IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - January/February 2014 - 69

Advanced applications on the new application integration platform
that improve the efficiency and reliability of the distribution system
benefit service restoration as well.
connectivity of the electric system is provided (for
example, a different line-haloing technique is presented to the operator when radial circuits are connected together or paralleled); and the integrated
system recommends switching to restore service
based on operator-selected criteria.
the operator's efficiency at the desktop console is incrementally improved as the control room evolves into the
control room of the future. this future is rapidly becoming
a reality.

Application Integration
application integration is providing the next round of technology improvement in the distribution control room that will
benefit service restoration. advanced applications such as
unbalanced load flow; volt and var control; conservation voltage
reduction (cvR); loss minimization; circuit reconfiguration;
and fault location, isolation, and service restoration (FLisR),
among others, continue to be deployed. FLisR promises the
next improvement in service restoration. the single-model solution lets the operator run a FLisR solution to restore electric service. FLisR will develop switching solutions to restore service
to the maximum number of customers in the unfaulted portions
of the distribution circuit while maintaining adequate voltage
levels and avoiding circuit overloads. volt and var control and
cvR can be applied to alleviate voltage problems and circuit
overloads to restore as much service as quickly as possible.
When line repairs are complete, the service isolation switching
steps can be reversed to restore all service.
advanced applications on the new application integration platform that improve the efficiency and reliability
of the distribution system benefit service restoration as
well. the electric system is maintained within acceptable voltage limits, and load violations are identified and
remediation solutions are proposed, including switching
steps. the operator chooses the best solution for optimizing service restoration.
the advanced applications were traditionally performed as
back-office support to the control room because of the time
needed to complete a given analysis. With the introduction of
advanced applications in the control room, the operator will
have ready access to system-level planning tools designed to
run in real time. the operator's ability to manage and improve
the efficiency of the electric system will take another step forward. such improvements will include the following:
✔ voltage and load violations will be highlighted in
the gis-supported geographic display, providing the
january/february 2014

operator with the opportunity to intervene and take
corrective action.
✔ the results of remedial action will be presented to the
operator in the connected diagram, confirming the
outcome of the decisions made.
the desktop computing environment is rapidly improving
to the point that the next round of efficiency improvements
may be best described as "improved click efficiency." the
operator will be investigating how best to achieve improved
efficiency using fewer clicks of the mouse. software applications frequently provide multiple paths to complete a given
operational task, depending on the point of origin within the
application. as the operator becomes familiar with these
multiple paths, operator efficiency will increase while the
integrity of the electric system is maintained.

Conclusion
the service restoration tools available to operators in the
control room have evolved with the increasing capability of
desktop computing workstations. the manual operations of
old used wall-mounted map boards for switching purposes.
these have been replaced with a gis-sourced connected
switching diagram built on a single model. application
integration is at the center of control room improvements
to enhance operational tools. the integrated solution brings
unbalanced load flow calculations to the operator's desktop. advanced integrated tools help the operator facilitate
service restoration and perform day-to-day operating tasks.
techniques are evolving that will reduce the number of
mouse clicks needed to perform an operational task. efficiency in the control room is incrementally increasing with
improved desktop computing, application integration, and
the introduction of advanced applications. these technology
advancements improve the operator's response to system
disturbances and advance the management of service restoration in the control room.
service restoration is not just a job, a task, an assignment,
or a corporate mission; it is a passion shared by people who
take pride in restoring electric service. the reward comes in
seeing customers' lives return to normal as the lights come
back on.

Biography
G. Larry Clark is with the alabama Power company, Birmingham, alabama.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - January/February 2014