Enersource Selects SmartGrid Solution

23 January 2008, 10:39am

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Jan. 23, 2008 - Enersource Hydro Mississauga, one of the largest distributors of electricity in Ontario, Canada, has signed with Intergraph to integrate and automate the various assets and functions of its power grid. The new SmartGrid implementation will result in greater efficiency and safety, as well as more reliable power to Enersource customers.

"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, VP Engineering & Operations at 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."

Enersource's IOM solution will combine Intergraph's utilities applications with Siemens' Distribution System Power Flow (DSPF) application to create an integrated command-and-control environment. Intergraph will fuse its InService outage management capabilities with geospatial and other data it provides on Enersource's infrastructure and 865,000 assets including transformers, utility poles, meters, conductors and others, as well as network devices, meters and other sensor data. In addition, Intergraph will combine information from Enersource's applications including its SCADA and customer information systems for use with the Siemens DSPF engine. Intergraph will then integrate all the data into a unified command-and-control environment that will provide easily-visualized, actionable intelligence manifested in the form of alarms, events, work orders and other understandable activities, allowing for quick detection and remediation of outages and other potential issues.

Siemens' Distribution System Power Flow application provides utilities with real-time analysis to make operations decisions on-the-fly, thus allowing more efficient management of electricity across a dynamic grid. With the DSPF technology, utilities have increased knowledge of load and voltage conditions to help them more safely, quickly and reliably reconfigure their networks and restore power.

"Joining with Enersource marks a significant milestone in Intergraph's leadership of the SmartGrid movement," said Jay Stinson, vice president of Intergraph Utilities & Communications. "We first joined with Siemens in May 2007 to build a SmartGrid system for Oncor Electric Delivery. Since then, we have observed growing interest among leading utilities like Enersource in modernizing their systems with 'smart' or 'intelligent' technologies. Moving forward, Intergraph and Siemens plan to work together to empower additional utilities with commercial off-the-shelf solutions for creating intelligent grids to meet emerging market needs."

"Siemens is pleased to further our efforts in SmartGrid technology through a continued relationship with Intergraph and a new agreement with Enersource," said Kevin Sullivan, vice president and general manager of Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution, Inc.'s Energy Management & Automation division. "The SmartGrid brings tremendous benefits to utilities, beginning with the reduction of and more efficient response to potentially-devastating outages, but also extending into many other key focus areas including cost savings, safety, environmental impact and the identification of potential security threats. In the future, the SmartGrid will play an invaluable role in helping utilities monitor the health of their networks and make better, faster, more informed decisions. "

Enersource also utilizes an Intergraph application for plant engineering document management and for the issuance of device numbers. Intergraph ensures an open, independent data storage system to protect plant information for the life of a plant. Through a combination of geospatial technologies, Intergraph will provide Enersource with a comprehensive set of applications for managing and acting on critical data - from plant design to distribution operations.

For decades, Intergraph has been leveraging its geospatial technology and deep industry expertise to help utilities companies visually organize and manage assets and resources. The SmartGrid is the latest evolution of Intergraph's years of service to the utilities industry.

www.intergraph.com

Geo: International