4.3 The Control Room

An electrical utility monitors the transmission and distribution of electricity from a central facility.

What is the Control Room?

Modern utilities at both the transmission and distribution level now manage a vast array of infrastructure stretching across large service territories. The control room is much like the brain of the grid, helping to track and deliver safe, reliable and efficient electricity. It is where utility operations are managed 24/7/365, and where the grid is managed and monitored throughout build-out, operation, maintenance, and restoration activities.

Control centres are an important feature of both distribution and transmission systems, and function in a similar way in both contexts.

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)

A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system collects and uses the information required to effectively manage a network. These systems are commonly deployed across a variety of large and complex networks, including not just electricity grids but also manufacturing operations and mass transit systems, for example. Even for smaller and more localized utilities, a modern distribution grid is much more efficiently managed through remote and automated systems rather than manual processes.

Let’s learn more about how a SCADA works.

Acquisition

The process begins with data acquisition, which involves a network of sensors and monitors that collect data on key operating conditions and parameters, which are then transmitted back to the control room.

Real-time Monitoring and Analysis

Control room operators monitor data and related analysis in real time, and are warned when problems arise (or may be about to). The “supervisory control” function kicks in when a problem is detected and enables remote and often automated troubleshooting.

Outages and Rerouting

On distribution grids, SCADA systems monitor for conditions that can result in power outages and can reroute electricity supplies in response. In this way, the impacts of outages can be minimized and restoration efforts expedited, with many of the essential steps in doing so being identified and even implemented directly and remotely from the control room.

Other Control Room Tools

The SCADA system interacts and exchanges data with a range of other systems, software platforms and databases.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A GIS creates, manages, maps, and analyzes various types and layers of data relating to the location of poles, wires, switchgear, transformers, and other distribution assets.

Customer Information System (CIS)

A CIS is the central repository of customer data including location, contact information, metering and billing information, and outage status.

Outage Management System (OMS)

An OMS monitors the current network state—based on SCADA, GIS and CIS inputs—and predicts, identifies and responds to outages.

Automated Distribution Management System (ADMS)

An ADMS provides a higher level of predictive, analytical and other intelligent capacities than an OMS. These capabilities more fully enable automated outage restoration.

Outage Reporting System

This database allows for an integrated view and analysis of both real time and historical data sourced from a number of the tools available to the control room.

Knowledge Check

SCADA systems collect and use the information required to effectively manage a network. The SCADA system interacts and exchanges data with a range of other systems, software platforms and databases. The “supervisory control” function kicks in when a problem is detected and enables remote and often automated troubleshooting.