiliency, and reduce utilities costs
and consumers electricity bills. The compact modular design
of both the battery pack and power converter is uniquely suit-
ed for offce buildings and facilities with space-constrained
environments.
The Aurora battery system is designed specifcally to meet
the requirements of the grid-scale energy storage market.
With many hours of discharge capability, immediate response
time and modular construction, the Aurora system may be
scaled and confgured to maximize proftability in utility,
commercial and industrial, and residential market segments.
Ideal Powers 30-kW battery converter offers high effciency
in a compact, modular and easy-to-install solution that can
improve the economics for energy storage applications. It is
based on the companys patented Power
Packet Switching Architecture (PPSA),
which provides electrical isolation without
the use of a bulky and expensive transform-
er. Among the many benefts of PPSA is the
unique capability to reduce the size, cost
and effciency loss associated with conven-
tional systems.
The demonstration project with Con Ed-
ison is supported by funding from the New
York State Energy Research and Develop-
ment Authority.
Visit www.eosenergystorage.com.
OUC Ready to Deliver
Smarter Energy Choice
Utility Partners of America (UPA) has
safely replaced roughly 150,000 digital elec-
tric meters as part of a systemwide smart me-
ter upgrade for the Orlando Utilities Com-
mission (OUC).
In addition to the electric meter instal-
lations, UPA managed the data transfer
from OUCs old analog meters to the new
digital meters, and coordinated the salvage
and recycling efforts for the old meters. The
systemwide upgrade accelerates a program
that has been in place for several years and
includes all of OUCs meters.
The new meters will help customers bet-
ter manage their electric use and, ultimate-
ly, their utility costs by providing them with
detailed consumption information. Once
the entire OUC system is upgraded, custom-
ers will be able to monitor their daily usage
via a new website.
UPA works closely with utilities to estab-
lish formal meter installation procedures,
with every meter technician receiving exten-
sive training prior to performing meter in-
stallations to help them identify and address
irregular operating conditions.
Visit www.utilitypartners.com.
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ENERGYTransitions
Weather Is Money
By John Baker, Energy Editor
E
ver since the 1950s when the wide spread adoption of
residential and commercial air conditioning began to
drive peak system demand, electric utilities have rec-
ognized that good weather forecasts are essential to good
load forecasts. Good load forecasts, in turn, are needed for
effcient dispatch and proper system operation. This con-
nection between effcient, reliable operations and weather
forecasts, important today, will be even more crucial in the
future. So crucial that the monitoring, modeling and predict-
ing of weather conditions will become an integral part of fu-
ture utility operations at all levels. What would drive utilities
to become so heavily involved in the science of weather? The
answer lies partly in the increasing number of electric utility
operations that will be heavily tied to weather in one form or
another.
To begin with, unless future air conditioning will be ac-
complished without electricity, future operational load fore-
casts will still heavily rely upon accurate weather models and
forecasts. Closely related to load forecasts are demand re-
sponse (DR) forecasts. If DR is to become a viable utility-scale
resource, then the amount of load reduction expected under
different weather conditions will need to be known with a
high level of certainty. Given that much of the potential for
DR is tied to air conditioning, the need for accurate weather
forecasts surfaces again.
Several DR service providers and aggregators are develop-
ing sophisticated thermodynamic models for individual resi-
dential homes. Why is this important? Keep in mind that DR
is a fancy term for shutting off customers appliances. These
models do a better job of estimating how much curtailment
can be achieved without customers becoming uncomfortable
and abandoning a DR program. In this way, these models pro-
vide greater certainty for DR resource estimation and hold
the promise of helping utilities identify customers who may
beneft from various energy-effciency programs. Since these
models are enhanced with local information such as tempera-
ture, solar insolation and wind speed, they will require more
granular weather data.
Storm prediction and grid-damage assessment are draw-
ing growing interest by utilities in new weather applications.
This interest has taken on more urgency as the number of
storms that have caused widespread outages have been track-
ing upward over the last several years. Storm predictions have
long been used to pre-position emergency repair crews before
large storms arrive. There is increasing interest in using light-
ning, wind and other storm data to facilitate the identifcation
of damaged grid components after a storm. Some weather
experts suspect we are moving into a time that will be marked
by increasing weather volatility. This trend, coupled with util-
ity customers ever-rising desire for fawless electric service,
would underscore the need for advanced storm-prediction
and damage-assessment capabilities.
Renewable generation also requires good weather forecast-
ing. Wind and solar generation are already at considerable lev-
els on parts of the U.S. grid. In those areas, the need to accu-
rately model renewable resources exists today. This need will
become more acute as the percentage of renewable resources
on the grid grows. This is particularly true for distributed so-
lar photovoltaic (PV). The ability to model and predict the
electric production from distributed solar PV is important at
the system level as well as at the distribution level. A distribu-
tion grid with a high level of distributed solar PV dispersed
across its service area is a good example. As cloud formations
move across the example grids service area, they will cause
the PV production to rise and fall with the passing clouds.
This will impact the net system load as well as the loading of
individual feeders and substations. As solar PV penetration
levels increase, effective ways of modeling the local weather
impacts on distributed solar PV will be essential for stable grid
operations
With all this potential for increased weather dependency
on the grid, a question arises: If the world is experiencing
some level of climate change, how will such change affect
weather-dependent resources on the grid? In particular, how
will possible climate changes potentially impact expected en-
ergy production from solar and wind resources in the future?
One of my old engineering professors was fond of say-
ing, The solution is intuitively obvious to even the most ca-
sual observer. The answer to this question wont be. However,
what is certain is that if the grid and by direct association our
economy are to be increasingly more reliant upon weather-
dependent resources, then grid operators will need to become
highly profcient at monitoring, modeling and predicting
weather conditions at a very granular level.
Editors note: Insights were fueled by discussions with John
Bosse, director of energy services, Earth Networks; Dr. Merwin
Brown, co-director of electric grid research, California Institute
for Energy and Environment, University of California; and Don
Leick, senior energy product manager, Schneider Electric.
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CHARACTERSwithCharacter
Two for One
Eriks Surmanis,
Power Delivery Consultants (left)
By James R. Dukart, Contributing Writer
E
riks Surmanis is an active guy, to say the least. Cur-
rently a senior engineer at Power Delivery Consultants
in Middletown, Connecticut, U.S., Surmanis served as
vice-chair for the 2011 IEEE ESMO show and will chair the
next ESMO. He serves on a board that sends relief supplies
to Haiti, is an avid golfer and hockey player, is married and
has two young sons, 4 and 6. Listening to all that Surmanis is
involved in, youd be forgiven if you thought the name Eriks
referred to more than one Erik.
It doesnt, though. Surmanis is Latvian and explains that all
Latvian males have an s at the end of their name. Thus, he
is Eriks in his e-mail and on his rsum, and when you want
to talk about something he has done for instance, sending a
fre truck to Haiti for earthquake relief you say, Eriks helped
make this happen. If you were talking to him, you would say
Erik, but he goes by both in day-to-day life, and even quips
that the Latvian Olympic hockey team nicknamed its coach
Canadian Ted Nolan Teds as an honorary Latvian.
In Surmanis case, again, the English-language plurality
of his frst name only hints at the fact that he does a lot for
one man. In addition to his full-time job at an engineering
consultancy, Surmanis is a fundraiser and board member of
Haiti Works!, a Bridgeport, Connecticut, organization that
organizes and sends humanitarian aid to Haiti, which is still
recovering from a massive earthquake in 2010.
Most recently, Surmanis was instrumental in getting a
vintage 1980s Mack fre truck sent to Ptionville, a suburb of
the Haitian capital Port au Prince that was particularly hard
hit and still is trying to recover. The truck was donated by a
Connecticut fre department, and Surmanis not only helped
source the donation, but he helped put together transport ar-
rangements to Haiti via U.S. Military Aircraft.
First, they need emergency rescue vehicles there, Surma-
nis notes. They use this one mostly for crowd control at large
public gatherings. But you might also ask, Why send an old,
1980s vintage fre truck? Its actually an advantage. It is not
as computerized as the fre trucks of today, and so it has parts
that anyone in any country can repair and replace.
Surmanis also helps Haiti Works! send food and clothing
aid to Haiti, including thousands of pairs of work boots.
This is critical, Surmanis says. What you see on television
is the way it is [in Haiti]. Collapsed buildings still leave sharp
metal and concrete edges exposed, and it can be dangerous to
walk around without good protective footwear. Construction
workers, in particular, need work boots to do their jobs.
Back in Connecticut, Surmanis is currently visiting poten-
tial sites and helping put together the program for the next
IEEE ESMO show, which will likely take place in 2016. He
likens ESMO to the Olympics, not in terms of athletic com-
petition but in terms of being a nationwide and, in fact, in-
ternational gathering that takes place once every four years,
on average, and features world-class learning opportunities
revolving around electrical line worker safety.
Our real goal is to get new safety and work practices out,
Surmanis explains. Personnel changes all the time, and some
people have never seen a lot of helicopter line work, for in-
stance. The format of ESMO is to have Monday and Wednes-
day indoor conference and educational sessions, with Tuesday
and Thursday full-day outdoor training. You will see new
pulling rigs, new tools, techniques and equipment, even the
work of robotic arms in line repair, Surmanis states. By the
next ESMO, who knows, we might even see some drones fying
around doing line reconnaissance or maintenance. Plus, you
know linemen always love to go for a ride in the newest, tallest
bucket trucks!
Outside the offce, Surmanis is an avid golfer and hockey
player, and involved father with his two boys, Luke and Mark.
Even then, he manages to combine his passions with good
deeds and education. Last year, Surmanis organized and host-
ed a charity golf tournament for Haiti Works! at the Richter
Park Golf Course in Danbury, Connecticut, and is in charge of
its second iteration again this coming fall. He considers him-
self an avid though still-learning and improving golfer.
Lindas theory is that I only really gravitate toward sports
and recreations that are nearly impossible to master, Surma-
nis notes, without disagreeing with his wifes assessment.
Surmanis plays hockey in a mens league in Hartford, Con-
necticut, but also travels to Canada whenever he can to both
play and watch the sport there. He says he came to hockey rela-
tively late in life as an adult, not youth hockey and hopes
his sons might pick up the sport earlier.
As to his dream round of golf, Surmanis offers up some-
thing of a surprise. This past year, he explains, his oldest son
enrolled in the PGA First Tee program for beginning golfers.
You want to know what golfer Im jealous of, its my six-
year-old son! Surmanis jibes. He gets eight weeks of golf for
something like $40, and gets to play every week at the TPC
Highlands in Cromwell. Hes got it pretty good!
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NV Energy Delivers
NV Energys new 500-kV transmission line
is moving remote renewable energy to customers
and connecting Nevadas north and south territories
for the rst time.
By John Berdrow and Steve Payne, NV Energy
23 www.tdworld.com | May 2014
Renewable Energy
O
ften the word unique is overused in todays
evolving society. However, that descriptor is
completely appropriate to label the 231-mile
(372-km)-long, single-circuit 500-kV One Nevada
transmission line in the United States.
What other line caused construction workers to bundle up
for an early fall mountain snowstorm at the exact time other
workers on the same line had to stay hydrated because of tem-
peratures that climbed to nearly 100F (38C)?
What other line is designed with a special tubular guyed-V
structure to inhibit raptors from perching and attacking pro-
tected desert tortoises in southern Nevada or sage grouse in
northern Nevada?
What other transmission line offers a critical solution to
connecting two operating utilities for the frst time and en-
abling Nevada customers to beneft from sharing generating
resources?
And, what other line can simultaneously transport elec-
trons from a large wind farm, numerous geothermal plants,
large solar facilities and a small landfll energy resource?
TRANSMISSIONLine
The answer to these questions validates that the word
unique does apply, indeed, to the One Nevada Transmission
Line, or ON Line, which began serving homes and businesses
in Nevada on New Years Day 2014.
Renewable Energy
The diversity of renewable energy in Nevada towers above
most states, and ON Line plays a key role in enabling the en-
ergy to fow to customer load centers. Prior to the completion
of this line, the energy from 20 separate geothermal projects
could only be used in northern Nevada. Energy from eight
of those geothermal projects is specifcally contracted
through ON Line to NV Energys operating company that
serves the greater Las Vegas, Nevada, area. Energy from the
rich solar resources in southern and central Nevada now can
fow both directions on the line and fnd its way to where it is
needed most.
One groundbreaking project that will use the new trans-
mission line almost exclusively is the 110-MW Crescent Dunes
Solar Energy Project, which is the largest solar power tower
project with energy storage. Thanks to a
molten salt storage system, this project can
provide solar energy long after the sun has
gone down and when air conditioners are
still running full blast to counter midnight
temperatures well above 90F (35C).
