Remote - December 2011 - (Page 3)

Editor’s Choice Utilities could spend at least $3.2 billion on telecommunications equipment and services this year, according to a study released today by the Utilities Telecom Council (UTC). This level of communications spending represents a 21 percent increase over the estimated $2.64 billion utilities spent in 2009 and at least a 3 percent rise over the $3.1 billion spent in 2010 and upgrading utility communications and information technology. The report, Utilities Telecom Spending Market Forecast, is based on a survey of UTC’s utility members and provides detailed data regarding utility spending on transport networks, leased lines, land mobile radio and other key communications technologies. Chief among the categories of telecom-related spending is two- way metering and associated networking, which represents around 32 percent or around $1 billion of the total utility telecom spending in 2011, the study finds. The second largest category of telecom spending, according to the study, is transport networks, with utilities expected to spend around $813 million on fiber, microwave, WiMax and other forms of transport technology this year. However, wireless communications is the major growth area for utility telecommunications. Spending on wireless communications as a proportion of overall telcom spending could double over the next five years, growing from 28 percent of telecom spending in 2011 to half of all telecom spending in 2016. Utility Telecom Spending Could Reach $3.2 Billion by the End of 2011 Bentley Systems, Inc., has announced that Westernport Water, a utility in the state of Victoria, Australia, is using Bentley’s WaterGEMS water distribution modeling software, integrated with Open Spatial’s geographic information system (GIS) and Control Microsystems’ supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA), to operate and manage more than $43 million in water assets. The SCADA system allows field-measured data to be brought directly into WaterGEMS using the modeling software’s SCADAConnect and Darwin Calibrator modules. The SCADAConnect technology will save Westernport Water approximately $80,000 in calibration costs. Prior to deploying this system, Westernport Water annually engaged the services of external contractors to manually upgrade and calibrate the water model. “Westernport Water’s outlook on its ability to effectively develop and sustain our water distribution infrastructure has never been so positive,” said Steven Porter, general manager - operations, Westernport Water. “The integration of GIS, SCADA, and the water modeling technologies in WaterGEMS will provide unprecedented scope for managers, engineers, and operational and maintenance personnel at Westernport Water to understand, on a real-time basis, how the water network is performing. The level of integration being achieved is expected to set a ‘high watermark’ in informed decision-making for our organization.” The Open Spatial GIS, in conjunction with WaterGEMS, enables simple and easy updates of the system. Since SCADAConnect can use both historical and real-time data, the model is not only up to date, but also has tables of previous values for trending and projections. Therefore flow, pressure and tank-level data for each demand zone can be fed on a real-time basis, enabling the system to model real-world conditions. Using the imported SCADA values, Darwin Calibrator and the demand inversing tool in WaterGEMS, Westernport Water engineers can proportionally change the demand values assigned to those nodes within each demand zone. As a result, all calculated values in the water model are more accurate, since the exact flow from the SCADA system is used to calculate velocity, losses and system curves. This up-to-date and accurate model gives engineering design and operational personnel the best possible platform for decision making. Bentley Releases New WaterGEMS, Integrated With GIS And SCADA Technology Trimble has released its Trimble Field Inspector version 2.1. The new version is compatible with a variety of Trimble handheld computers and is designed for automating utility infrastructure and smart grid asset maintenance and inspection. Comprised of the Trimble Field Inspector software for handhelds and Trimble Field Inspector Desktop software, the solution is scalable and easy to deploy. From smart meter deployments to critical asset maintenance inspections, Trimble Field Inspector is ideal for a wide variety of field applications in electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities. Trimble’s Field Inspector software for handhelds is designed to provide a robust GNSS-enabled mobile solution for optimizing smart grid and utility field operations, including asset installation, maintenance and inspection. Using Trimble mapping and GIS handheld devices, the software allows utility field workers to capture GNSS time and location information along with 1D and 2D barcode data, digital images, digital sketches and electronic signatures. The GNSS data can be used to route jobs, locate workers and assets, and provide a valuable validation of where and when work is performed to support regulatory reporting. Whether performing electric, gas, water, or wastewater maintenance inspection tasks, the Trimble Field Inspector software helps streamline operations with automated field workflows, easy-to-use smart handheld data collection forms, and the ability to interactively view jobs and assets using a map display. Through a single listing of all jobs and their status, users can quickly locate and identify job assignments and priorities. The desktop software can connect to an existing Esri ArcGIS or Open Database Compliant (ODBC) system, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) or utility database. Field maintenance tasks can be defined, grouped together as jobs, scheduled, assigned and automatically transferred to handheld computers running the Trimble Field Inspector software. Trimble Releases New Version of its Field Inspector Solution for Utility Asset Maintenance and Inspection Tigo Energy has announced that Trina Solar, Hanwha Solar and Upsolar are now offering smart panel technology featuring integrated Tigo Energy Maximizer technology for PV solar installations. By incorporating the Tigo Energy Maximizer Solution into their respective products, the PV solar manufacturers have developed smart panels that increase energy production up to 20 percent and present new levels of intelligence, active manageability and enhanced safety. The Maximizer solution enables owners of PV projects of any size to increase power production by reducing the effects of shade, dust, clouds and uneven temperature on system performance. The technology also delivers accurate data and analysis, at the module level, to keep long-term system operations at peak performance while enhancing safety of rooftop PV systems. By combining Tigo Energy enabled smart modules, the Tigo Energy Maximizer Management Unit and an inverter from any number of industry leaders, an intelligent system can be designed for any sized project in any given geography. Tigo Energy Partners With PV Module Manufacturers to Deliver Solar Smart Modules Remote Site & Equipment Management \ December 2011/January 2012 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Remote - December 2011

Utility Telecom Spending Could Reach $3.2 Billion by the End of 2011
Securing Remote Substations for a Smarter Grid
Maximize Range While Minimizing Power Consumption in Wireless Digital Transmission
CMS Deploys Energy Smart Grid Project
Satellite Technology – The Key to Remote Communications for Government Agencies
American Innovations Releases Bullhorn RM4012 Remote Monitoring System
ProSoft Releases Modbus TCP/IP to IEC 61850 Gateway
Pelco Introduces the New Digital Sentry
CEITEC S.A. Releases RFID Chip for Logistics Application
C&D Technologies Introduces Liberty MSE 2 V VRLA Line
Industry News
Calendar of Events
Washington State Archives Keeps Cool with Environmental Monitoring

Remote - December 2011