Investor Owned Utility
Xcel Energy
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Xcel Energy serves approximately 3.2 million customers and operates 17,335 miles of transmission lines throughout a 10-state service territory, with major control centers in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Golden, Colorado; Eau Claire, WI and Amarillo, Texas. Xcel has been a client of Monitor Mapboard Systems, LLC since 2005 when the Amarillo, TX control center, serving 395,000 consumers selected the Monitor® system to replace a mosaic plastic tile mapboard that could no longer display the level of detail in the configuration needed. The client has an operational preference for our system due to the graphic flexibility, efficient digital based method for updating the system image and because of our ability to deliver customized solutions.
In 2009, Xcel Energy and Monitor embarked on the first phase of mapboard replacements that, when complete, will standardize mapboard technology across all 4 Xcel control centers. In the Golden, CO control center, which serves approximately 1.35 million consumers, a new dynamic mapboard was installed to replace a taped steel pegboard system that was difficult to maintain and could no longer keep up with the growth of the power system. The existing structure contained Asbestos panels that had to be removed prior to installing the Monitor® system. The new mapboard features high resolution graphics against a ‘black’ background, approximately 4,500 LED status indicators, 35 Otek BCD readouts and a custom LED lighting solution. Additionally, a reduced scale dynamic training mapboard and backup control center mapboard were produced from the same digital file as the primary system mapboard.
Also in 2009, a new dynamic mapboard replaced a large rear-projection video wall in the Eau Claire, WI control center which serves 250,000 consumers. Replacement parts for the video system were becoming obsolete and maintenance costs were rising. Additionally, it was difficult to display the entire system “at a glance” in the available space on the video wall. The display area on the new mapboard is approximately 4x larger and features high resolution graphics against a ‘black’ background. Approximately 2,500 status indicators and a custom framing design provide the system operators with excellent visualization of their system.
In 2010, a new dynamic mapboard will replace 3 large rear-projection video walls in the Minneapolis, MN control center which serves approximately 1.2 million consumers. This project will feature high resolution graphics, approximately 4,000 LED indicators and 30 BCD digital displays. A reduced scale training center mapboard will be produced from the same digital file as the primary system mapboard.
Municipal Utility
City of Hamilton, Ohio
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Since 1890, the City of Hamilton has provided customer owned utility service to its residents. The city owns and operates four utility systems to serve customers, including approximately 30,000 electric utility customers, within the greater Hamilton area and is the largest municipal utility in the State of Ohio. Until recently, the electric, gas and water departments operated in separate and older control areas that did not equip the system operators with a full compliment of display tools required for effective visualization.
In 2007, the city selected Monitor Mapboard Systems, LLC to provide the functional components of a combined utility control room, including dynamic system mapboards, electronic displays and operator consoles. The client valued our industry experience and flexibility to deliver customized solutions in creating a highly functional and efficiently designed space for the benefit of the system operators. The City of Hamilton and other utility clients prefer the reliability of the Monitor® system for providing the system overview and the flexibility of integrated video for displaying SCADA, EMS or other pertinent information.
Electric Cooperative
Projects:
Bandera Electric Cooperative >
Southern Illinois Power Cooperative >
Bandera Electric Cooperative
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Established in 1938, Bandera Electric Cooperative, Inc. is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative located in Bandera, Texas. It provides electric service to over 31,000 meters in seven Hill Country counties and owns approximately $166 million in assets, including equipment in 15 power substations and over 4,300 miles of line.
Since late July, 2010, Bandera Electric System Operators have been working out of a new, state-of-the-art control center. With the investment in this center, BEC has made a significant commitment to improving system reliability and Member service. The old control room, previously referred to as the dispatch room, did not provide enough space or the right combination of display tools for the system operators to do their job effectively.
The operational focal point of the new control center is a 9’ x 32’ Monitor® Distribution System Mapboard. The new Mapboard provides an overview of the entire BEC electrical system displayed over a GIS land base. The purpose of the Mapboard is to provide the System Operators and management personnel the “big picture” overview which is so valuable during power outages. It allows for the identification of existing facilities which may be used to help in service restoration and more importantly provides a “bird’s-eye” view of the actual environment the facilities are located in such as near a creek, river, or hill top. The geographic reference is extremely critical information when serving an area with as rugged a service territory as BEC.