The new transmission line also is be-
ing used to move up to 152 MW of wind
power from the Spring Valley Wind Proj-
ect in eastern Nevada to Las Vegas, as well
as a small landfll gas-to-energy project
in northern Nevada. Overall, the initial
phase of the line is designed to carry nearly
600 MW of renewable energy.
A Collaborative Effort
NV Energy teamed up with Great Basin
Transmission-South, LLC, an affliate of
LS Power, to develop and build ON Line.
Great Basin owns 75% of the line and
NV Energy owns 25%, although NV Energy has rights to 100%
of the lines initial capacity.
NV Energy managed the construction process, which in-
cluded 844 towers, a new 500/345-kV substation located in a
remote part of Nevada, a 20-tower backup microwave commu-
nications network, a short tie-in line with the utilitys existing
345-kV transmission system in northern Nevada, and upgrades
to the 500-kV Harry Allen substation north of Las Vegas.
Sturgeon Electric Co. Inc., a MYR Group Inc. subsidiary,
provided construction services for ON Line, including envi-
ronmental protection measures, right-of-way clearing, founda-
tion installation, structure installation, and installation of the
conductor and shield wires.
Wilson Utility Construction Co. provided construction
services for the new Robinson Summit substation west of Ely,
Nevada. Its involvement included environmental protection
measures, grading, foundation installation, structure installa-
tion and installation of electrical equipment.
POWER Engineers provided the engineering services for
the transmission line and substation.
Unique Tower Design
The ON Line project is considered the frst in the indus-
try to use a reverse-tapered, tubular guyed-V structure con-
fguration. The structures range in total height from about
110 ft to 160 ft (34 m to 49 m), depending on local terrain,
span issues and elevation changes. The structures are made
from self-weathering steel, which evolves to a rich brown color
that blends well in the desert environment of Nevada.
The new line runs almost exclusively through federal land
managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the
structures offer one of the smallest tower footprints of any
structures previously used.
The guyed-V structures use a reverse-tapered, thin-walled
tubular steel leg, which minimizes the tower weight and foot-
print. It rests on a tapered concrete pedestal foundation that
More than 100 MW of energy collected by the 640-ft-tall power tower at
the Crescent Dunes solar eld in Nevada will ow to Las Vegas through
the new One Nevada Transmission Line later in 2014.
The ON Line towers have a remarkably small environmental footprint that incorporates a
small precast concrete base and four guy wire anchors.
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TRANSMISSIONLine
measures about 6 sq ft (0.5 sq m), with a reveal of only about
1 ft (0.3 m), and measures roughly 3 ft by 1.5 ft (0.9 m by 0.5 m).
The legs rest on two steel rocker plates and pins that ft into
the bottom of the tower legs.
The only other footprint elements are the four corner
grouted soil and rock anchors, which were drilled to depths
up to 40 ft (12 m). Each anchor was feld-tested to 80,000 lb
(36,287 kg) and is the termination for two guy wires, one of
which has a 0.875-inch (22-mm) diameter and the other has a
0.5-inch (13-mm) diameter. More than 3,000 anchors were in-
stalled and only two failed the pull test and needed replacing.
Hoisting into Place
The tubular guyed-V tower structures all were assembled
on site and installed with the use of a single crane, forklift and
individual work trucks at the four anchor points. Over time,
the carefully choreographed and practiced crews of about 10
workers were able to install a new V-tower every 50 minutes.
That process included time for the large crane to lumber to
the next tower site, set up, extend, lift the structure, set it on
the foundation and hold in place while the tower was plumbed
and the main guy wires were tensioned to about 10,000 lb
(4,536 kg).
Lead lines for the ON Line conductor, overhead and opti-
cal ground wires all were fown in by helicopter, which dra-
matically shortened the construction time associated with
At the height of construction, approximately 400 workers worked on
different aspects of the ON Line project.
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TRANSMISSIONLine
traditional pole climbing or high-lift bucket support. Helicop-
ters were also used to inspect the completed towers and work,
as well as to help install backup microwave towers on remote
mountain peaks in Nevada.
Environmental Attention
All of the work crews received environmental awareness
training to learn and understand the sensitive environmental
resource issues associated with the projects activities. For ex-
ample, protected desert tortoises presented the most sensitive
issue for the project. Biological monitors surveyed work areas
prior to construction activity, safely relocated tortoises from
harms way when necessary and supported all work crews dur-
ing their work to ensure compliance with environmental re-
quirements. Biological monitors also escorted dust-mitigating
water trucks, work crews and equipment moves throughout
the desert tortoise habitat as well as the habitats of other sensi-
tive species of plants and animals.
Additional specialized personnel surveyed and monitored
construction activities for the protection of sensitive plants,
paleontological resources, archaeological resources, migra-
tory birds and greater sage grouse.
Certain protected plant species such as cactus and yucca
plants in planned construction areas or on new access roads
were temporarily moved from harms way and maintained
during the construction phase of the project. After the con-
struction work, the areas were recontoured and decompacted.
Any topsoil removed prior to construction was replaced to
help maintain the native seed bank.
To further support successful revegetation of the tempo-
rary work areas, seeding was done using native plant seed
mixes corresponding to the local vegetation community, and
the cactus and yucca plants that had been removed prior to
construction were replanted. Crews took care to ensure each
plant was replanted as close to its original location and orien-
tation as possible.
Certain restrictions also were imposed on construction ac-
tivities in specifc areas because of sensitive seasonal wildlife
activities, such as mule deer wintering grounds, sage grouse
lekking and migratory bird nesting. In accordance with the
Edison Electric Institutes Suggested Practices for Avian Protection
on Power Lines and in coordination with the Bureau of Land
Management, Nevada Department of Wildlife, and U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, project structures were designed to avoid
electrocution of eagles and other large raptors. Specifc struc-
tures were ftted with perch-deterring devices to discourage
ravens and raptors from perching and nesting on structures
within sensitive habitats for sage grouse and desert tortoise.
Thanks to the sharp eye of an environmental monitor,
evidence of a 300-million-year-old plant was found near the
ON Line construction activities. The rare-for-Nevada fossil
clearly shows the diamond-shaped bark pattern of a lepido-
dendron tree, which grew to more than 100 ft (31 m) tall.

Wind-Induced Vibration Issue
One of the lessons learned about the new tubular guyed-
V structures is that the tall slender structure was susceptible
to wind-induced vibrations. The solution involved retroftting
the towers with helical strakes from Chicago Metal Rolled
Products. Helical strakes are cost-effective and well-tested de-
vices that alter the fow of wind around the tubular structures
and disrupt vortex shedding.
Thanks to extensive testing and ongoing vibration moni-
Thanks to a design that uses a downward force from pre-tensioned guy
wires, the ON Line tower structures merely rest on convexed rocker
plates held in place by two 6-inch pins that t into holes on the bottom
of the two tower legs.
In total, more than 1,100 miles of conductor and ground wire lead
lines were safely strung with helicopters during the project. As
shown here, one of the most difcult tasks was stringing the center
conductor line with a needle apparatus.
ON Line Project by the Numbers
844 total towers, 759 with the new tubular guyed-V design
11 million ft (3.4 million m) of conductor
25 million lb (11.3 million kg) of steel for the towers
3,036 new anchors
13 new microwave towers; 20 total in communications
network
1.4 million total work hours
101 million gal (382 million l) of water used for dust control
DOW ELECTRICAL & TELECOMMUNICATIONS | www.dow.com
For more information, go to www.dowhvpower.com.
OVER 7 MILLION FEET
OF HV UNDERGROUND CABLE.
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conventional and super-smooth semiconductive compounds for high voltage (HV) cable construction
to the North American power industry for 15 years. And, we remain the only global producer of
world-class HV compounds that can be sourced locally in North America.
Underground HV cable made from quality materials proudly produced in the USA. Quality you
can count on for long-lasting, reliable service in your new and refurbished power transmission
infrastructure.
Ask us about our products and technical expertise for your next project. We help deliver peace
of mind for you and your customers.
*Data refers to cable installed in North America as reported by the manufacturer.
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TRANSMISSIONLine
tors at 11 towers, the helical strake solution successfully miti-
gated the wind-vibration problem.
Good To Be Connected
NV Energy has evolved from two separate operating com-
panies in Nevada Sierra Pacifc Power Co., which serves
about 42,000 sq miles (108,780 sq km) in the northern and
western part of the state, and Nevada Power, which serves the
greater Las Vegas area. With ON Line achieving commercial
operation on Jan. 1, 2014, the two operating companies are
now directly connected and can share generating resources
from 10 separate power plants and 38 renewable energy proj-
ects in Nevada.
This energy independence will help the utility to provide
even greater reliability and customers can avoid paying the
high costs of purchased electricity outside of its control area
during the hot summer months when electricity on the market
is at a premium.
Safe and Sound
At the height of construction, more than 400 workers con-
tributed to the project. Not counting the thousands of hours
for planning, management, engineering and other support
services, more than 725,000 work hours were spent on specifc
construction and environmental services. Safety was a key pri-
ority emphasized before a single shovel of dirt was turned and
stressed each day on the job. Remarkably, the total lost-time
incident rate came in at a low 1.10, but even one accident that
resulted in injuries was too many.
Not only was the project safe, but its leadership successfully
guided the construction process through several challenges
associated with working around sensitive species, in extreme
hot and cold environments, in high-wind conditions and
through necessary technical changes.
John Berdrow (jberdrow@nvenergy.com) served as project
manager for the One Nevada Transmission Line. He has been
with NV Energy for 30 years and has extensive project manage-
ment, engineering, environmental permitting, construction
and related experience in the electrical industry. He received
his BSCE degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is a
registered professional engineer in Nevada and California.
Steve Payne (spayne@nvenergy.com) was project engineer
for the One Nevada Transmission line. He has been with NV
Energy for 13 years and has served as the principle engineer on
numerous major transmission system projects in the West. Previ-
ously, he was with Arizona Public Service and PaciCorp. He has
a BS degree from Brigham Young University and is a registered
professional engineer in Nevada.
Companies mentioned:
Chicago Metal Rolled Products | www.cmrp.com
Edison Electric Institute | www.eei.org
HDR | www.hdrinc.com
LS Power | www.lspower.com
NV Energy | www.nvenergy.com
POWER Engineers | www.powereng.com
Sturgeon Electric Co./MYR Group | www.myrgroup.com
Wilson Utility Construction | www.wilsonconst.com
Additional ON Line Services and Vendors
Structures Thomas & Betts
Conductor Midal Cables Ltd.
Insulators NKG Insulators Ltd.
Anchors Williams Form Engineering
Implosion connectors BURNDY
Helicopter support Brim Aviation
Erosion control, seeding, vegetation Soil Tech Inc.
Roadway construction and reclamation W.W. Clyde & Co.
ON Line construction workers spot-welded helical strakes on each tower
leg, which successfully mitigated wind-caused harmonic vibrations.
COMPLETE
DISTRIBUTION
AUTOMATION
Pinpoint Faults
Find faults faster using information from protective
relays, reclosers, and fault indicators.
Reduce System Losses
Maximize feeder efficiency with advanced voltage
regulator and capacitor controls.
Detect More Faults
Improve detection of downed conductors with high-
impedance fault detection.
Improve Reliability Indices
Keep the lights on with automatic sectionalizing and
feeder reconfiguration.
FLEXIBLE, SCALABLE SOLUTIONS
FOR EVERY UTILITY
To learn more about SELs DNA solutions,
visit selinc.com/4tdw.
INFORMATIONTechnology
Does Big Data Provide
Enhanced Insight?
Even before the smart grid, there were many
information technology challenges and struggles.
Now, the data alone can overwhelm.
By Mathieu Viau, Institut de recherche Hydro-Qubec
E
volving technologies, including the smart grid, can
provide electric power utilities with unprecedented
capabilities for forecasting demand, shaping cus-
tomer usage patterns, preventing outages, optimiz-
ing unit commitment and more. At the same time, these ad-
vances also generate unprecedented data volume, speed and
complexity. One aspect of the smart grid evolution is the om-
nipresence of communications and information technologies
(IT) to have better knowledge of the state of the grid and to
make more effcient decisions.
To manage and use this information to gain insight, utili-
ties such as Hydro-Qubec must be capable of high-volume
data management and advanced analytics to transform data
into actionable insights.
When thinking about the smart grid, it is far from obvious
the electric utility industry has all the answers on what IT ar-
chitecture will support it. Even before the smart grid, utilities
were struggling with IT challenges. But the smart grid brings
the big-data dimension, which can make things even more
challenging.
More and More Data
Big data is known as the four Vs. It is not only about mas-
The GridWise Interoperability Context-Setting Framework as created the GridWise Architecture Council in 2008. The E+I graphic on the right
illustrates the balance between electricity and information elements.
