Osmose believes that Smart Grid can be defined with a very practical perspective …. it is the continued application of automation and communications technology to distribution and transmission networks. It assumes two-way communication between energy users and energy providers, allowing for more efficient use of generation, transmission and delivery assets. Smart Grid includes existing technology applications such as OMS, SCADA, AMI and GIS and allows room for future advancements in network monitoring, communications and control.
A large southwest utility undertook its own Smart Grid program in 2008, including the installation of smart meters and secure, wireless information delivery infrastructure needed to carry data to and from customers and the company. The utility applied for and received more than $100 million in federal stimulus grants for their project. The company decided early on that a complete GIS inventory of their network, including transformer-to-meter connectivity for overhead and underground services, and GPS points for all meters, was needed to ensure the success of the Smart Grid project. It would be one of the largest electric utility inventory projects ever undertaken in the USA in the short, defined timeframe.
Osmose proposed the winning solution by applying its extensive experience executing complex, large-scale inventory and connectivity projects. Osmose’s positive safety record, proven capabilities in the field and back-office, and its creative application of technologies to capture accurate data and design efficient workflow processes, helped to convince this utility that Osmose could deliver.
Although Smart Grid may fade as a trend, the smart modernization of electricity production and delivery is here to stay. Designing modern T&D Grids begins with smart data. Automated decision support applications require highly accurate data describing the flow of electrons from the substation to the meter...as well as the location of every critical component in the network that supports delivery. Osmose executes data collection surveys using mobile computing technologies to capture this data where it lives - in the field. Osmose developed Video Data CaptureTM (VDC) to enhance the business value of this information to users across multiple departments, including engineering and joint use. Osmose Online Data allows users to view and perform daily work management processes via a secure web portal.
Contact Osmose for your grid modernization-driven data requirements.