Page 42 - CARILEC CE Journal CEMAY2021

begins delivering actionable recommendations meter sockets and splices, cracked insulators, failing
to a utility from day one, even before staff transformers, and other latent equipment problems
members integrate its other capabilities into all become visible with TUNet Grid Reliability
their daily routines. Analytics. In the past, customer complaints were the
Email notifications link to anomaly reports like only indication that equipment on the edge of the
this one with all the necessary information for grid was about to fail. Now, software algorithms spot
quick investigation or assignment. flickers in power quality that customers might not
even notice
GET AHEAD OF THE WORK Crow Wing Power is a member-owned cooperative
TUNet Grid Reliability Analytics enables proactive utility based in Brainerd, Minnesota with around
planning and decision-making. It provides 43,000 meters and 100 employees. Many of the
a new perspective of a utility’s distribution co-op’s members own vacation homes in the rural
network that is inherently forward-looking. That service territory. The analytics tool enables Crow
said, its historical-data visualizations also can Wing to spot problems and perform repairs when
demonstrate the before-and-after effects of members are away. “Now we can chase down blinks
capital projects. Other advantages include: on our timeline instead of when members call
about them,” said Crow Wing System Operator, Bill
Swenson.
▶ Reduce overtime by fixing emerging problems Upon implementing the tool in September 2020,
during business hours Crow Wing found numerous loose connections at
transformers and meter bases. Field crews addressed
▶ Prioritize work by tracking MAIFI and CEMI the problems while out on line patrols, which they
scores for individual feeders regularly perform during the slower, off season. With
time, this proactive approach to fieldwork will reduce
▶ Set it and forget it with automated alerts for the amount of overtime required to respond to
emerging blinks and flickers outages in the middle of the night and on weekends.
Plus, by replacing or repairing equipment before
▶ Perform quick investigations through a failure occurs, the utility will avoid more costly
seamless integration with TUNet Insight damage and outages.
“It opens up lots of opportunities for us, and
▶ Collaborate efficiently by assigning reports there’s definitely savings from the cost of line crews,”
for investigation or resolution Swenson said. “Overtime hours, mileage on trucks,
maybe even having to call an operator in during the
▶ Quickly find problems in the field with middle of the night—it can exponentiate really fast
geospatial mobile support in terms of savings.”

▶ Avoid wasted truck rolls by easily validating 2. Raising Operational Awareness
meter groupings The primary benefit of TUNet Grid Reliability
Analytics is a new, more-granular perspective on
grid performance. The ability to zoom in or out
A PROACTIVE PERSPECTIVE ON THE GRID on any element in the distribution network can
TUNet Grid Reliability Analytics gives utilities a new drastically simplify operations and customer service.
perspective on their distribution networks that can For instance, if a customer calls to complain about
fundamentally change how they approach business. a persistent power blink, staff can use the tool to
The tool drives improvements in system reliability quickly determine whether the problem is on the
and operations that can be grouped broadly into utility’s side of the meter, or the customer’s. In the
four areas. past, that important determination might require
numerous truck rolls and hours of field work.
1. Getting Ahead of Equipment Failures If the source of a blink is on the utility’s equipment,
Distribution equipment produces tell-tale signs of the analytics tool can be used in the back office,
emerging problems long before failure. Corroded or by crews in the field, to pinpoint the location.

42