Organizational
(pragmatics)
Political and economic objectives as embodied in policy and
regulation
Strategic and tactical objectives shared between businesses
Alignment between operational business processes and procedures
Relevent business knowledge that applies sematics with process
workow
Understanding of concepts contained in the message data
structures
Understanding of data structure in messages exchanged between
systems
Exchanged messages between systems
Mechanism to establish physical and logical connectivity of systems
Informational
(semantics)
Technical
(syntax)
8. Economic/regulatory policy
7. Business objectives
6. Business procedures
5. Business context
4. Sematic understanding
3. Syntactic interoperability
2. Network interoperability
1. Basic connectivity
E
I
sive amounts of data represented as volume, it is also veloc-
ity, variety and veracity. Velocity is the speed at which utilities
get the data. A phasor measurement unit is a good example.
Variety is the heterogeneity of the different sources of data.
The last dimension of big data, but not the least, is veracity.
The veracity of the data is about its accuracy and truthfulness.
Improving the veracity of data requires minimizing the occur-
rence of different sources of errors. These sources are related
to inconsistencies, duplication and missing data.
In a recent survey, IBM found one in three business leaders
do not trust the information they use to make decisions. Gart-
ner research shows that poor data quality is cited as the No. 1
reason for overrunning project costs. According to The Data
Warehousing Institute, the cost of bad, or dirty, data exceeds
US$600 billion for U.S. businesses annually. In an infograph-
ic, InsightSquared stated the following:
Data quality best practices can boost revenue by 66%.
Poor data quality across business and government costs
the U.S. economy $3.1 trillion a year (insidearm.com).
Data quality is a barrier for adopting business intelli-
gence/analytics products for 46% of survey respondents.
Electric power utilities need accurate data and cross-
sectional information to make valuable business decisions.
Building an enterprisewide unifed information view is a com-
plex task because of the heterogeneity and lack of consistency
in the different sources. Still, decision makers need only one
version of the truth. How can common ground be reached?
Integrating all Forms of Information
Exchanging information between systems is a lot like com-
munication between two individuals using
different phones. Many layers of interoper-
ability are involved. First, a technical level
of interoperability brings the information
from one system to another. A lot of IT so-
lutions cover this area; an integration bus
(ESB) is one of them. For many utilities,
reaching technical interoperability is not a
major issue. In comparison, the phone has
perfect technical interoperability. One can
call anybody, anywhere, using any kind of
device, and it will work.
But is that suffcient? If the two people do
not speak the same language, there will be
no information exchange. The same concept
applies to systems. To exchange information
between applications, more than technical
interoperability is needed; semantic interop-
erability is needed. Semantic interoperabil-
ity is composed of a common language called ontology and
semantic technologies.
Electric power utilities have one of the most complete on-
tology: the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
common information model (CIM). The IEC CIM is defned
through a set of IEC international standards, mainly 61970-
301 and 61968-11. The frst version was standardized in 2003
Ontologies Rules
Reasoner
Asserted + inferred
knowledge
SPARQL
Queries
Local
ontology A
Mapping
SQL
Enterprise
database A
Local
ontology B
Mapping
SQL
Enterprise
database B
Local
ontology B
Mapping
SQL
Enterprise
database C
CIM ontology
This architecture focuses on metadata rst to leverage value embodied in the existing
system while promoting interoperability and integration.
Cont act s:
Seves Canada: info@seves.ca - Seves USA: info@sevesusa.com
www.sediver.fr
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and now contains more than a thousand concepts covering
generation, transmission and distribution.
In addition to ontology, technologies also are well suited to
address the semantic interoperability layer. These are the se-
With a common metadata layer, IREQs approach allows checking con-
sistency for underground structures of the distribution network. This
Venn diagram shows the results of the consistency checking of under-
ground structures based on their ID in four different enterprise systems.
The system automatically found that nearly 33% of the underground
structures were consistent in all four systems and 35% were only in one
system and not in any others.
In the IREQ Smart Grid Integration Lab, different data sources are
combined and checked for consistencies.
mantic technologies, a complete set of World Wide Web Con-
sortium (W3C) standards well supported by software vendors
(for example, Oracle Spatial and Graph or IBM DB2).
CIM, the Obvious Choice
Like any other ontology, the CIM ontology is not perfect.
In fact, ontologies, just like human languages, are living arti-
facts subject to change. The CIM is not an exception. Human
communities are bounded by what they can talk about and
how they can talk about it. When new experiences exceed cur-
rent vocabularies, languages solve the problem by developing
Five taps in one trip.
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new words and grammar. It is exactly the same process with
ontologies like the CIM, which give the defnition of the ba-
sic concepts in the electric domain and the relations among
them. They have to evolve iteratively to meet the evolution of
the domain.
Even if the use of a common metadata layer like the CIM
presents a signifcant opportunity to overcome the semantic
barriers between existing information silos, it
is not without its own set of challenges. Some
aspects of conventional technologies like re-
lational databases may be insuffcient to meet
the emerging challenges implied by the use and
evolution of the CIM. Semantic technologies,
with their graph structures and the ability to
capture semantic differences and meanings, are
well suited for the CIM. To fully take advantage
of the CIM, it must be used in combination with
the right tool. It is just like trying to use a ham-
mer when, really, a saw or screwdriver is needed.
Leveraging, Not Replacing, Assets
As more smart grid technologies are de-
ployed across the grid, it will require more and
better data to enable its full potential. The Elec-
tric Power Research Institute (EPRI) contends
the intelligence of the smart grid relies critically
on the quality of the data. In fact, whether the data is big or
small, static or moving, structured or unstructured, data qual-
ity is always a critical dimension to consider. Ways must be
found to improve and maintain the level of data quality the
smart grid requires.
At the same time, existing utility systems represent massive
sunk costs, legacy knowledge and expertise. There is a need to
Simulation results of consistency checking for manhole underground structures. The
number of inconsistent structures is reduced by 97% using the proposed approach.
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preserve prior investments in knowledge, information and IT
assets while improving data quality.
To leverage the value already embodied in existing systems
and improve the veracity of the data, Institut de recherche
dHydro-Qubec (IREQ) researchers use semantic technolo-
gies and CIM as a thin layer placed over existing enterprise
systems. The beneft of such an architecture includes enabling
reasoning over multiple enterprise systems, or breaking legacy
silos by describing semantic relationships between each enter-
prise data source. Gartner has documented how technology
islands and silos can be a potential source of inconsistencies
and conficting information for utilities.
Another beneft of this approach, existing systems can con-
tinue to provide the functionality for which they were originally
designed and deployed. At the same time, it can quickly high-
light inconsistencies across multiple enterprise data sources.
Getting the Most Out of Big Data
In addition to giving an overview of inconsistencies across
multiple enterprise systems, the semantic approach proposed
by IREQ goes well beyond that. It can use rules to capture
business logic, enrich data with new knowledge or improve the
data quality. For example, if one only considers the manhole
underground structures on the Island of Montreal for two en-
terprise data sources, the system can automatically improve
the consistency of the data going from 70% of consistency up
to 95% of consistency. This is done just by the addition of a few
logic rules without any modifcation or change to the source
code of the genuine enterprise systems.
Data Warehousing Institute | http://tdwi.org/Home.aspx
EPRI | www.epri.com
Gartner | www.gartner.com
GridWise Architecture Council | www.gridwiseac.org
InsightSquared | www-new.insightsquared.com
IREQ | www.hydroquebec.com/innovation/fr/index.html
W3C | www.w3.org
Data mining is the process of analyzing and
turning large collections of data into useful knowl-
edge. It can be seen as a natural evolution of infor-
mation technology, where huge volumes of data
accumulated through databases are analyzed,
classifed and characterized over time. To improve
the effciency of mining results, raw data has to be
preprocessed by aggregating data, removing con-
tradictions and enhancing information.
The use of semantic technologies and CIM
modeling can reduce the preprocessing effort
signifcantly. In fact, when heterogeneous data
sources use a commonly shared ontology, it be-
comes possible to align and merge data auto-
matically. In addition, the use of a common se-
mantic enables additional valuable information
and knowledge to be inferred and extracted. In
IREQs case, the utility has been able to extract
complex patterns as padmounted power trans-
former rings. The utilitys experience has proven
that the combination of ontologies and semantic
technologies brings an advantage in preprocess-
ing and enhancing data.
Semantic interoperability ensures the good
understanding and interpretation of the informa-
tion exchanged between systems. The number of
databases and information systems in use by utili-
ties reveals the importance of disposing a common language
and semantic. This is particularly true for electric power utili-
ties where information is growing fast and will continue to
increase because of the introduction of smart technologies.
Nowadays, everybody is trying to get the smart grid. How
smart can it be with bad data?
Acknowledgement
The work described in this article is the result of a team
effort and many people at IREQ played a major part in this
accomplishment. The total number of contributors cannot be
mentioned; however, the efforts of Arnaud Zinfou, Mohamed
Gaha and Alexandre Bouffard were exemplary.
Mathieu Viau (viau.mathieu@ireq.ca) is a computer engineer
that graduated in 2002. He worked at the Hydro-Qubecs Trans-
mission control center for ve years, where he was responsible
of the IT integration and architecture. Since 2008, he has been
working at the Hydro-Qubec R&D division, were he is leading
the semantic interoperability work.
Three padmounted power transformer rings were automatically found using the pro-
posed approach. Basically, a padmounted power transformer ring is a set of equip-
ment connected to each other to form a loop with exactly one padmounted trans-
former containing a switch in a normally opened position.
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lhis beller lhan Siemens. we oer lhe mosl reliable
and eicienl ulilily communicalions solulions on lhe
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DISTRIBUTIONAutomation
Feeder Operations
in the Blink of an Eye
Wake Electric follows WiMAX installation with
feeder automation featuring FLISR capabilities.
By Don Bowman, Wake Electric Cooperative
T
he distribution grid is quickly evolving into a real-
time system that dynamically changes instantaneous-
ly. As connected loads continuously vary, component
failures necessitate changes in the interconnected
system of feeders and substations. These system changes typi-
cally happen extremely fast, such as when a failed piece of
equipment is isolated by the protection systems. When these
high-speed dynamic changes take place, a true smart grid
control system must react in symphony with these changes to
provide consumers with alternative power sources.
Conventional supervisory control and data acquisition
(SCADA) systems are historically more static in nature and
not necessarily able to keep up with the increased need for
real-time reactions in the power grid. Measured feld status in-
formation is slowly communicated up to an operations center,
and the measured information could take minutes before it
reaches the operator screens. Because of this delay, true real-
time synchronous operations cannot be accomplished. Opera-
tors are forced to wait for stable system conditions or run pos-
sible simulated sequences before actual switching sequences
can be executed to provide alternative power to consumers.
Advances in intelligent grid technologies promise to close
this gap by providing faster-acting or real-time systems, and
utilities already are making vast improvements to achieve
success. One example of a utility making these advances is
Wake Electric Cooperative.
Faster, Faster
To date, the board of Wake Electric has approved the de-
ployment of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), an
outage management system (OMS) and, most recently, a real-
time distribution feeder automation project. The cooperative
The Wake Electric and Siemens team performs WiMAX communications link verication testing.
is continuously looking to implement and test new technolo-
gies that could improve operations. These systems were once
considered nice to have, but the investments are now mission
critical for Wake Electrics grid to become truly smart.
Established in 1940, Wake Electric is trusted to serve more
than 37,000 members in parts of seven counties of North
Carolina, U.S. It operates more than 3,100 miles (4,989 km)
of transmission and distribution lines, and, for a cooperative,
its density is relatively high with an estimated 12 meters per
mile. To optimize its network infrastructure decisions, Wake
Electric chose the services of the Siemens Smart Grid. Sie-
mens frst communications modeling and simulations using
its Smart Grid Communications Assessment Tool (SG-CAT)
to determine where Wake Electric would beneft most in terms
of expanding its communications infrastructure.
Build It Once
Cooperatives typically look at one application at a time,
resulting in a hodgepodge of communications networking.
Wake Electrics approach was to make its network future-proof
and to build it once, not twice. The communications system
had to support the utilitys need to optimize the operation of
its electricity distribution system and accommodate the trend
toward automation. It sought to deploy smart metering and
SCADA systems; feeder automation with fault location, isola-
tion and service restoration (FLISR) capabilities; distribution
automation; and other opportunities as they become available.
After the communications study was conducted, results
showed a 3.65-GHz WiMAX system
would be the most suitable system
for Wake Electric to invest in. This
WiMAX communications system
would provide numerous benefts:
Replacement of less reliable,
shared public network systems substa-
tion backhaul
Metering backhaul
Integration of new automation
systems with SCADA
Support for real-time automation
systems.
