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September 1, 2006
Doing More With Less, Public Power Magazine, Sep-Oct 2006
| For More Information |
Tim Blodgett
Hometown Connections
303-526-4515
tblodgett@hometownconnections.com
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Improving Operational Efficiency
Today’s electric consumers are hard to please. They assume all companies are capable of presenting information and processing orders as efficiently as eBay, Target and JetBlue. With homes full of cordless telephones, cellular chargers, large screen TVs and wireless PCs, customers react strongly to any disruptions of electric service. In this environment, municipal utilities are under pressure to offer superior service and reliability at a time when city budgets are lean and experienced employees are retiring or taking other job opportunities. Committed to improving operational efficiency, public power utilities are turning to supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and power line communications systems to be able to do more with less.
SCADA systems are used to monitor and control the utility’s distribution system. They enable utility personnel to see on a PC monitor what’s happening on the system in real time. Through a strategic partnership, Hometown Connections and Survalent Technology are helping APPA members deploy innovative SCADA systems for automated, real-time monitoring and control of facilities for electric, water and gas utilities. APPA members may purchase equipment, software and services from Survalent Technology at national group pricing arranged by Hometown Connections.
In June 2006, Longmont Power & Communications (LPC) became one of only 64 public power utilities nationwide and the first in Colorado to earn Reliable Public Power Provider™ (RP3) recognition from the American Public Power Association for providing consumers with the highest degree of reliable and safe electric service. The RP3 designation recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, training and system improvement. LPC received the “Diamond” RP3 award for meeting 100 percent of the defined program criteria. Platinum and gold designations are also awarded for meeting 90 percent or 80 percent of the program criteria. “We're pleased and proud to be recognized with this national award,” said Tom Roiniotis, LPC director. “Our mission is to provide safe, reliable, low-cost electric power, and our SCADA system from Survalent Technology is central to our success.” Since 2001, LPC has relied on a SCADA system from Survalent to help improve the reliability and performance of the utility.
With a 100% customer retention rate, Survalent has been providing SCADA solutions to utilities for over 40 years. Survalent’s SCADA master software, station controllers, service, and support help utilities worldwide gather data and control their systems. Survalent’s products and services are reliable, cost-effective and user-friendly. For under $30,000, the turnkey SmartSCADA package from Survalent provides hardware, software, project management, training and system commissioning. Benefits include:
--Malfunction warning capability avoids costly equipment repairs.
--Voltage reduction control system reduces monthly demand charges.
--The utility responds much faster and more effectively to emergency situations because data is captured and analyzed before, during, and after each event.
--Utility is alerted instantly to equipment failures at non-manned substations.
--Operators respond quickly to alarms and perform shutdowns/re-routing without sending personnel to the scene.
--Remote alarming brings savings by reducing number of required shift operators.
--The automating of functions such as hold-offs and load & voltage charting brings many additional efficiencies.
--When a customer calls to report a power quality problem, the point of origin for a voltage sag is captured immediately.
--The layout of circuits via Graphical User Interface for field personnel increases response times dramatically.
In addition to deploying SCADA systems, public power utilities are installing new technologies to read and interact with meters over existing power lines. Hometown Connections and Distribution Control Systems Inc. (DCSI) are helping APPA members gather and transmit consumption data for multiple services over their electric power lines. DCSI’s TWACS® (Two-Way Automatic Communication System) technology offers a variety of innovative applications. For example, TWACS OASys™ technology provides outage discovery, system-wide outage assessment and accurate monitoring of restoration progress.The TWACS AMIgo™ system delivers interval data at a high rate of speed. TWACS Prepaid Metering offers flexible billing. And TWACS Short Hop Radio technologies enable automated metering of water, gas, propane and pit-set meters.
TWACS® technology is based on over 20 years of development, testing and utility usage, offering superior AMR system capabilities that include:
--Load management
--Demand response
--Interval data
--TOU/critical peak pricing
--Line-voltage monitoring, outage assessment and restoration monitoring
--Remote service connect/disconnect
--Tamper theft detection
--Open architecture interfaces
“On behalf of the APPA membership, Hometown Connections continues to develop these and other new programs that bring innovations in utility operations to the public power community,” said Tim Blodgett, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Later this year, we will be testing an eProcurement joint purchasing program for core electric distribution equipment. And we’ll continue to expand the suite of strategic consulting services that enable APPA members to invest in technologies and management practices that deliver the results public power customers expect.”
Susan Ryba handles marketing for Hometown Connections.
See these web sites for more information.
• Survalent Technology
• TWACS by DCSI
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