Utility Automation & Engineering T&D articles from August 2007

Utility Automation & Engineering T&D archives from August 2007

Enough about the aging workforce problem.(FROM THE EDITOR)
August 1, 2007... Much magazine ink has been spilled and many conference hours devoted the last few years to lamenting the problem of the "aging utilities workforce." Industry forecasts have indicated that approximately half the energy industry workforce will...

Honduras' ENEE praises remote service disconnect.(Empresa Nacional de Energia Electrica inaugrates Elster's EnergyAxis System)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Empresa Nacional de Energia Electrica (ENEE) has inaugurated Elster's EnergyAxis System. President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras participated in an inauguration ceremony to commemorate the implementation of the EnergyAxis System in San Pedro Sula,...

ABB to supply products for AC line in China.(NEWS)(Xi'an XD Transformer Company)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... ABB will supply the Xi'an XD Transformer Company, one of China's largest power engineering contractors, with eleven 1,100-kV bushings, key components of transformers and circuit breakers that increase the stability of high-voltage power...

Tidbit.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... R. W. Beck has acquired technology and management consulting firm Plexus Research Inc., adding AMI & AMR applications, load management, premises automation, telecommunications, customer communications and demand response to Beck's consulting...

NERC recognizes Midwest ISO for Excellence.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) found six "Examples of Excellence" when examining the real-time operations of the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator Inc. (Midwest ISO). Examples of Excellence are unique...

Overheard.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... "The economics of the program helped to significantly offset our costs of opening a new facility in Kansas City. This is definitely a program other businesses should look at and consider."--Kenneth Burgess, owner of Midwest Scrap, about his...

A new report by independent market analyst Datamonitor titled "Smart metering in the energy and utilities sector," predicts the penetration of smart metering will grow to an estimated 41 percent in Europe by 2012.(Eye on Europe)
August 1, 2007... A new report by independent market analyst Datamonitor titled "Smart metering in the energy and utilities sector," predicts the penetration of smart metering will grow to an estimated 41 percent in Europe by 2012. The EU's Energy Services...

Echelon Corp.(Eye on Europe)
August 1, 2007... Echelon Corp. recently announced that Stadtwerke Feldkirch, the municipal utility for the city of Feldkirch, Austria, has chosen Echelon's Networked Energy Services (NES) system for an advanced metering project. NES value-added reseller...

UTInnovation sent out an invitation to PowerGrid Europe 2007 attendees for its three-day seminar "Introduction to IEC 61850" from September 3 to 5 in Frankfurt, Germany.(Eye on Europe)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... UTInnovation sent out an invitation to PowerGrid Europe 2007 attendees for its three-day seminar "Introduction to IEC 61850" from September 3 to 5 in Frankfurt, Germany. For more details and registration, please see their special seminars...

DCSI, PG & E moving forward with SmartMeter program.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... Distribution Control Systems Inc. (DCSI), a subsidiary of ESCO Technologies Inc., is on track to meet Pacific Gas & Electric's (PG & E) September 2007 target for its SmartMeter deployment. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * DCSI is providing...

Overheard.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... "Mandatory [reliability] standards have led to the identification of a number of opportunities for people to get out there and improve and sharpen what they were doing. That's happening, and we believe it is improving the reliability of the...

OSIsoft and Enspiria partner on reliability, asset management.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... Enspiria Solutions, a provider of consulting and systems integration services to the utility industry, and OSIsoft Inc., which provides the PI System, have partnered to provide PI System integration services as part of Enspiria's overall...

PPL sells Bolivian business.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... Electric utility PPL Corp. completed the sale of its Bolivian electricity delivery business and a related construction company to a group organized by the management team and local labor unions. PPL recorded an after-tax charge of $22...

Estimates, forecasts of BPL services: 2006-2010.(NEWS)(Report)
August 1, 2007... In July, The Newton-Evans Research Company published a study of topics related to the use of, and plans for, broadband over power lines (BPL) and power line carrier communications technologies (PLC). The study was conducted during the first...

Siemens commissions new HVDC transmission system in the big apple.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... In July, Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution Inc. commissioned a new high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission link between Sayreville, N.J., and Long Island, N.Y. In July 2005, Siemens was awarded the contract to build the...

POWERGRID Europe blossoms in sunny Madrid.(Conference notes)
August 1, 2007... "We take bags inside the hotel for nice, simpatico lady," the Madrid taxi driver told me as he dropped me off at the conference hotel that warm Sunday afternoon. His English was much better than my Spanish, which I greatly appreciated. I do,...