Once the study was complete,
Siemens identifed another way to
help Wake Electric by implementing
a new locally developed Siemens dis-
tribution feeder automation system
(SDFA) as part of a pilot project. Just
down the road from Wake Electric in
Wendell, North Carolina, Siemens was
developing, testing and implementing
distribution feeder automation, a true
real-time FLISR system.
The system is extremely unique in
that it can, in the blink of an eye, lo-
cate and isolate a faulted feeder line
section and reconfgure a feeder sys-
tem to provide all other line sections with alternative power.
The local Siemens team developed a new protection method
that simplifed protection of automated distribution feeders.
But the FLISR system required a robust and reliable com-
munications system to perform at high speed; the WiMAX
solution selected by Wake Electric was well suited to the task.
After putting in place the necessary technology to support
feeder applications, Wake Electric agreed to implement a pilot
project using the SDFA-FLISR system.
From Concept to Implementation
The frst challenge of the implementation of the FLISR
system was deploying the WiMAX system. Wake Electric had
to fnd tower assets for deployment of the WiMAX base sta-
tions as WiMAX is a point-to-multipoint system. The base sta-
tions communicate from a central location to multiple feld
subscriber radios and must be mounted as high as possible to
maximize reach to feld subscriber units. Increasing the height
of the base stations directly results in less required height for
the feld radios.
The communications architecture for the FLISR system.
WCPE
tower
Actual HMI system topology shows three substation sources connected
through seven reclosers in the normal operating state.
As luck would have it, one of Wake Electrics commercial
customers is local radio station WCPE 89.7. The station owned
a tower that was more than 1,000 ft (300 m) tall, making it an
ideal location for the deployment of the WiMAX base stations.
However, WCPE was fed from a nonautomated feeder and to
provide alternative power to WCPE could take long periods of
time. WCPE had approached Wake Electric in the past about
providing alternative power to the facility, but the cost was pro-
hibitively high at the time.
Wake Electric proposed a solution that would beneft both
the station and the utility by offering to automate the feeder
supplying the WCPE site as part of the FLISR pilot project. In
return, WCPE would provide space on its tower for the mount-
ing of the WiMAX base stations. WCPE agreed and four base
stations were mounted at a height of 425 ft (130 m). The base
stations provided 360-degree coverage reaching up to 11 miles
(17 km). This coverage included a major portion of the meter-
ing points for Wake Electric.
Coverage and Functionality
This area also includes the Wake Electric control center
and 10 substations with substation backhaul possibilities. The
coverage incorporates communication to all feld devices that
formed the new high-speed FLISR system, which supports the
WCPE tower as well as a large number of consumers with al-
ternative power. The FLISR system includes three substation
power sources that are interconnected using new and existing
reclosers. The system was divided into fve line sections, each
providing power to consumers and the WCPE tower.
The system provides source-transfer functionality to all
line sections with source-transfer sequences executed within
a quarter of a second and FLISR sequences executed in less
than a half second. That really is faster than the proverbial
blink of an eye. The FLISR system also introduced a new
protection method that simplifes the protection of automated
feeders. The system uses a jDiff protection function to locate
and isolate faults on line sections, which eliminated the need
for traditional complex coordinated overcurrent schemes.
In the past, automation systems were restricted to change a
feeder only to a small number of topologies. This was because
of the restrictions imposed by the protection systems inability
to adapt to changes made by the automation system. But this
new system changes the topology to isolate any faulted line
sections and then reconfgures the feeder to provide power
to all line sections that are fault free. The loss of any substa-
tion power source also leads to a reconfguration where the
remaining available sources support the feeder networks line
sections and connected consumers.
The system determines, in real time, whether the power
source can support the load to be connected by the closure
of a recloser. The system follows a nontraditional switching
technique to increase the speed of operation. For example, if
a tree fell on a line section, the system would open the recloser
upstream of the fault and close it immediately to test whether
the fault was temporary in nature. The system would then
isolate this line section and reconfgure the feeder to ensure
line sections downstream from the faulted line section were
connected to alternative power. Afterward, the system would
perform reclose cycles on the faulted line sections only.
The substation backhaul is communicated securely using layer-three
networks to the Wake Electric ofce.
An engineer tests recloser operations.
A technician removes recloser bypass switches and commissions the
recloser.
The reclose cycles can be performed as three- or one-pole
switching depending on the type of load connected to a par-
ticular line section.
System Specics
The SDFA-FLISR system is a decentralized system of substa-
tion-hardened devices combining protection and automation
to achieve real-time automation performance. The devices
communicate peer-to-peer using International Electrotechni-
cal Commission (IEC) 61850 generic object-oriented substa-
tion event (GOOSE) messages. The WiMAX communications
system selected supports the FLISR system with secure peer-
to-peer communications.
The GOOSE messages are communicated over a layer-two
network, but security using layer two is always questioned. The
FLISR application enables GOOSE messages to ensure secure
operation. The quality information contained in each of the
multiple GOOSE messages is evaluated before any recloser
operation can be executed and any duplicate messages will in-
hibit the FLISR system from executing automated sequences.
The GOOSE quality information also provides a means to rap-
idly detect a communications link failure.
The WiMAX RuggedMAX system complements the sys-
tem technologies by providing high-quality service. It enables
the user to separate traffc types over the air and guarantee
latency, minimum bandwidth and jitter according to applica-
tion needs. This was an important feature used to separate
the FLISR systems GOOSE traffc from the backhaul traffc.
Thus, the FLISR system could be guaranteed to have accept-
able latency and bandwidth, enabling the real-time perfor-
mance of a true smart grid system.
The WiMAX system also supports the backhaul of substa-
tion operational and AMI metering data to the utilitys con-
trol center or offce. The FLISR system is decentralized but
was deployed with a PC-based human-machine interface
(HMI). This HMI was installed in the Wake Electric offce
building and provides a control interface that gathers all
operational and nonoperational data. The HMI also provides
a DNP3.0 interface to the SCADA system. Wake Electric then
developed SCADA control screens to operate the FLISR sys-
tem from the SCADA operation center.
International Electrotechnical Commission | www.iec.ch
Sensus | http://sensus.com
Siemens | www.siemens.com
Wake Electric Cooperative | www.wemc.com
A protection engineer tests peer-to-peer communications trafc at the
substation control cabinet.
Connection to the OMS included the integration of six new
operational scenarios that could be executed as part of the
FLISR sequences. Historically, the Wake Electric OMS used
lockout status from substation reclosers and Sensus AMI me-
ter alerts as triggers. The scenarios were communicated by the
FLISR system as DNP3 commands to the OMS. The OMS was
updated to reassign smart meters from one source to another
based on the new system topology confguration.
Field Integration
If a FLISR operation sequence was executed for a tempo-
rary fault, the FLISR system would automatically restore the
system back to the preferred source topology. Field integra-
tion of the WiMAX and FLISR systems proved not to be a chal-
lenge to Wake Electrics staff. The WiMAX system required a
few new skills to test and install in the feld, but the teamwork
between Wake Electrics engineering and IT departments was
a major success factor in the deployment.
The 7SC80 controllers of the FLISR system were integrat-
ed through plug and play into three new reclosers and three
existing reclosers. For Wake Electric, the interoperability of
the FLISR system was of the utmost importance. Field crews
were trained to operate the reclosers using the 7SC80 HMI,
which was programmed to emulate the recloser controls used
by Wake Electric as a standard.
Keeping Up with Changes
The FLISR systems operational speed installed at Wake
Electric can keep up with the dynamic nature of the electrical
grid and the communications system is future-proof to sup-
port other applications and services. These technologies en-
abled Wake Electric as a nimble, medium-sized cooperative
to deploy a true smart grid system.
Wake Electric now plans to expand its current FLISR and
WiMAX systems, proving that projects that may begin as nice
to have can transform into signifcant benefts for a utility
and its consumers.
Acknowledgement
Wake Electric would like to acknowledge Andre Smit, prod-
uct manager for Siemens Smart Grid, and his team. Their
contributions were key to the successful efforts of this feeder
automation project.
Don Bowman (don.bowman@wemc.com) is manager of engi-
neering for Wake Electric Cooperative. Previously, he spent 11
years at National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative as vice
president of utility solutions, focusing on technologies that help
electric cooperatives improve operating efciencies.
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GRIDUpgrade
Substation Upgrades
Bring Renewables Home
SDG&E upgrades transmission substations
and switchyards to meet California Renewables
Portfolio Standard.
By Yakov Shlemenzon and Karl Iliev, San Diego Gas & Electric Co.
T
o meet the state-mandated California Renew-
ables Portfolio Standard, San Diego Gas & Electric
(SDG&E) constructed, energized and put into ser-
vice a Sunrise Powerlink project connecting San Di-
ego, California, U.S., to the renewables-rich Imperial County,
California. The standard requires investor-owned utilities in
California to increase procurement of renewable energy re-
sources (RERs) to 33% by 2020.
The Sunrise Powerlink project includes approximately
117 miles (188 km) of 500-kV and 230-kV overhead and un-
derground transmission lines with several large 230/500-kV
substations. SDG&E also is in the process of upgrading its
transmission network to accommodate more than 1,000 MW
of wind and solar generation.
Location, Location, Location
Most of the RERs are located in isolated desert areas, away
from load centers but relatively close to 500-kV and 230-kV
transmission line corridors. The remote locations of RERs,
extensive time required for permitting and environmental
restrictions required SDG&E and RER developers to build
high-voltage switching switchyards at remote locations to in-
terconnect the new, clean generation directly into the existing
500-kV and 230-kV transmission line infrastructure.
The switchyards bus confguration, equipment specifca-
tion and method of interception of these switchyards into the
transmission grid have been carefully designed and selected to
ensure a high level of transmission system reliability and oper-
ability while cost-effectively incorporating the large amounts
of renewable power generation on the grid.
Ocotillo Wind
To accommodate the 265-MW Ocotillo Wind project,
SDG&E looped the 500-kV transmission line into the 500-kV
switchyard using a ring bus confguration with a fully redun-
dant ac-dc auxiliary power system. The site location and ul-
timate arrangement of the switchyard were selected to allow
future switchyard expansion to a substation with a breaker-
and-a-half confguration arrangement.
One of the challenges for SDG&Es substation engineering
team was to provide a 500-kV station service voltage transform-
er (SSVT) for the Ocotillo switchyard to supply auxiliary pow-
er. Based on market analysis and
discussions with different manu-
facturers, the substation engineer-
ing team came to the conclusion to
adapt a 500-kV SF
6
gas-insulated
instrument transformer to the
specifc switchyard requirements.
Specifed with a 333-kVA name-
plate rating, the single-phase
SSVT has been manufactured and
passed all selected IEEE/Interna-
tional Electrotechnical Commis-
sion (IEC) factory acceptance tests
required for gas-insulated substa-
tion equipment.
As a result of the high-reliability
requirements of the switchyard,
two SSVTs have been installed at
SDG&E Sunrise Powerlink is a 117-mile transmission line that will carry renewable energy from the
Imperial Valley to San Diego.
GRIDUpgrade
different buses. Each SSVT is operated and
protected by the combination of single poles of
the 500-kV disconnect switch and 500-kV dead
tank circuit breaker. One spare SSVT is kept on
site in case of an emergency.
Solar Approach
The sun shines pretty much year-round in
Southern Californias Imperial Valley, which
makes it an ideal place for large-scale solar en-
ergy power projects, the energy from which will
ultimately need to be delivered to San Diego
through the Sunrise Powerlink transmission
lines. For multiple large solar projects, with to-
tal projected capacity of more than 500 MW, a
230-kV collector switchyard was built and inter-
connected with a short transmission line into a
large 500-kV transmission substation.
With the expectation that integrating RERs into an ex-
isting 500-kV series-compensated line might change the
segment lengths and corresponding level of compensation,
500-kV series capacitor banks for new 500-kV substations were
designed for selectable ratings. The series capacitors were
equipped with easily replaceable jumpers to change the com-
pensation level and corresponding protective level of metal-
oxide varistors (MOV). In addition to the series capacitors
standard bypass breaker design, maintenance breakers with
corresponding disconnects were installed to fully isolate the
series capacitors during system faults and outages.
Penetration Levels and Integration
As penetration levels of the RERs in SDG&Es power sys-
tem increases, the dynamic characteristics of the system are
changing. One issue of particular concern was the resulting
For the 265-MW Ocotillo Wind project, SDG&E looped the 500-kV transmission line into
the 500-kV switchyard using a ring bus conguration with a fully redundant ac-dc auxiliary
power system.
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GRIDUpgrade
reduction in system inertia and increased harmonics content.
All integrated wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants
are power electronics-based and do not inherently contribute
to the inertial response of the system, reducing the ability of
the grid to reliably withstand large changes of load or losses
of generation. This situation was exacerbated by the demoli-
tion 689-MW South Bay Power Plant as well as an unexpected
shutdown of the 2,150-MW San Onofre Nuclear Generation
Station in Southern California.
