Enersource Simplifies Operations Center with Smart Grid Technology

The Challenge

With more than 185,000 customers and an electrical system spanning 5,000 kilometers, Enersource is the second-largest electricity supplier in Ontario, Canada.

Enersource, which consistently delivered service interruption durations below the Canadian utility average, used various software and computer consoles to manage all operations. Its operators also used different applications for GIS, SCADA, internal work processing, and many other systems for day-to-day electric grid management. This required operators to switch among multiple systems in the control room, increasing the complexity and time required to monitor and analyze network data.

Needing a more efficient way to control its electric grid and meet customer expectations for service reliability, Enersource sought a GIS-based smart grid solution that would streamline the flow of network asset and operations information across the utility.

The Solution

Enersource implemented a fully integrated advanced distribution management system to improve operational efficiency. It worked with Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division and Siemens to integrate and automate various network assets and functions of its power grid with an integrated operating model (IOM).

The IOM combines Hexagon’s outage management system with Siemens’ Distribution System Power Flow application to create an integrated command-and-control environment. The unified environment provides 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.