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Situation
When Equinox took on this project in 1996, BC Hydro, British Columbia's power
company, faced a number of challenges. Each of its six control centres
had its own reporting process. Data was being duplicated, entered
inconsistently, and the reports done by hand were costly and
slow.
Objectives
To create and implement a fully integrated system improving: the lines
of communication between control centres, users and management; the
accuracy of data; the speed and consistency of reporting; and the
safety of the public. Using a flexible information model, it would
adapt to changes in the industry and
organization.
Solution
Our technical team designed a replicated system which would provide
high-availability LAN access to users at all six control centres,
integrate the collected data, eliminate redundancy and ensure a
consistent reporting process. We also implemented a web-based
subscription and ad-hoc reporting system allowing intranet users
to subscribe to customized reports and to request automated notification
via pager, digital PCS messaging or email when events occur on the
grid.
Results
A more efficient, cohesive and informed operation. Where once a handful
of manually compiled reports were sent to mailing lists, today customized
reports are automatically emailed to over 900 BC Hydro and BC Transmission
users every day. Operating data is simultaneously available outside and
inside the control centre. Maintenance managers and executives are
automatically notified of major system events within minutes so that
swift action can be taken to restore service and prevent the spread of
outages. Dispatchers at the control centres are saved hours fielding phone
calls related to these and other daily events on the electrical
grid.
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