The difference in the dynamic response of the system to
the same type of large shunt capacitor switching event record-
ed in 2006 and 2014 was apparent. It was clear
that, from recordings of the event in 2014, cur-
rent was distorted by harmonic components and
was reacting with much harsher oscillations than
the same system event in 2006.
Behavior with FACTS Devices
Another important consideration with inte-
gration of renewables into series-compensated
transmission networks is the electrical behavior
of wind and solar generation with additional fex-
ible ac transmission systems (FACTS) devices re-
quired for providing power fow and voltage con-
trol of the entire power grid. Engineering, grid
operation and maintenance personnel are not as
familiar with these low-inertia, intermittent dc-ac
power electronics-/inverter-based energy sources.
These sources can create switching overvoltag-
es and transients on a much larger scale than for
which the substation equipment was planned. This extreme
electrical stress is dangerous especially to 230/500-kV appa-
ratus traditionally designed with reduced electrical insulation
protective margins. All these challenges need special atten-
tion during the design and selection of substation apparatus
and components, and require advanced system studies to re-
view equipment specifcations as related to reliability, insula-
tion coordination, transient and harmonic withstands.
Industry experience shows that when the large utility-scale
solar PV arrays integrate into the transmission grid, the el-
evated levels of voltage distortion usually observed even
Station Recommendations for Renewables
Based on equipment performance history, eld recordings and system simulations, SDG&E is implementing the following
recommendations:
Avoid wind- and solar-generation sources direct interconnection into substation buses. Design and install 500-kV and 230-kV
collector switchyards for generation interconnections and future system expansions.
Use synchronous switching controlled 500-kV single interrupter circuit breakers to eliminate grading capacitors and other
breakers components degradation during frequent 500-kV shunt reactors switching.
Use advanced circuit switchers with transient recovery voltage (TRV) mitigation technologies for large shunt reactors and shunt
capacitors daily switching requirements.
Forward simulation results of required chopping numbers and expected TRV during 500-kV shunt reactor switching to the
circuit breakers manufacturer for conrmation and equipment selection.
Require the installation of high-energy dissipation surge arresters at 500-kV and 230-kV terminals on all transformers, shunt
reactors, line-side circuit breakers and shunt capacitor banks.
Energize substation autotransformer banks from the low side with shunt capacitors and reactors off-line to reduce excessive
temporary overvoltages.
Avoid simultaneous energizing of 500-kV transmission lines and autotransformer banks to limit excessive duties applied to
surge arresters as a result of temporary overvoltages.
Upgrade limited-frequency-response capacitive voltage transformers with harmonic monitoring units, which allow measure-
ment up to the 50th harmonic (3,000 Hz).
Use only the IEEE 693 seismic standard qualied substation equipment and apparatus with composite insulators and bushings.
Coordinate with developers, major customers and neighboring utilities to identify the source of high-voltage harmonic
distortion and develop corrective measures.
Specify gas-insulated instrument and station service explosion-proof transformers at critical system locations.
A 500-kV SSVT supplies auxiliary power for the wind farm interconnection switchyard.
GRIDUpgrade
the emission level of an individual PV inverter
satisfy the power-quality (PQ) standards. Har-
monics also can be an issue for the transmission
and collection substations because of numerous
switching capacitors at collector substations,
shunt reactors at transmission substations and
the existence of background harmonic distor-
tions on the transmission network.
Constantly changing system frequency re-
sponse characteristics may create resonance
as more capacitors, reactors and underground
cables are installed. This subsequent dangerous
equipment stress could have a more signifcant
impact than the injection of harmonics from the
renewable generation themselves. Short-circuit
interruption is often thought of as the most se-
vere duty for circuit breakers. However, many in-
terrupter technologies use the energy in the arc
to generate the pressure necessary to interrupt
high magnitude currents.
In contrast, capacitive and small inductive currents are
quite low in magnitude compared to short-circuit currents.
These small currents do not stress the thermal capabilities of
the interrupter but may challenge the dielectric capabilities.
The circuit breaker and its components may not be capable of
withstanding the high magnitude of transient recovery voltage
(TRV) across the breaker contacts. This can result in re-igni-
tion and re-strikes with the possible consequences of breaker
and connected high-voltage equipment damage.
Electrical failures of circuit breakers associated with ca-
pacitor and reactor switching, even with modern gas-insulated
substation design and zero-crossing control, are perhaps the
most common electrical failures at SDG&E substations.
The series compensation connected with the inductance of
a transmission line can form a series resonant circuit with the
natural frequency in the sub-synchronous resonance (SSR)
range with the possible interaction of a natural frequency
with the shaft mechanical system of nearby induction genera-
tors. Sub-synchronous control interaction (SSCI) also can be
induced between a wind-generation power plant and series-
compensated lines. Bigger swing currents, less mechanical
inertia and low damping oscillations may drastically increase
the energy dissipation requirements to substation equipment
surge arresters and the maximum TRV magnitude for trans-
mission line breakers.
Understanding the New Environment
To address these unique system conditions, SDG&E en-
gineering initiated an integrated approach to better under-
stand the new electrical environment and develop solutions to
prevent substation equipment overstress conditions. This ap-
proach includes modeling detailed substation topologies and
equipment confgurations, monitoring voltage and existing
harmonic distortion at the major 230/500-kV interconnection
points, extending condition-based maintenance deployment
to collector switchyards, and incorporating harmonic and
transient alleviation technologies to reduce the possibility of
substation equipment degradation and failures.
SDG&E has traditionally monitored distribution system
PQ by establishing PQ nodes at select distribution substations.
In late 2000, SDG&E deployed a PQ data management system
that provides a web-based interface to a large database, which
stores collected records. PQ data collection from transmission
substations at that time was not in issue and was not installed.
As a result of the RER integration onto the transmission
system, the existing distribution PQ data management system
has been expanded to accommodate the new stream of the
transmission systems PQ data. The data has been collected by
substation meters with PQ measuring ability, strategically lo-
cated at major RER interconnections. The data shows the level
of total harmonic distortions recorded at SDG&E 230/500-kV
substation buses during the last few years. This data has been
analyzed and used as a benchmark in the comprehensive elec-
tromagnetic transient (EMT) studies and forwarded to devel-
opers for equipment selection and specifcation.
Electromagnetic Transient Analysis
The SDG&E transmission network EMT model has been
upgraded with detailed simulations of PV inverters, wind
turbine generators and collector substation confgurations
based on the information provided by manufacturers and de-
velopers. The frequency scan, L-C interaction and resonance
overvoltage screening simulations have been included in the
insulation coordination studies, in addition to the traditional
lightning and switching analyses.
Additionally, an examination was completed on individual
harmonic impacts on the surge arresters energy dissipation,
500-kV series capacitor banks MOV duty ratings, 500-kV
shunt reactors circuit breaker TRV and transformer satura-
tions. Corresponding power fow studies were conducted, and
the conclusion was that additional volt-ampere reactive and
voltage-control devices with specifc inertia and transient
The 230-kV collector switchyard was built in Imperial County to interconnect multiple
solar PV farms into SDG&Es system.
GRIDUpgrade
response parameters are required to
provide voltage control and stability of
the SDG&E power grid.
PSCAD software simulation results,
which show TRV requirements for circuit
breakers switching 500-kV shunt reac-
tors, have been sent to the breaker manu-
facturer to verify breaker performance.
Looking to the Future
Current knowledge is still insuffcient
to ascertain the extent to which any new
renewable generation will affect voltage
and current power quality, or how the
existing transmission grid can sustain a
particular level of harmonics and con-
tinue to perform its function reliably.
However, a signifcant experience has
already been accumulated and is avail-
able to analyze current and predict fu-
ture transmission system evolution and
improvements.
Dr. Yakov Shlemenzon (yshlemenzon
@semprautilities.com) is a principal
engineer of the substation apparatus
and standards group at San Diego Gas
& Electric Co., focusing on innovative
technologies application in electrical
substations. He has more than 30 years of
electric power engineering experience in
transmission and distribution system de-
sign and analysis. He is a senior member
of the IEEE, a member of CIGR and a
registered professional engineer.
Karl Iliev (kiliev@semprautilities.com) has
worked at San Diego Gas & Electric for
more than 13 years in both transmission
and distribution in roles ranging from
planning to engineering to operations. He
is currently the manager of substation
engineering and design, where he
coordinates with operational depart-
ments to improve short- and long-term
system performance through substation
design. Iliev has a bachelors degree in
electrical and electronic engineering,
with a concentration in power systems
and a minor in physics, from California
State University of Sacramento. He is a
registered professional engineer.
Company mentioned:
San Diego Gas & Electric
www.sdge.com
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ROWManagement
Effective UVM Through
Application Software
Union Power sorts out the ever-changing utility
vegetation management puzzle by using new
software to rene cost analysis, decision-making
and target establishment.
By Wil Ortiz, Union Power Cooperative
A
s in other areas of the United States, North Caro-
linas weather patterns in recent years have been
outside what is considered normal and have tested
electrical systems. For North Carolina-based Union
Power Cooperative, the unprecedented amount of rain in the
Southeast in 2013 and into 2014 has had a direct, negative im-
pact on the amount of regrowth experienced along its rights-
of-way. Much of the vegetation trimmed in 2012 has grown
back to 2012 pre-trim distances; some areas have experienced
12 ft to 15 ft (3.6 m to 4.6 m) of regrowth.
In such cases, it can be diffcult to decide exactly how to
proceed. Should the utility move forward with the new set of
trimming as scheduled or look back to what has
been completed but is now at a stage that could cre-
ate problems?
To help with making decisions like this, Union
Power adopted a new tool less than a year ago that
provides the data intelligence needed to manage its
vegetation management program more effectively.
Challenge Becomes Opportunity
Vegetation management along the rights-of-way
including maintenance of vegetation outside of
the rights-of-way to prevent it from making contact
or falling onto transmission and distribution elec-
trical lines and equipment is, by its very nature,
a complex adaptive process. Managers tasked with
keeping electrical systems intact and in good work-
ing order are constantly juggling a myriad of inter-
nal and external conditions that directly impact
reliability.
Like most vegetation managers at cooperatives
across the country, Union Power is faced with a vari-
ety of factors that affect its operations. Examples of
internal conditions include budgetary mandates,
safety numbers and management-imposed goals
such as improvements to the reliability indicators
of the system average interruption duration index
(SAIDI), system average interruption frequency
index (SAIFI) and customer average interruption
duration index (CAIDI).
In the realm of external conditions, examples
include weather patterns, inherent challenges in
Arborcision measures a complex adaptive system that acknowledges that manag-
ing a UVM program is not the same as managing a forest. Socio-economic data,
weather, geography and system legacy are essential to understanding the un-
derlying dynamics and nding the correct solution required by complex adaptive
systems.
ROWManagement
demographics, regional affuent zones, governmental and
state mandates, availability of vendors with established work-
forces and regional access limitations. The old adage of do-
ing more with less whether in the form of funds, time or
resources is a real challenge in this line of work.
For Union Power, this especially has rung true, but the co-
operative identifed the challenge as an opportunity. Until re-
cently, its utility vegetation management (UVM) team relied
on available data as effectively as they could but still encoun-
tered trials with managing vegetation. However, with the help
of a new tool, the cooperative is turning that juggling act into
a more balanced responsibility.
Application Drives Action
Driven by its mission to provide safe and reliable power
with exceptional value, Union Power began using Arborcision
from ACRT Inc. The service-as-a-software (SaaS) application
provides valuable intelligence that helps Union Powers UVM
team determine better ways to manage systems and circuits,
helping to drive more effective decisions with spending while
Arborcision Powers Insight
Utility vegetation management (UVM) is a complex adaptive system that requires complex adaptive solutions. Arborcision
arms the UVM manager with drillable intelligence, workload identication and operational insight to manage this complexity.
Provided as a software-as-a-service management tool, it uses a statistically representative sample collection and proprietary
processes to provide clear, accurate intelligence about a UVM program.
Intelligence for the UVM Program of Tomorrow
Arborcision provides a new way of managing UVM programs. Managers will no longer have to base program management on
the past state of the system. Now, the future state of the system is on the screen. Clear, measurable tracking of progress, high-risk
circuits and budget needs are just a click away:
Determine the future state
of circuits and overall system
Identify areas at risk of class
jumping and their potential costs
Gain a comprehensive view of
major system cost drivers
Develop proactive plans that use
accurate quantitative data
Evaluate contracting methods
and view their nancial impact
Assess work crews on the system
for efciency and value
Report forecasted savings with
the data to justify decisions
Determine the systems ESD to
show cost benets
Software-as-a-service format
means no software to load, just
log in.
