California ISO Visualizes, Correlates Vast Amounts of Data with Space-Time Insight's Geospatial Software

Jan. 20, 2012
Situational Intelligence Applications Featured in First-of-its-Kind Control Center Enabling Rapid Decision Making Based on Richer, Real-Time View of Power Grid Fremont, CA – Space-Time Insight, a provider of next-generation situational ...

Situational Intelligence Applications Featured in First-of-its-Kind Control Center Enabling Rapid Decision Making Based on Richer, Real-Time View of Power Grid

Fremont, CA – Space-Time Insight, a provider of next-generation situational intelligence solutions, announced that the California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO) has incorporated Space-Time Insight's geospatial software applications into its state-of-the-art control center. These situational intelligence applications visualize, correlate and analyze information from numerous real-time data sources, enabling personnel to make rapid decisions based on that information. In addition, the applications allow multiple disciplines across the organization to collaborate more easily and quickly get everyone on the same page when action is required.

Information collected by Space-Time Insight's geospatial software is displayed on the 80 ft by 6.5 ft video wall that fronts the ISO's control center. The ISO uses the applications – Market Intelligence, Grid Intelligence, Renewable Integration and Crisis Intelligence – to detect anomalies on California's electric grid, achieve economic efficiencies, maximize grid reliability, optimize the use of alternative power sources, and track fires that might affect power lines.

The ISO manages electricity flow across 80 percent of California's power grid, delivering 286 billion kilowatt-hours annually over 25,000 miles of power lines. With so much ground to cover and numerous data inputs to consider, it can be challenging for the ISO's operators and dispatchers to spot anomalies in data presented in tabular format. Additionally, using independent software systems and processes, synchronization of information across the different ISO disciplines was, in the past, also challenging.

A critical need to identify the impact of burning fires on the California grid led the ISO to deploy its first Space-Time Insight application. The system combines information from CAL FIRE showing areas that have already burned, input from an infrared system that highlights areas where the fire is still burning, and wind speed and trajectory data to monitor a fire's path and determine which transmission lines are at risk.

“Our operators were dealing with so much raw data that it was difficult at times to process, especially with the influx of all the data points necessary to track renewable power. What we needed was quick actionable information,” said Steve Berberich, President and CEO of California ISO. “The Space-Time Insight applications extract data from many core data systems and correlate this information to provide a complete picture for our operators. The geospatial technology enhances reliability, helps with integrating renewables, and allows us to optimize the grid and its market.”

The success of the Crisis Intelligence application led the ISO to extend its use of situational intelligence into the wholesale electricity market as part of its Market Redesign and Technology Upgrade (MRTU) initiative. The system enables the organization to visualize real-time, day-ahead, and forward markets across three thousand pricing nodes, helping lower the cost of electricity to consumers and maximize the use of renewable energy sources.

Renewables and generation dispatchers at the ISO use Space-Time Insight's Renewables Intelligence solutions to optimize the use of renewable energy sources. The dispatchers' ability to assess current conditions in real-time and make appropriate adjustments improves grid reliability, helps avoid millions of dollars in potential fines, and puts California on the path to meet emission goals.

“This is a perfect example of an organization whose critical mission can be significantly compromised if it can't understand, correlate, and act on the overwhelming amount of data it collects from multiple sources,” said Rob Schilling, CEO of Space-Time Insight. “California ISO has not only pioneered the implementation of sophisticated geospatial displays, but they have also developed a showcase for the implementation of situational intelligence and real-time decision making for the industry and beyond.”

About Space-Time Insight

Space-Time Insight transforms the vast quantities of disparate information spreading across organizations, into intuitive visual displays that businesses can use to make informed real-time decisions. From traditional transmission, communications and transportation networks to Smart Grids and Cities, our next-generation situational intelligence solution is making critical infrastructure smarter, safer and more reliable. With Space-Time Insight, enterprises can visualize and analyze their resources across location and time, rapidly respond to disruptions in service, and lower risk while increasing customer satisfaction and profitability. Major organizations around the world rely on our high performance software to gain actionable insights into their businesses and make real-time operational decisions. Space-Time Insight's partners include Accenture, Cisco, IBM, Oracle and SAP. Space-Time Insight is privately held and based in Fremont, CA. For more information, visit http://www.spacetimeinsight.com.

CONTACT:

Maria Krinsky Bradley

Kickstart Consulting

415.704-5012 (office)

415.509-0498 (mobile)

[email protected]

About the Author

Amy Fischbach | Field Editor

Amy Fischbach is the field editor for the Electric Utility Operations section of Transmission & Distribution World. She worked for Prism Business Media (now Penton) for eight years, most recently as the managing editor of Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro magazine. She is now working as a freelance writer and editor for B2B magazines. Amy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. She serves as the national vice president of the American Society of Business Publication Editors. She can be reached at [email protected].

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