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January 1, 2008
Smart Grid Software Ties Utilities to Customers, Public Power Magazine, January-February 2008
| For More Information |
Tim Blodgett
Hometown Connections
tblodgett@hometownconnections.com
303-526-4515
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Integrating Mapping, OMS, AMR, AMI, SCADA
The Clinton, Tenn., Utilities Board will soon complete the electronic plotting of each utility customer location, recording exactly where every household and business connects to a specific transformer. By combining this data with the Smart Grid software suite from Milsoft Utility Solutions, CUB employees will access one information system for engineering and operations.
Milsoft delivers analytical and decision software across the entire spectrum of electric utility operations. Its solutions enable the Smart Grid by incorporating AMR, AMI, SCADA, distributed generation and mobile work force tools. More than 1,000 electric utilities in the United States and around the world use Milsoft solutions, some for more than 20 years. Through a strategic alliance between Milsoft and Hometown Connections, members of the American Public Power Association are purchasing Milsoft products at national group pricing. All of Milsoft’s software solutions are available to APPA members through the Hometown Connections marketing program including:
• WindMil® Electric T&D Grid Modeling & Analysis,
• WindMilMap™ Electric Utility Mapping,
• DisSPatch® Outage Management System, and
• PORCHE™ / Telelink™ Interactive Voice Response.
Clinton Utilities began using Milsoft software for grid modeling and analysis in the late 1990s. By 2007, Clinton was ready to move away from AutoCAD-based maps to a GIS-based mapping system, as well as to an outage management system. “Milsoft was the obvious choice,” said Todd Loggins, SCADA/network operations supervisor. “They have always given us excellent customer service, responding immediately to all requests for support. The software is rich with features and very easy to use. More importantly, the Milsoft software ties into our SCADA system from Survalent Technology and DCSI’s TWACS® (Two-Way Automatic Communication System) for reading meters over power lines. Because Milsoft can interface with all of our vendors, our SCADA, OMS, and metering systems are no longer separate islands. When the integrated system flags a failed device, we can query meters in real time to see who does not have power and dispatch a crew to the correct location immediately.”
Kevin Laughlin, supervisor of technical services at Bowling Green Municipal Utilities in Kentucky, refers to his integrated Milsoft solution as a “problem reporting system.” By combining Milsoft’s interactive voice response system with the modeling, mapping and OMS packages tied to the customer records database, Bowling Green Municipal Utilities processes calls 24/7 from customers reporting an outage or requesting information on when power will be restored. “The Milsoft products have made an incredible difference to our operations. We know instantly where the problem is occurring, how many customers are affected, and how to prioritize the work of our crews,” Laughlin said. “Furthermore, because the system is tied to accounting records, customers can use their telephones to update their phone number in the database and to request an account balance, payment extension, or a final bill when service is disconnected. The customer service improvements alone provide a quick return on the investment in Milsoft.”
According to Kevin Laughlin, the primary selling points for Milsoft are that all of its products communicate with each other and the company offers excellent client service. “When we have a problem, Milsoft responds in a very timely manner. Plus, we find the Milsoft user group meetings and activities very helpful. It is really a users’ think tank. Everyone discusses possible new features and problems to be corrected. Milsoft listens and responds right away. Our engineers and dispatchers enjoy using the Milsoft applications and cannot imagine how they ever managed without them.”
The Sevier County Electric System in Tennessee added the PORCHE/Telelink IVR and DisSPatch OMS packages to their Milsoft suite to make outages easier to address and faster to restore. “Before we purchased these products, we would have up to 12 people answering the phones and several more dispatching crews,” said Jerry Cameron, system administrator. “Now, we handle most outages with one or two dispatchers. We use WindMil for load flow and fault studies and for updating our model (maps) for DisSPatch. We use Milsoft’s LightTable program to coordinate fuses and reclosers. PORCHE/Telelink will accept files from our CIS and mapping software to produce a callout list for scheduled outages and cutoff notices.”
Like his peers from Bowling Green Municipal Utilities and the Clinton Utilities Board, Cameron cites the interoperability of Milsoft’s applications as a major advantage. “Milsoft is willing to work with our CIS and AMR software vendors to provide an integrated solution for our industry-specific problems,” Cameron said. “The support from Milsoft is excellent. Installation has always gone smoothly. Training is good and their support people are willing to take the time to help you solve a problem and explain it, rather than just doing a quick fix. Milsoft enables faster and safer restoration of outages with fewer personnel required in the office.”
The Kerrville, Texas, Public Utilities Board is running Milsoft’s engineering and analysis software, along with the OMS and IVR solutions. “Among the benefits are better reporting to help us analyze system maintenance and performance, reduced workload for our dispatchers, reduced troubleshooting time during outages, and improved customer service during outages from having better information faster,” said Mike Wittler, chief operations officer. “The Milsoft team is an outstanding organization. When it comes to support, they are the best software company I have ever dealt with. They add functionality to their standard product every year, offering a tremendous value.”
Visit these web sites for more information.
• Milsoft Utility Solutions
• http://www.hometownconnections.com/utility/smartgridsoftware
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