Built by Industry Leaders
Arborcision was conceptualized and developed by Richard Jackson, CEO and cofounder of Global ThinkTank Institute, LLC and
its Arbor Intelligence subsidiary. It emerged from more than 10 years of collaborative work, research and renement with ACRT Inc.,
which was aimed at providing powerful solutions for the utility industry from the people who understand it best.
Efciency Savings Dividends (ESD) is the new return on investment stratied, complex yet easy
to track. In this example, prioritized workloads (circuits) are visualized to see the mitigated costs
utilities can save from future expense. Arborcision, as a complex adaptive system, doesnt rely
on past data or snapshots to manage the system; rather, it looks forward by prioritizing the work-
load. Circuit BBC, if prioritized in the workload rst, will provide $287,107 in ESD or cost savings
from the budget. More than looking simply at return on investment, Arborcision looks at how the
best use of resources will generate enduring savings and efciency.
ROWManagement
Cost is the king of metrics when it comes to reliability. A low-cost system
means that nothing is close to the line. Its a simple rule, but research
shows that reliability is inversely proportional to the cost to trim the
work. Arborcision works by reducing costs rst; an increase in reliability
has been a natural outcome of cost reduction. Arborcision helps answer
the question, Are we doing enough to improve the system?
improving overall reliability. Arborcision empowers the coop-
eratives UVM leaders with the ability to make more informed
decisions, because it provides the entire gamut of data intelli-
gence necessary to effectively manage the program in an easy-
to-use, comprehensible format.
The new tool incorporates targeted, utility-specifc data
to succinctly delineate a course of action for improvement. It
also incorporates comparisons against other utilities of simi-
lar composition, referred to as cohorts. By combining real-life
circuit samplings and proven algorithms, Arborcision pro-
vides Union Power powerful insights into its vegetation man-
agement program and shows how it compares to others. The
information offers a real-time snapshot that tells where the
cooperative is headed and what improvements can be made.
Additionally, the SaaS application is updated regularly and
has been tested thoroughly in real-life scenarios to ensure
maximum functionality and beneft to users.
The insights offered through Arborcision are unprecedent-
ed and have helped make a positive impact on the coopera-
tives UVM program in a short time. Union Power expects the
new tool will guide its UVM decisions for years to come.
Data Shows Progress
According to recent data offered through Arborcision,
Union Power is in the 33% range. This indicates the coopera-
tive is performing in an average manner but is moving in the
right direction toward additional improvements and greater
reliability. Union Power, in a cohort of a half dozen of its peers,
is focusing on the right circuits.
Arborcision also notes Union Powers effciency savings div-
idend (ESD), which helps to determine future improvements
that can be made to the system by indicating what future costs
in the current cycle are avoided by trimming a circuit
this year rather than deferring until later in the cycle. The
ESD already has helped Union Power to be more successful
in managing its overall program by offering reliable data that
can be presented to the board of directors and others who ap-
prove spending.
In a perfect world, once a cyclic program is established, it
would merely require a repeat of the pattern over and over
ad infnitum. Union Power has learned, time and time again,
that the complex adaptive nature of conditions encountered
in vegetation management make the projected cycle a moving
target. Weather infuences have presented the greatest impact
to the work that can be scheduled, completed and afforded,
and the greatest focus often was a stressful time-consuming
and concerted effort to identify the objects that would end up
having the least negative impact on system reliability.
Implementation Yields Value
Union Power now proactively identifes and prioritizes
workloads, analyzes costs, enhances system UVM, improves
reliability, manages risk and makes more effective decisions.
In effect, Arborcision has helped the cooperative to obtain the
ROWManagement
ACRT | www.acrtinc.com
Union Power | www.union-power.com
greatest value for the money spent. For UVM managers who
need to request additional funding to keep lines up and veg-
etation out of the way, it provides supporting data in a visually
simplistic manner that identifes areas to target as well as the
potential cost of doing nothing at all.
Requiring little upfront work from Union Power, Arborci-
sion maximizes feld data collected by ACRTs expert foresters
by analyzing it to build a comprehensive system management
plan to enable the cooperative to determine cost drivers and
the future state of circuits, as well as the overall system; iden-
tify areas at risk of class jumping and their potential costs;
develop proactive plans that use accurate quantitative data;
evaluate contracting methods and their fnancial impact; and
assess work crews for effciency and value.
To perform ones own statistically sound, sampling data-
gathering effort could cost tens of thousands of dollars for
even a small cooperative, but this would only allow the oppor-
tunity to generate a priority list for scheduling and some basic
statistical analysis. Arborcision provides tenfold the informa-
tion and presents it in an easy-to-understand format. It offers
concise and clear intelligence that aids in decision-making
processes, allowing UVM managers to choose which circuits
to focus on and segments to target. At a quick glance, it pro-
vides information on steps that can have the most impact on
reliability. This helps the UVM managers to work smarter and
cooperatives to serve their members better.
The standard belief is clear to the ground and leave the growth until
just before it touches the wire, with the assumption that this will be
the cheapest cost to trim because the cost to trim is divided by the
longest number of budget years. However, evidence does not sup-
port this. Class jumping, or size change, prior to trimming is a critical
cost component of UVM programs. With Arborcision, the composi-
tion of the workload is leveraged to mitigate vegetation jumping to
higher classes.
Although Union Power has only used its insights and intelli-
gence for less than a year, Arborcision has already proven to be
a critical component of the cooperatives right-of-way manage-
ment program. The data has been invaluable to decision mak-
ing, cost analysis and the establishment of targets. The tool is
already well established at the cooperative as an integral piece
of the ever-changing UVM puzzle.
Wil Ortiz (Wil.Ortiz@union-power.com) is manager of vegeta-
tion management for Union Power Cooperative. Ortizs duties
extend beyond the rights-of-way to maintenance of vegetation
around underground equipment and substations, as well as
upkeep of cooperative-owned facilities. He has a bachelors
degree in resources management/forestry from the State
University of New York at Syracuse. He also is an active mem-
ber of the International Society of Arboriculture and the North
Carolina Urban Forest Council.
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DISTRIBUTEDGeneration
Network Responds
to Distributed Resources
Chinas medium-voltage distribution network
advances to accommodate a variety
of distributed energy resources.
By Fan Yang, Hangzhou Power Supply Co., and Dr. Ming-Tian Fan, China Electric Power Research Institute
S
mart grid technologies in China are now developing
rapidly. Power fow on medium-voltage (MV) and
low-voltage (LV) networks is bidirectional as a result
of the integration of wind, solar, electric vehicles and
other distributed energy resources (DERs). Therefore, tradi-
tional distribution network planning faces substantial chal-
lenges and must incorporate new techniques. Considerable
uncertainty exists in load forecasting, planning and operation
of distribution networks following the integration of DERs.
Research predicts that DERs will capture about 30% of the
energy market in China by 2030. If this prediction material-
izes, it will create a signifcant change in the energy market. To
support this huge transition, it is important to develop an un-
derstanding of how DERs work with existing power networks.
To satisfy this major transition before investment decisions
are made, it is necessary to consider the siting and capacity of
DERs together with network reliability to evaluate the impact
of the DERs under different network conditions. Benchmarks
for this integration have been established in America and Eu-
rope, but these are not applicable to the existing distribution
networks in China, where the China Electric Power Research
Institute (CEPRI) has addressed the lack of basic research.
Topology of the Benchmark System
The new benchmark is based on several physical networks
in China, including some that already have distribution net-
works with DER integration. A typical distribution network
comprises a 110/10-kV substation equipped with two 40-MVA
transformers that supply seven 10-kV distribution circuits, fve
overhead feeders and two underground circuits with a total
capacity of 60 MVA.
One of the overhead line feeders represents a circuit sup-
plying a low load density rural area with the remaining four
overhead line feeders supplying urban areas with a medium
load density. The two 10-kV underground cable feeders repre-
sent the circuits that supply the urban/city center, which has a
high load density.
The cost of each asset is determined on a two-part cost ba-
sis: fxed and variable. The fxed cost includes the capital cost
of the assets, labor costs, fxed operating costs and ownership
costs, while the variable cost includes the annual power losses
based on the annual load demand.
Data Required
As a frst step in developing a benchmark, the character-
The ac power distribution cabinets in the CEPRI laboratory. Control room for the ac and dc microgrids in the CEPRI laboratory.
istics of each overhead line and underground cable must be
identifed for the length of the network between each node.
The circuit parameters in terms of the unit resistance and re-
actance values are required for each network section between
nodes, together with the assigned maximum current rating
for the asset. For the benchmark system, it is then necessary
to evaluate the economical loading for each size of conductor
based on capital and loss costs.
Collectively, these circuit parameters provide the key data
to determine the load-transfer capability of each section of
the network in terms of the economic rating and maximum
thermal rating (in practice, the thermal rating is considerably
higher than the economic rating):
Asset parameters. To comply with the N-1 system security
standard, the peak load on a two-quantity 40-MVA, 110/10-kV
substation should not exceed 150% of the single transformer
DER
integration
Quality
Overload
problem
Static
voltage
stability
Transient
voltage
stability
Voltage
regulation
Voltage
icker
Voltage
unbalance
Harmonic
distortion
and DC
injection
Static
stability
Transient
stability
Over
voltage
Over
voltage
Ferro-
resonance
Coordinate with
relay protector
equipment
Short-circuit
current
Voltage
stability
Line power
ow
Power quality
System
stability
Transformer
connection and
grounding method
Capacity
Technical considerations associated with renewable and DER integration.
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capacity, that is, 60 MVA. The network power factor (pf) is
a variable because of residential loads having a pf=0.85 and
commercial/industrial loads having a pf=0.95.
Network load coincidence factor. On an actual distribution
network, the load behavior is dominated by coincidence be-
cause the peak loads on the various sections of the network
do not occur simultaneously. To take this into account when
evaluating the network peak load, a coincidence factor of 0.75
is used.
MV benchmark voltage levels. The nominal base voltage of
the MV benchmark network needs to accommodate various
network voltages that can vary from 6 kV to 12.47 kV. In prac-
tice, the HV/MV transformers installed are equipped with
automatic on-load tap-changers that offer a tapping range of
5% in 2.5% incremental steps on the primary side and 10%
in 1.25% incremental steps on the secondary side.
Model Network Application
Daily profles of the loads and power factors for the resi-
dential, commercial and industrial customers connected
to each node on the MV benchmark distribution network
were based on simulations using the commercially available
0 4 8 12 16 20 24
Time (hour)
P
o
w
e
r

(
p
e
r

u
n
i
t
)
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
Residential
Commercial
Residential and commercial/industrial load prole.
Maintenance personnel inspect the photovoltaic control system
from Project 2 at Hangzhou East railway station.
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PSD-BPATM program developed by the
power system department of CEPRI based
on the BPA program. For the model, stan-
dard network conductors and cable sizes
were used, with cross-sectional areas of
185-sq mm (0.29-inch) overhead line con-
ductors and 300-sq mm (0.47-inch) under-
ground cables.
Details of the DERs
Distributed sources in the form of gen-
eration and storage units were added at
various nodes on the MV benchmark dis-
tribution network. The PV and wind tur-
bine units were implemented as stochastic
outputs, and the fuel cells and combined
heat and power (CHP) units were imple-
mented as deterministic generation.
During the frst test simulation, only
one wind turbine with a rated power
output of 1,500 kW was connected to the
network. The wind resource integration
through the whole simulation period was quite good.
The second test simulation applied the collective power
output from the PV units connected to the model network.
This feature of the generation group is the limited availability
infuenced by the hours of sunlight.
The third test simulation is a summation of the battery sys-
tem outputs connected to the benchmark network. The state
of the batteries was adjusted by a control system that either
charged the battery or injected energy into the network. The
Medium-Voltage Model Network Load and Power Factor Parameters
Node Residential Customers Commercial/Industrial Customers
Apparent
(kVA)
Power
factor
MV/LV distribution
transformers (kVA)
Apparent
(kVA)
Power
factor
MV/LV distribution
transformers (kVA)
1 320 0.85 2x315 150 0.95 1x315
2 215 0.85 1x315 0 0
3 580 0.85 2x500 660 0.95 2x630
4 570 0.85 2x500 0 0
5 700 0.85 2x630 510 0.95 2x500
6 600 0.85 2x500 500 0.95 2x500
7 0 0 900 0.95 2x630
8 830 0.85 2x630 0 0
9 215 0.85 1x500 570 0.95 2x500
10 600 0.85 2x500 80 0.95 1x200
11 750 0.85 1x500, 1x630 350 0.95 1x500
12 500 0.85 2x500 850 0.95 2x630
13 550 0.85 2x500 400 0.95 2x315
14 450 0.85 2x315 1,280 0.95 2x500, 1x630
15 350 0.85 1x630 970 0.95 2x630
operation of the battery can be controlled in many ways de-
pending on the desired objective. For example, it can be used
for peak shaving/lopping during peak loads or to avoid the
need for DER output limitation in case of bottlenecks in the
tie line, which can occur during periods of low demand and
high generation.
