Leveraging advanced technology for more efficient operations
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- EcoStruxure for Utility
- EcoStruxure ADMS
- EcoStruxure Substation Operation
- Easergy T200
Tech Stack
- IoT
- GIS
- SCADA
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Customer Satisfaction
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Utilities
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases
- Building Energy Management
- Fleet Management
- Predictive Maintenance
Services
- System Integration
- Training
About The Customer
Austin Energy is the eighth largest community owned utility in the U.S., serving more than a million residents in and around the capital city of Texas. The utility's mission is to convert 'big data' into useful information, provide more reliable customer service, and improve energy efficiency, in part by creating a safer, stronger, more resilient power grid. The utility needed to better manage the effects of severe weather, which is the number one cause of power outages, costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars a year in lost output and wages, spoiled inventory, delayed production, inconvenience, and damage to grid infrastructure.
The Challenge
Austin Energy, the eighth largest community owned utility in the U.S., serves more than a million residents in and around the capital city of Texas. The utility’s mission is to convert “big data” into useful information, provide more reliable customer service, and improve energy efficiency, in part by creating a safer, stronger, more resilient power grid. The utility needed to better manage the effects of severe weather, which is the number one cause of power outages, costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars a year in lost output and wages, spoiled inventory, delayed production, inconvenience, and damage to grid infrastructure. In pursuit of its mission, and with the knowledge that an advanced distribution management system (ADMS) enables better operational decisions by integrating millions of data points into a single, simplified user experience, Austin Energy chose Schneider Electric to implement an ADMS.
The Solution
Austin Energy chose Schneider Electric to implement an advanced distribution management system (ADMS). The ADMS system combined Distribution Management System (DMS), Outage Management System (OMS), and Distribution Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (DSCADA) System functionality into one system. By fully integrating both demand response and distribution resources into the operations of the distribution system, the utility was able to enhance its communications to customers regarding the status of outages. The deployment included advanced applications such as Integrated Voltage Var Control (IVVC) to optimize the system, reduce power losses, and apply conservation voltage reduction to reduce demand. It also included Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration (FLISR) to assist in locating faulted equipment, automatically isolating and expediting power restoration by rerouting power, and sending crews directly to areas needing repair. Additionally, the ADMS offers better tools for responding to system disturbances such as those caused by severe thunderstorms or high winds, thus increasing the dispatch team’s situational awareness and improving reliability.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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