Intergraph Maximizes Smart Grid Management

20 April 2009, 9:47am

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., April 20, 2009 - Electric utilities are adopting Intergraph Smart Grid software solutions to maximize system efficiency and performance. From Intergraph G/Technology, which provides the additional technical attributes needed to build and support a Smart Grid beyond the capabilities of conventional geographic information system (GIS) platforms, to InService 8.2, which consolidates Smart Grid command-and-control operations, Intergraph integrated software solutions are at work helping electric utilities get the most out of their Smart Grid technology.

Intergraph G/Technology is a fully scalable, standards-based solution for utility infrastructure management that leverages the power of Oracle’s database capabilities. The open solution supports the design and records management for the transmission and distribution assets of a utility, reducing the cost of maintaining records and making it easy to leverage asset data through a variety of applications.

Unlike conventional GIS solutions, G/Technology can also track load analysis, voltage, phasing, reactance, impedance and many other attributes required for advanced Smart Grid systems. The solution improves the productivity of mapping technicians, engineers, field crews and all personnel who need to create, use and maintain accurate network asset information, boosting efficiency and customer service levels.

In addition to providing a solid asset management platform on which to build next-generation intelligent grids, Intergraph also offers a consolidated Smart Grid command-and-control center that fuses its outage, asset and mobile workforce management technology with distribution management and SCADA functionality from companies such as Siemens Energy, Inc. to maximize grid efficiency. Together, Intergraph solutions provide electric utilities with a robust foundation on which to build and manage next-generation Smart Grids.

“Many competitors’ GIS systems and data models do not explicitly match the complex electrical connectivity, and lack the data integrity required to power Smart Grid functionality,” said Jay Stinson, vice president of Utilities & Communications at Intergraph. “As Intergraph has evolved its utilities infrastructure management application over the past 40 years, we have taken into account the growing evolution of simple distribution networks into complex Smart Grids and have built our solutions to support more involved network configurations and more ambitious initiatives for meeting growing energy and conservation demands.”

“While many different components go into creating a Smart Grid, Intergraph technology serves as the foundation for integrating spatially-enabled data and the various operational systems that depend on it,” added Stinson. “Intergraph is at the cutting edge of maximizing Smart Grid operations efficiency by unifying distribution control, outage and field response, providing utilities the power to see, control and respond. After all, a grid is only as smart as its operator and the data that runs through it.”

Intergraph, Inc.

Geo: International