University of Pittsburgh Powers up with renewed energy.(Cover story)
August 1, 2007... For most of the 20th century, the city of Pittsburgh was synonymous with power. George Westinghouse arrived there in 1868, looking for cheaper steel for his railroad products. He stayed and started a number of companies, including Westinghouse...

Substation automation and communication standards: IEC 61850 and DNP3.(Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition systems)
August 1, 2007... Recent developments with communication media and protocols, networking technology, computing devices and substation equipment have presented major new opportunities for utilities to improve their electric systems, operations, and business...

Study highlights the use of Wi-Fi in substations.
August 1, 2007... Although wildly popular in coffee shops, businesses and residential homes, wireless data communications via 802.11 networks, or Wi-Fi as it is more commonly known, does not yet appear to be taking hold in electric utilities. [ILLUSTRATION...

AMI and outage management: co-ops see the benefit.(Advanced Metering Infrastructure )
August 1, 2007... It's almost as though the proverbial light bulb has switched on, says Rob Lauridsen-Hoegh, spokesman for Tantalus Systems, a provider of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). "Cooperative utility people are definitely seeing the value of AMI...

Help your transformers stand the heat.
August 1, 2007... Federal Energy Regulatory Commission data indicates that there are more than 132,000 power transformers in service in U.S. substations. A number of utilities have reported to the insurance industry that as much as 40 percent of their substation...

Flame-resistant work clothes.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2007... Workrite Uniform, a manufacturer and provider of flame-resistant apparel, has launched its Dickies FR clothing line, a selection of popular pant, shirt and jacket styles made from flame-resistant fabrics. Dickies FR marks the first...

System controller software.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2007... Distribution Control Systems Inc. (DCSI) has released its new TWACS Network Gateway (TWACS NG) customizable system controller software solution that leverages the TWACS power line communication system to provide electric utilities with outage...

Utility-grade clamps, connectors.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2007... Galvan Industries now offers prompt delivery in volume on a wide range of clamps, connectors and complementary products in varying sizes and materials designed to meet the needs of electric utilities. Galvan's utility product line includes...

Handheld GPS unit.(NEW PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Trimble's Juno ST handheld is a portable data collection solution that comes with a built-in high-sensitivity GPS receiver, Microsoft Windows Mobile version 5.0 software, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth wireless connectivity. The ST's low price point...

Pole inspection service.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2007... Osmose Utilities Services Inc. has integrated a software application into its pole inspection service to reduce the number of pole replacements associated with inspection programs. StrengthCalc software helps with pass/fail decisions for...

Transformer oil coolers.(Unifin International introduces ForZair line of transformer oil coolers)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Unifin, a supplier of cooling equipment and transformer oil pumps and valves to the power generation and power transformer industries, has announced the ForZair line of transformer oil coolers. ForZair coolers arc designed for new transformers...

Broadband over power line.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2007... MapInfo Corp. has introduced a suite of solutions designed to provide a comprehensive view of utility networks, customers and potential customers as they enter the broadband over power line (BPL) market. Offerings include MediaPrints,...

Managed switch.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2007... GarrettCom Inc. has been demonstrating the configurable Magnum 6KQ Ethernet Managed Field Switch. This compact, environmentally sealed Ethernet switch draws upon the 6K family's modular architecture. The Magnum 6KQ switch can be configured with...

Serial device server.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2007... RuggedCom, a designer and manufacturer of "ruggedized" communications networking equipment for harsh environments, announced the release of the RuggedServer RS416. The RS416 is an industrially hardened, modular 16 port serial device server with...

Distribution profilers.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2007... Megger has introduced a family of three distribution profilers ranging from a simple "current only" version to an advanced unit that offers a number of market-requested features. The MDP series of distribution profilers provides power utilities...

Liquid silicone rubber.(Dow Corning Corp. introduces HV 1510/40 liquid silicone rubber)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Dow Corning HV 1510/40 liquid silicone rubber (LSR) is a translucent, high-voltage grade material specifically formulated to manufacture joints, connectors and terminations in power transmission and distribution installations. Dow Corning HV...

Calendar.(Conference news)(Calendar)
August 1, 2007... DistribuTECH 2008: The utility industry's most comprehensive conference on automation, information technology and T & D engineering Jan. 22-24, 2008. Tampa, FL. // Phone 918.832.9265 // www.distributech.com SEPTEMBER 17-19 What's New...

Smart grids offer exciting opportunities for the next generation of workers.
August 1, 2007... The convergence of networked communication systems and technologically advanced utility devices is propelling utilities toward a future with highly intelligent, multi-functional smart grids that will replace aging, non-networked systems. At the...