The Mapboard is used in conjunction with eight large flat screen monitors that display local weather radar, Outage Management System (OMS) data, Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) devices and SCADA information. The “hybrid” combination of Mapboard and Video now provide the System Operators with the latest display technology to continually assess the conditions on the electrical system for outages and other abnormal conditions.
“Monitor Mapboard Systems personnel were very easy to work with on this project. They completely understood our needs and worked diligently to see to it that the finished product exceeded our expectations. I personally have worked with them on another project approximately 15 years ago and today, found the same dedication to customer service and understanding of the electric utility environment that is so critical to the success of creating what becomes the centerpiece of a System Control Room project.” – Manager of Engineering, Bandera Electric Cooperative
Southern Illinois Power Cooperative
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Southern Illinois Power Cooperative is a generation and transmission cooperative providing wholesale electric power to seven member distribution cooperatives and two municipals in Illinois. SIPC member cooperatives provide electricity to approximately 90,000 end-use consumers. Total population served approximates 193,000 people.
Transmission and Systems operations, located in Marion, IL operates and maintains 862 miles of transmission lines and 15 substations that deliver power and other services to its member systems. Systems Dispatch had previously been operating from a power plant using a mid 90’s vintage SCADA system that was stressed to the limit.
In 2003, SIPC management made the commitment to build a tornado resistant and seismic rated underground control center. The process included visits to other utility control centers to ask “what would you do differently”? Based on feedback received, they eliminated video projection citing reliability issues and mosaic tile mapboards as being more cumbersome to update.
The Monitor® system was selected and seen as having a more efficient method of updating to handle the growth and changes to their power system. Together with a new SCADA & EMS system, the new dynamic mapboard and geographic system mapboard provides the dispatchers with many valuable and reliable tools to do their job.
U.S. Government
Projects:
U.S. Dept. of Energy — Bonneville Power Administration >
Bureau of Reclamation — Hoover Dam >
U.S. Dept. of Energy — Bonneville Power Administration
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Headquartered in Portland, Ore., Bonneville Power Administration is a federal agency that markets wholesale electricity and transmission to all of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and western Montana, as well as small contiguous portions of California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and eastern Montana. In addition to the transmission network within the Northwest, BPA also operates large interregional transmission lines that connect to Canada, California, the Southwest and eastern Montana. BPA’s wholesale customers include public utilities, public utility districts, municipal districts, public cooperatives, some investor-owned utilities and a few large industries such as aluminum companies.
BPA Power Dispatchers are responsible for coordinating and monitoring power flow through more than 15,000 miles of transmission line and 300 substations. A critical operations tool that allows the dispatchers to efficiently operate this complex, interconnected system is a Monitor® dynamic system mapboard. In operation since 1996, BPA selected the Monitor® system due to the design flexibility that allowed them to totally customize the scale, level of detail and layout of their system diagram. Additionally, the controlled method of updating from a digital file and ability to utilize magnetic tags on the steel tile design in conjunction with electronic status indicators were important decision criteria.
Bureau of Reclamation — Hoover Dam
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The Bureau of Reclamation completed the Hoover Dam in 1935 with power generation beginning the following year. Its primary purpose is to provide flood control on the lower Colorado River as well as deliver water and power to residents and businesses in Southern Nevada, Southern California and Arizona. With the dam operating around the clock, control room operators are constantly monitoring critical elements within the plant. In 2007, operators could no longer depend on a large rear-projection video wall that was used for monitoring, citing reliability and cost to maintain as reasons to replace with a more reliable system.
After a formal solicitation and evaluation, Monitor Mapboard Systems, LLC was awarded a contract to design and build a new dynamic system mapboard. The new mapboard provides dynamic representation of the system-from power generation to water levels in real time, allowing operators in the control room to view system status information “at a glance”.
The mapboard features 75 BCD displays and several hundred LED status indicators which provide a reliable, cost- effective monitoring solution in a simple-to-use design. This customer has an operational preference for the Monitor® system because of the crisp, high resolution graphics, reliability and low cost to maintain.
