North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) of India’s Tata Group has been awarded the prestigious International Edison Award by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). The award recognizes NDPL’s significant improvements in operations and asset management using GE Energy’s Smallworld geographic information system platform as the primary source of data for the enterprise.
Geographic information systems (GIS) are similar to on-line mapping systems and lay the foundation for smart grid networks as they unlock the full potential of important knowledge and data within the utility, making it available when and where it can be of most value. These systems also systematically integrate business processes. The resulting benefits of GIS for the utility include better management of assets, more effective operation and maintenance of networks, efficient commercial operation through effective planning and appropriate use of resources and greater return on investments.
According to the institute, NDPL “innovatively utilized and integrated” the GE solution with other applications for the company’s operational, commercial and asset management activities. EEI noted that the GIS initiatives have improved NDPL’s overall system reliability and produced significant reductions in non-technical losses.
“We selected GE Energy’s Smallworld solution based on its ability to model and geographically display large complex transmission and distribution networks,” said Arunabha Basu, Head – Network Management, NDPL. “GE Energy’s smart grid technology solution has enabled us to experience substantial system improvement gains in the first system improvement scheme at approximately 10 percent of scheme value and more than a quarter million dollars in direct savings in the first year of the project’s completion.”
“GIS has been of immense help in our distribution system for the benefit of all our stakeholders,” said Sunil Wadhwa, CEO, NDPL.
In addition, NDPL has immediately realized a recovery of nearly a half million dollars in arrears payments using the location map extracted out of the GE platform. Technical feasibility time has also been reduced.
NDPL, a joint venture between Tata Power and the Delhi Government, distributes approximately 1,200 MW of power to five million people with one million consumer meters, covering an area of approximately 550 square kilometers. Besides the most recent honor from the EEI, NDPL received the Asian Power Utility of the Year Award in 2007
