As the term ‘Smart Grid’ has entered the mainstream, it has taken on many forms and interpretations, becoming the all-purpose utilities buzzword of the year. At the DistribuTECH conference in January, it seemed that practically every vendor in the Tampa convention center was hawking their Smart Grid wares.

 Smart Grid technology continues to evolve and change the utilities industry. From automatic meter reading (AMR) and automated vehicle location (AVL) to critical infrastructure protection and load management, Smart Grid components are providing a way for utilities to control and manage their environment, and the challenges that accompany it. These “smart” or “intelligent” devices allow utilities to enhance network performance and reliability. Combined with communications and software applications, smart devices enable utilities to improve operational responses, reducing the impact and frequencies of power outages.

However, along with all of these new, “smart” technologies comes a deluge of data, making it difficult for electric system operators to monitor and control all of these applications and information at the same time. Due to this overwhelming amount of data, utilities can greatly benefit by adopting a single, integrated user interface that provides operators with a clear, overall picture. Bringing together all data from various devices in a way that is meaningful and easy to understand significantly increases the value of a Smart Grid implementation. “Smart” or “intelligent” technologies are no good without a smart operator who is empowered to make fast, well-informed decisions.

Power threats

There is a clear need for an intelligent network environment within the utilities industry. As costs rise and infrastructure ages, the demand for reliable power is increasing. Utilities must take security threats more seriously post 9/11. A CIA analyst reported in January that cyber attackers had hacked into the computer systems of utility companies in several regions outside the United States, in at least one case causing a power outage that affected multiple cities.

Outages cost utilities money and, at the very least, create inconvenience for their customers. Outages also cost the local and national economy. In 2000, a one-hour power outage at the Chicago Board of Trade disrupted trading and prohibited nearly $20 trillion worth of trade.

Some outages cannot be prevented, such as those created by storms. For example, hurricanes, damaging winds and ice storms can leave homes and businesses without power for weeks. While storms cannot be predicted, many outages are the result of aging equipment and loading problems. In February 2008, a system disturbance in south Florida led to the loss of power to a dozen plants and 26 transmission lines, and cut power to millions of customers. A fault at a substation was the starting point for the outage.

There are also growing environmental concerns that could affect power production – whether it’s conserving water or reducing the impact to our surroundings. For example, as a result of droughts in 2007, utilities in California and the Southeast had to cut hydropower output in half.

Regardless of the cause of an outage, customers want their service restored as quickly as possible. Utilities effectively managing their network and resources are in the best position to make sound decisions and respond rapidly.

Abundance of data

Utilities must meet the obvious challenges of cost savings and operational efficiencies. Additionally, the industry is facing demands to become “carbon neutral,” incorporate renewable energy and limit or eliminate new plant construction. This compels customers and energy providers to manage power loads more effectively. Load management is the principal goal of a Smart Grid implementation.

The Smart Grid will integrate communication networks with the power grid to create a real-time view of the electric network capable of monitoring its own health at all times. The system can detect abnormal conditions and analyze the magnitude and extent of the problems.

As technology continues to evolve, various software components and meters enable more integration of the system grid. This automates many processes typically handled manually, while also allowing operators to detect and address outages and potential problems with the electric network. The capabilities of a Smart Grid expand rapidly as more devices are introduced.

Many utilities will integrate mobile workforce management (MWM) with outage management systems (OMS) and recognize immediate benefits. With the addition of distribution network applications (DNA) and a supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA), the utility has a smarter operations network. Broadband over powerline (BPL) and video/sensors are additional applications that can be implemented to give utilities a complete view across the enterprise.

Some Smart Grid capabilities include:

• Automatic meter reading, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing travel and fuel use


• Self-healing functions that support automatic adjustments in load flow and switching


• Trouble analysis reporting that can pinpoint the location and probable cause of an outage


• Mobile workforce management, giving operators the ability to “drag and drop” tasks onscreen to trucks deployed in the field


• Distribution management systems that support electric system operations

These operating tools provide utilities with massive amounts of data. However, there are often too many applications and too many sources of data for a single operator to manage. The abundance of information has the potential to create more confusion unless it is converted into intelligence that is easily understood. An easy-to-use operator console can help alleviate this problem.

Instead of monitoring the network with a SCADA system, making changes in an OMS, using AVL to locate a field resource, and calling the resource to assign a work order, operators of a truly “smart” grid should have all of this information presented to them in a single, integrated user interface. This will allow utility personnel to work more efficiently under both normal and storm conditions, as well as ensure they are using the most up-to-date, accurate information.