The fourth test simulation used a summation of the out-
puts from fuel cells. There were points where the electrical
demand on the network exceeded the local generation. The
-0.02
-0.01
0.00
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0 4 8 12 16 20 24
P
o
w
e
r

(
M
W
)
Active power output of fuel cell
0.0
0.2
0.4
0 4 8 12 16 20 24
Active power output of CHP diesel
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0 4 8 12 16 20 24
P
o
w
e
r

(
M
W
)
Active power output of photovoltaic
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
0 4 8 12 16 20 24
P
o
w
e
r

(
M
W
)
Active power output of battery
Hours in a day
Hours in a day
Hours in a day Hours in a day
P
o
w
e
r

(
M
W
)
Active power output characteristics of different forms of DER generation.
simulation of the results for the diesel CHP showed the opera-
tion is more fexible than the fuel cell, as it can be switched off
and on faster. Thus, the diesel CHP can be quickly dispatched
if there is a peak load on the network.
As a result of the integration of DERs on a long rural over-
head line, a substantial improvement in voltage regulation was
confrmed. However, the introduction of DERs on urban feed-
ers can give rise to a reduction in active power and, at times
of low loads, reversed power fow because of the energy gen-
erated by the DERs. In these circumstances, new protection
schemes are required.
Network Operating Experience
Two pilot projects have been installed in accordance with
CEPRIs specifcation to compare the theoretical studies with
on-site performance of different forms of DERs:
Project 1: A new energy cogeneration system was installed
in East Zhejiang province in 2013. The MV network now in-
cludes energy infeeds from a 1.5-MW wind turbine, a 100-kW
PV unit, a diesel generator and a small energy storage unit.
DERs Connected to the Model Network
Node Type of DER Maximum power output (kW)
2 Photovoltaic 30
3 Wind turbine 1,500
5 Photovoltaic 30
6 Photovoltaic 30
6 Fuel cell 30
8 Photovoltaic 30
9 Photovoltaic 30
9 Battery 200
9 Fuel cell 250
12 Photovoltaic 30
13 Battery 600
13 Fuel cell 20
13 Photovoltaic 30
15 CHP diesel 300
15 Photovoltaic 30
15 Fuel cell 20
The installed 10-MW photovoltaic system from Project 2 at Hangzhou
East railway station.
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relatively low availability from all forms of distributed genera-
tion, the capacity of the energy storage system should be in
the range of 50% to 100% of the installed capacity of the dis-
tributed generation. Ideally, the overall life cycle costs of the
distributed generation and energy storage system should be
evaluated and compared for each proposed project.
Network reliability analysis: On receipt of information on
the capacity, access facilities, estimated failure rates and other
technical parameters must be obtained from the developers of
DER installations. The utility should then undertake network
reliability studies prior to connection to ensure, when con-
nected to the network, the DER instal-
lation has no detrimental impact on the
reliability of the existing network.
Bidirectional power fows: The integra-
tion of DER has introduced bidirectional
power fows on MV and LV networks;
therefore, it is necessary to study the pro-
tection systems and techniques required
for active distribution networks.
Fan Yang (yangfan043@163.com) received
a bachelors degree in electric power engi-
neering from China Agriculture University
in 2008 and a masters degree from CEPRI
in 2011. He is an electrical engineer with
Hangzhou Power Supply Co., where his
special elds of interest include distribu-
tion system planning and network analysis.
Dr. Ming-Tian Fan (mtfan@epri.sgcc.com.
cn) received a bachelors degree from
South China University of Technology, a
masters degree from CEPRI and a Ph.D.
degree from Tsinghua University in 1996.
Her special elds of interest include power
system planning and network analysis.
Project 2: In 2013, a PV system with a peak design capac-
ity of 10 MW was installed at Hangzhou East railway station.
This installation has an estimated 1,752 sunshine hours per
annum, an overall effciency of 77% and an annual output of
1107 kWh. Interconnection to the 10-kV network is through a
4-km (2.5-mile) length of LGJ-400 model 10-kV underground
cable.
These projects were subject to the following specifcations:
Reactive power: The power factor at 10 kV must be no less
than 0.98 (leading or lagging) when the active power exceeds
50% rating and no less than 0.95 (leading or lagging) when
the active power is between a 25% to 50% rating.
System protection: Provide directional current protection on
the 10-kV substation outfeed and the PV system. Fault discon-
nection facilities must be on both sides of the grid-connected
circuit breaker, with the low-voltage disconnection facility be-
ing equipped with short-circuit current estimation and an ac
voltage circuit breaker blocking relay.
Anti-islanding protection: This must be installed on PV
systems.
Issues for Further Study
The results from the two MV network projects with DER
integration has highlighted some technical issues that require
further study:
Integration storage system analysis: To compensate for the
Company mentioned:
CEPRI | http://www.epri.sgcc.com.cn
A 1.5-MW wind turbine from Project 1 in East Zhejiang province.
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Smart Tensiometer
With Southwires Smart Tensiometer, electrical
contractors can now obtain rope tension,
pulling speed, pull distance and sidewall
pressure data via a wireless connection,
which will allow contractors to save
pulling data to onboard memory,
create reports and send information
immediately.
Using wireless technology, pulling data
can be streamed directly to computers, smart phones and tablets for viewing in graph
format, thus enabling contractors to analyze data in real time, either on the unit display
or the contractors wireless device. The new Southwire Smart Tensiometer will also
enable contractors to use pull data to generate reports that include automatic date
and time stamps. The information can then be emailed as a PDF or Excel le. Unlike
other running line tension meters, the new Southwire Smart Tensiometer display unit
can automatically store up to 16 GB of data. The Southwire Smart Tensiometer also
boasts a USB port on the display unit, which will enable contractors to easily upload
data onto a ash drive.
The Tensiometers display unit and load sensing unit pair wirelessly and
automatically. The load sensing unit has been designed to attach to any MAXIS cable
puller in less than a minute through the use of hitch pins, and the unit is calibrated up
to 10,000 lb ( 4,536 kg) with most pulling rope sizes. Using the display units features,
contractors can name each pull, input the parameters of the pull, enter rope size and
set the tension limit. In addition, the display unit will ash an alert if the maximum
tension is about to be exceeded.
Southwire | southwiretools.com
Seamless On Screen Estimating
Fully integrated with the companys estimating software, On Screen Estimating
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new way to perform handy, speedy and smart take-offs from digital drawings.
Point-and-click take-offs now directly feed into all versions of McCormicks
estimating software. Estimators can perform the take-off with the new OSE Pro
software and the estimating software both open at the same time. File types that
can be imported into OSE Pro include PDF, TIFF, BMP, JPEG, PNG, WMF and others.
The companys CAD estimating product is tailored to help contractors who get CAD
drawings (DWG les).
McCormick Systems | www.mccormicksys.com
CMC Test Set
OMICRONs three-phase test set with adjustable voltage, current and frequency
makes it possible to test all protective elements used in modern distribution
automation systems. In addition, the ability to synchronize multiple test sets using GPS
signals allows end-to-end testing required for verication of automatic restoration
schemes.
With OMICRONs line of CMC test sets and an array of test cables precongured
for reclosers, test setup becomes a trivial matter. There are also
several options available for controlling the tests. Re-usable test
plans in the new Test Universe 3.0 are
pre-made and with little setup will
perform very thorough testing in a
matter of minutes. The CMControl-R is
a touch-screen interface for the CMC
with dedicated tools to make manual
recloser testing quite simple while
auto-generation of reports save even more time. Finally, Relay Sim Test is a brand new
way to easily control many CMCs to recreate complex system events.
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Grounding Clamp
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BURNDYs new
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Built upon 3Ms eld-proven QS-III
cold-shrink splice body, the new cold-
shrink QS4 integrated splice is specically
designed to meet IEEE standards. New
features include an integrated design
that reduces parking space and simplies
installation; an easy-pulling, smooth-
edged yellow core; and a new, craft-
friendly re-jacketing tube that eliminates
additional core and the need for messy
grease. A customizable, factory-installed
ground braid and fewer components
further reduce eld prep time.
Each splice is tested for partial
discharge and 1-minute AC withstand in
the 3M factory before it is shipped. The
new splice kits are available for 15-kV,
25/28-kV and 35-kV jacketed concentric
neutral, at strap neutral, tape shield and
LC shield cables, and cover conductor
ranges up to 1,000 kcmil (500 mm
2
).
3M Electrical Markets Division
www.3M.com
May 2014 | www.tdworld.com 66 66
PRODUCTS&Services
Battery-Free Smart Grid Sensor
Tollgrade Communications Inc. announces its
LightHouse Medium-Voltage Power Sensor, an
all-in-one line sensor for monitoring voltage and
current that requires no calibration, batteries or
additional pole-mounted equipment.
This hot-stick-deployable, inductively
powered voltage sensor measures voltage with
a 0.5% accuracy, which makes applications like
conservation voltage reduction or Volt/VAR
optimization a more affordable reality for all
utilities. Tollgrades new line sensor is a rugged
solution that is easy to install and requires no
maintenance compared to alternatives, resulting
in additional savings for the utility. Once deployed
by a hot stick, a simple ground wire is connected to the neutral and the installation is
complete. The work is far less labor intensive and can be completed by one crew.
Tollgrade Communications Inc. | www.tollgrade.com
15-kV Insulation Testers
In response to the growing recognition of
the benets of 15-kV dc insulation testing,
Megger releases two new instruments with
15-kV testing capabilities the MIT1525
and the S1-1568. Optimized for the industrial
and OEM sectors, the MIT1525 provides
insulation resistance measurement up to
30 T with 3 mA noise rejection, while
the S1-1568, designed for use by utilities,
offers 8 mA noise rejection with resistance
measurement to 35 T and enhanced
software ltering to deliver dependable
results in even the most severe of electrical environments. Both instruments can
operate from internal rechargeable batteries as well as from AC supplies.
All terminals of the MIT1525 have a CAT IV 600-V safety rating at altitudes up to
4,000 m (13,123 ft), while all terminals of the S1-1568 have a CAT IV 1,000-V safety rating
at altitudes up to 4,000 m. In addition, the test leads supplied with the new instruments
feature insulated clips that are specically designed for 15-kV creepage paths. The S1-
1568 offers remote control via a fully isolated USB port. Stored results can be recalled
to the display, downloaded via a Bluetooth wireless link or accessed via the USB port.
Megger | www.megger.com
Technology Platform with PLC
Paradox Engineering SA has extended its IPv6/6loWPAN technology platform with
power line communications (PLC). The companys PE.AMI PLC Node is a new hardware
component for smart lighting and smart city infrastructures, seamlessly combining
wireless and PLC in a single device and leveraging the same IPv6/6LoWPAN network.
PE.AMI solution consists of hardware (nodes, repeaters and gateways) and software
components to implement a wireless full mesh self-conguring and self-healing
network, allowing the bidirectional transmission of data from/to any kind of new or
existing data-generation device, therefore enabling smart data collection and smart
management of urban services. The new PE.AMI PLC Node represents a further
development of PE.AMI platform as it adds seamless PLC capabilities to the existing
wireless network technologies. While still managing RF transmission, the hybrid node
can interface power lines and transfer data over the grid to reach groups of endpoints
where RF transmission might not represent the preferable way to reach the object to
connect. The PE.AMI PLC Node can complement wireless communications in smart
city applications where PLC technologies are used, including smart lighting, electric
metering, remote control and load management.
A benet for customers is the opportunity to trust a unied communications
platform for all architectures where wireless connectivity may be less appropriate
or PLC may not be enough. Clients and municipalities do not have choose between
wired and wireless networks, but get the benet of both technologies in an integrated
platform and a single component.
Paradox Engineering SA | www.pdxeng.ch
Vegetation Management
Estimating Solution
Lewis Tree Services new tablet-based
job-estimating technology is part of
the companys Intelligent Vegetation
Management strategy of bringing
end-to-end automation to all aspects
of a utilitys vegetation management
operations.
The system uses GIS data along with
aerial imagery to guide the estimating
process of Lewis teams as they evaluate
specic circuits for bidding and
proposals. The proprietary solution,
which includes a web-based pricing
application to augment the collection of
the tablet data, was developed for Lewis
by Clearion Software. After piloting the
system on RFP responses for multiple
investor-owned utilities and cooperatives,
the company rolled it out for wide-scale
use by Lewis eld operations personnel.
