Extending Oracle’s smart grid capabilities, Oracle Utilities Network Management System 1.11 offers new modeling and analysis features to improve distribution-grid management for electric utilities.

The new modeling enhancements provide real-time views of grid activity to help properly align electricity generation with demand. Understanding potential outcomes under multiple possible conditions, such as storms, extreme temperatures and fluctuations in commercial and consumer usage, helps utilities improve contingency plans to maintain continuous operations through events that previously resulted in outages.

To further help grid operators, the new modeling helps:

– Analyze the effects of customer loads—such as electric vehicle (EV) recharging—in different locations and identify where off-peak recharging is needed due to grid capacity constraints.
– Incorporate into the grid electricity from renewable resources like solar roofs and backyard windmills, allowing utilities to use local generation to meet renewable resource targets. Using power from multiple sources helps utilities improve demand management and lessens the likelihood of disruptions.
– Use stored electricity as another source of energy.
– The new release further demonstrates the capabilities of advanced distribution management (ADM) that is core to Oracle Utilities Network Management System. ADM is an emerging set of outage, distribution and grid optimization functionality essential to optimal smart grid operation.

Additional Product Details

– The new supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) integration options are unique to Oracle Utilities Network Management System. The new integrations alleviate reliance on a particular vendor’s SCADA system, allowing utilities the option to retain their current SCADA while moving efficiently and cost effectively into the smart grid era. Oracle delivers the flexibility to change to a new SCADA system without disrupting major smart grid capabilities.

– The new release helps utilities recognize more value from their smart grid investments by ensuring that all energy storage and control devices are fully incorporated into ongoing operational and forecasting analyses.
* Oracle Utilities Network Management System 1.11 provides greater flexibility in integrating geographic information systems (GIS) investments, including new support for International Electrochemical Commission (IEC) 61968 Common Information Model (CIM) standards.

Supporting Quotes

– “We were pleased to take part in the validation program to help Oracle deliver an upgrade that provides meaningful business results to utilities. With advanced distribution management systems, we can improve outage information to further leverage our smart metering investments and deliver immediate value to our customers,” said Brian Chabot, manager, business systems, Pepco Holdings, Inc.

– “Around the world, customers and utilities are choosing new ways to use, generate and store electricity. Incorporating these new technologies into a real-time model of the grid is vital to utilities’ ability to manage network activity. Oracle Utilities Network Management System offers the real-time modeling and power system simulations utilities need to optimize grid operations as networks change,” said Brad Williams, vice president of industry strategy, Oracle Utilities.

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