Bringing it all together

Smart Grid technologies include devices in the field, software applications in the operations center, and a smart communications network that enables real-time network management and monitoring. The addition of load and voltage information, video surveillance, access alarms, trouble calls and field reports can provide a complete picture of the network. However, all of this information can also overwhelm software systems and their operators.

One solution to the problem is to unify operating tools into a single command-and-control environment. In this environment, an integrated user interface gathers data from a variety of sources, converting it into alarms, events and work orders. Solutions such as the Intergraph® command-and-control environment for the Smart Grid is a means for bringing all of the data together – SCADA, OMS, MWM, distribution network applications, etc.

 The common user interface can play a vital role in improving operational response and reducing outage impacts and frequencies. Information that is easily understood enables better and faster decision making. A command-and-control environment for the Smart Grid provides real-time communications to ensure the right resources and the right equipment get to the right location at the right time. The solution can also assess storm damage and send information back to the operations center to expedite service restoration.

Benefits of an integrated environment

The integrated environment presents users with a single graphical view into the operational network. Traditionally, operators have been forced to work across multiple applications to get a complete view of their distribution system. With a console that integrates different elements of the Smart Grid, operators will no longer have to manage multiple networks and software applications.

Information and automation-enabled grid assets lead to more efficient operation and planning, better cost-to-value ratios for operation and maintenance and ultimately improved customer satisfaction via better outage management and performance. The solution allows utilities to prevent more outages, while responding more quickly and efficiently when there is a network interruption.

Operators and field crews are provided with views of the same maps, graphics and dispatch information with the integration of multiple smart grid technologies. By monitoring the entire network and field resources using a single console, operators and field personnel will experience higher productivity and increased safety.

A consolidated view of the entire network also:

• Provides the most up-to-date, accurate information


• Fuses OMS with geospatial and other data on infrastructures and assets, including transformers, utility poles, conductors, network devices, meters and other sensor data


• Provides easily visualized, actionable intelligence manifested in the form of alarms, events, work orders and other understandable activities, enabling quick detection and remediation of outages and other potential issues

“Traditionally, we have been forced to work across multiple sources of information, including paper maps, to obtain a complete view of our distribution system,” said Raymond Rauber, vice president, engineering and operations, Enersource Hydro Mississauga.

“By working with Intergraph and Siemens to develop an Integrated Operating Model (IOM) for our power grid, we will be able to work more efficiently under both normal and storm conditions, as well as ensure that we are utilizing the most up-to-date, accurate information. The IOM implementation will allow us to meet the growing energy demands of tomorrow without sacrificing the exclusive service and safety we’ve been providing for the past 90 years.”

A smarter solution

The components of a Smart Grid system provide utilities with more flexibility and increased success in meeting operational goals. Further, an easy-to-use console can maximize the benefits of a Smart Grid by making it easier to use for the multi-tasking operators who keep the power on.

Utilities can structure their Smart Grid to fit their unique requirements, realizing the greatest benefits by leveraging existing SCADA, DNA, OMS and MWM applications. Integrating software systems, communication systems and hardware systems is critical to recognizing operational improvements as utilities prepare for the future.

What will the electric utility industry look like in the future? The infrastructure will require more security, while utilities will be expected to make optimal use of their resources. Utilities will control more devices remotely. Additional customer choices and demands will require automated interaction with those customers. Utilities of the future will be expected to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Advancements in technology continue to improve the reliability of power delivery systems. New and improved software allows more coordination throughout the electricity grid. Modern grids can become more secure, more efficient, safer and less costly to maintain. The Smart Grid will play an invaluable role in helping utilities monitor the health of their networks and make better, faster, more informed decisions.

An easy-to-use console can maximize the strategic value of any Smart Grid implementation. With a single view, an operator can receive streamlined information from office personnel and field crews, as well as mapping data, system analysis and reports from various smart devices and meters. A unified command-and-control center can complete the true vision of the Smart Grid for the utility industry, which ultimately translates into providing more reliable power to customers without putting unnecessary strain on the world’s resources.

About the Author

Jay Stinson is the vice president and general manager of Intergraph’s utilities & communications and local government & transportation divisions, responsible for driving the application of Intergraph’s comprehensive suite of geospatial solutions to these specific markets. Stinson has been with Intergraph since 1982, serving in various roles including vice president of enterprise engineering solutions and vice president of professional services. He also previously worked first-hand with many of Intergraph’s most prominent utilities customers as a software developer and project manager.