Instead of using paper maps supplied
by utilities and manual methods of
developing cost estimates, Lewis teams
can now work directly with a utilitys GIS
data in a secure environment to produce
highly accurate results.
Lewis Tree Service
www.lewistree.com
Laser Distancing Meters
Hi-Line Utility Supply introduces
new laser distancing meters to help
eld professionals measure distance,
inclination, height or azimuth. These
distance units feature an in-scope
data display, power magnication and
adjustable eye relief and LCD Focus,
and ranges are up to 2,000 m (6,562 ft)
for reective targets and 1,000 m
(3,281 ft) on nonreective targets. The
meters feature Bluetooth capabilities
and GPS on select units that makes it
easier to obtain and record data, fast and
efciently.
Hi-Line Utility Supply
www.hilineco.com
www.tdworld.com | May 2014 67
PRODUCTS&Services
Docking Station Smart Switch Monitoring System
Solon Manufacturing Co.s 2TC Smart Switch
Monitoring System integrates electronic gas
monitoring and network manageability
while incorporating the design, reliable
gas interface, and proven protection of
its mechanical SF
6
Gas Density Switch
predecessor.
The 2TC Smart Switch interfaces with
the breaker tank and SF
6
gas using the same
leak-proof design of the 2TC standard switch.
Customer-specied, temperature-compensated
settings include ll, alarm and lockout points that
operate using mechanisms identical to the standard
switch.
The 2TC Smart Switch incorporates a sophisticated, non-contacting metrology
system and digital signal processing. Without inuencing the standard switch
operation, the 2TC Smart Switch adds a high-resolution gas-monitoring layer. The
plug-and-play design allows customers to receive an advanced network manageable
gas sensor with a proven gas density switch.
Long-term data logging, combined with advanced digital signal processing and
gas process modeling, delivers accurate, outlier-free data streams to facilitate SF
6
gas
accounting and breaker management.
The Smart Switch Hub interfaces with the customers management network and up
to three 2TC Smart Switches. This simple panel-mounted unit resides within the control
cabinet and runs directly from international line power without using an external power
converter. User-congurable digital signal processing, long-term trending and network
protocol support combine to deliver high-resolution SF
6
monitoring.
The 2TC system includes a built-in web server that enables a familiar graphical
user interface without the need to load any product-specic software onto the users
computer. Any platform using any operating system and web browser may be used to
access each 2TC Smart Switch via its IP address. Information including conguration
settings, real-time measurements and logged historical data is simply managed via the
intuitive graphical environment the product-specic web pages provide.
Solon Manufacturing Co. | www.solonmfg.com

Gamber-Johnsons Getac V110 vehicle
docking station is designed and tested
to rugged environmental standards, has
passed MIL-STD-810G shock/vibration
testing and will be crash tested to SAE
J1455 Standard. The docking station has
also gone through extensive cycle testing
on the latch and docking mechanisms.
The Getac V110 is designed to be
used in both the traditional laptop
orientation or can be mounted vertically
to accommodate the tablet orientation.
A push-button latch makes docking
and undocking the computer easy; the
keyed lock provides added security.
Forward-facing ports allow for low
mounting capability, minimal cable strain
and minimal swivel resistance. The dock
provides Ethernet, USB, Serial, VGA,
HDMI and headphone/microphone port
replication, and is available with optional
triple antenna pass-through for WWAN/
WLAN/GPS access.
Gamber-Johnson
www.gamberjohnson.com
October 2014 | www.tdworld.com 68
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Need Transformer Oil and an
Oxidation Inhibitor compound?
Top quality Shell
Diala
S2 ZX-A
Electrical/Transformer Oil, and DBPC
Antioxidant (BHT Inhibitor) can be shipped
together to almost any location nationwide.
Transformer Oils are available in drums
or bulk and the DBPC/BHT is packaged in
50kg ber drums.
The Farley Company is an Authorized
Shell
Lubricants Distributor, and we are

known for friendly and super fast service.
Call us at 330-673-8800.
Email:
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ELECTRIC SYSTEM MANAGER/ENGINEER
Ketchikan Public Utilities
Ketchikan, Alaska
$77,240-$99,487 annually DOQ plus benets
Ketchikan is located on the Southern portion of the Southeast Alaska Panhandle in the Tongass National
Forest. Having a population of approximately 14,000 residents, Ketchikan is located on Revillagigedo Island
approximately 679 air miles north of Seattle, Washington - accessible only by air or boat. Ketchikan is
known as the King Salmon Capital of the World. Our climate is mild, and we have world-class shing,
hunting, boating and scenery.
KPU is a full service municipal utility responsible for providing electric, telecommunications and water
services within the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. The Electric Division owns and operates generation
(hydroelectric and diesel), distribution and transmission facilities. The ideal candidate will have experience
in the management of hydroelectric generation and transmission infrastructure; project management;
contract administration and preparation of hydroelectric project licensing applications and post-license
compliance. A Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in
Electrical Engineering preferred.
Complete job description and
application available at
http://www.egovlink.com/ketchikan/
postings.asp?listtype=JOB
or E-mail heidib@city.ketchikan.ak.us
City of Ketchikan/Ketchikan Public Utilities
JJ+ ||urt St, Ketc|i|or, /K 999J1 ||ure ,9J/ ZZc5cJ1
POSITION OPEN UNTIL FILLED EOE/AA
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SUSAN SCHAEFER
p: 484 478 0154 f: 913 967 6417 susan.schaefer@penton.com
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Distribution Management System
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Distribution Management System
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3M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 www.3m.com
Acrt Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 www.arborcision.acrtinc.com
AFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 www.aglobal.com
Asplundh Construction Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC www.asplundh.com
Black & Veatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.bv.com
Burns & McDonnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC www.burnsmcd.com
Camlin Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 www.camlinpower.com
Cantega Technologies Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 www.cantega.com
CBS ArcSafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 www.cbsarcsafe.com
Cigre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 www.cigre-usnc.org
Communications Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 www.comnet.net
Dow Electrical & Telecommunications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 www.dow.com
Eagleview Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 www.eagleview.com
Electrical Jobs Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 www.electricaljobstoday.com
Engineering Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 www.sterlingpadlocks.com
*Fecon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64g www.fecon.com
FWT, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 www.fwtllc.com
G&W Electric Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 www.gwelec.com
GE Digital Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 www.gemoderizingthegrid.com
*General Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1a www.generalcable.com
Hastings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.hfgpgrounding.com
Hubbell Power Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 www.hubbellpowersystems.com
Krenz & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54-55 www.krenzvent.com
*Linemans Rodeo & Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64i www.linemansrodeo.com
LiveWire Innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 www.livewireinnovation.com
Mears Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 www.mears.net
Megger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 www.megger.com/us
NLMCC/NECA-IBEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 www.nlmcc.org
Nordic Fiberglass Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 www.nordicberglass.com
*Osmose Utilities Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64e www.osmoseutilities.com
Power Engineers Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 www.powereng.com
Quanta Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 www.quantaservices.com
S&C Electric Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC www.sandc.com
Sabre Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 www.sabreindustries.com
Schweitzer Engineering Labs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 www.selinc.com
*Scott Powerline & Utility Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64k www.scottpowerline.com
Seves Canada Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 www.sediver.fr
*Siemens AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1b www.siemens.com
Siemens AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 www.siemens.com/ruggedcom
Stantec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 www.stantec.com
Superior Concrete Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 www.security.concretefence.com
TDW Buyers Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 www.tdworld.com
TDW Grid Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 www.tdworld.com
TDW Vegetation Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 www.tdworld.com
Thomas & Betts Corp./Meyer Steel Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.meyersteelstructures.com
Underground Devices Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 www.udevices.com
Valard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 www.valard.com
ZTT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 www.zttcable.com
StraightTALK
Outsource Program Management. We didnt have the band-
width to dedicate suffcient staff to manage a project of this
scale, so we brought in a technical consultant who had done
this type of project deployment and knew of potential compli-
cations and how to avoid them.
Gain Staff Buy-In. The frst task was to educate and build
alignment within the utilities and city organization. We pro-
vided opportunities for members from key organizational ar-
eas including IT, operations, metering and administration to
learn, participate and expand their skills. Over several months,
the team came to better understand the project objectives and
challenges. As a result, weve had many people step up to be-
come dedicated and active partners throughout the project.
Put Customers First. Fort Collins Utilities enjoys world-class
customer-satisfaction levels, and we worked to keep those rat-
ings high throughout the project. We wanted to provide meter
options to address health and privacy concerns expressed by
a small percentage of our customers. And through the AMFC
initiative and with the associated web portal and mobile ap-
plication, our customers can access energy-use data and make
tangible decisions to control their energy use and costs.
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Utilities made
an early commitment to timely, truthful and transparent com-
munications with all internal and external stakeholders, and
we have kept that promise.
Nurture the Human Side. When a project requires pro-
longed focus and attention to detail from multiple contribu-
tors, the nature and strength of human relationships sustains
the team focus that drives excellence. Thus, we strove always
to deliver sincere, honest and timely communication; build
personal ownership and responsibility; empower staff to take
prudent risks and creatively resolve problems; develop broader
career opportunities; invest in each others success; and cel-
ebrate accomplishments
This initiative required clarity of mission, strong leader-
ship, solid project management, an expectation of collabora-
tion and superior performance. Our dedicated focus enabled
us to turn big-picture strategy into tactical reality. This inher-
ent collaboration enabled us to take a quantum leap forward
that changed the very organizational DNA of our city utility.
In fact, many project team members have cited this as a peak
experience in their professional lives.
By Steve Catanach, Fort Collins Utilities
Advanced Meter Fort Collins
W
hy do utilities launch smart meter initiatives? With
my 27 years in the industry, I can assure you that
each utility faces a unique set of circumstances that
drives behaviors. At Fort Collins Utilities (Fort Collins, Colo-
rado, U.S.), we launched our smart meter initiative so that we
could better support, inform, inspire and empower our com-
munity. And this fts within the citys broader mission of pro-
viding exceptional services for an exceptional community.
Since 2010, Fort Collins Utilities has been rewiring the
DNA of the organization with its Advanced Meter Fort Col-
lins (AMFC) initiative, with funding provided by the Ameri-
can Recovery and Reinvestment Act. At the same time, we are
creating learning and career opportunities while delivering
enhanced operational, business and customer benefts.
AMFC is comprised of many projects that span across elec-
trical and mechanical engineering, electric and water meter
installation, IT, stakeholder engagement and business process
design. While these functions are critical to project success, so
is creating a team that builds energy and fosters collaboration.
Dennis Sumner, a Fort Collins Utilities veteran and project
manager, put it this way, Early on, we set as a goal that we col-
laborate to succeed. And Fort Collins selected and coached
members to make this teaming strategy a reality.
In addition to team members within the city, we also
worked with fellow city grant partner City of Fountain. We
brought on Jim Ketchledge with the Excergy Corp. team to
assist with program management and technical support, to
set achievable goals and to assist in vendor partner selection.
With focused effort and attention to details, we put our vendor
team in place: Elster (metering and WiFi communications),
Siemens/eMeter (meter data management and web portal),
Comverge (demand response), Corix (meter deployment) and
Kubra (single sign-on authentication).
Project Success Is Built on Team
With our meter deployment at 98% complete and our web
portal go-live scheduled for June, here are key elements that
led to our successful rollout.
Dedicate Project Leadership and Management. Clear roles and
responsibilities are vital. As head of Light and Power and as
AMFC executive sponsor, my primary function is to make sure
the right people are in place on each aspect of the project.
This started with making Sumner a full-time project manag-
er and forming a small executive team with the authority to
assign appropriate staff for specifc tasks.
Steve Catanach is executive sponsor of the AMFC initiative and
the Light and Power operations manager at Fort Collins Utilities.
WEBI NARS
E n g i n e e r i n g , A r c h i t e c t u r e , C o n s t r u c t i o n , E n v i r o n me n t a l a n d C o n s u l t i n g S o l u t i o n s
January: Sustainable Design
February: Communications for the Modern Grid
March: 3-D Design
May: IEC 61850
June: Transformers
July: High-Voltage Direct Current
September: Grounding
October: Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC)
Advanced Substation Design
2014
For more information about our experience or the webinar series, go to www.burnsmcd.com/substationwebinars.
AspIundh Construction is a strategically
assembled team of engineers, former utility
executives, designers, and program and project
professionals. All of us work together to perform
superior utility infrastructure construction and
maintenance services. AspIundh Construction
is one of the safest and most responsive utility
service companies in the nation. We employ a
local workforce to perform electric and gas line
construction and maintenance, as well as site
and civil construction.
Let us show you how AspIundh Construction
can be the clear choice for your next project!
AspIundh Construction, Corp.
708 Blair Mill Road + Willow Grove, PA 19090
Toll-free: 1-877-884-5426 + acc-info@asplundh.com

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