Integrated System, Social Media Improve Grid Reliability, Customer Satisfaction

摘要

Reliability will be the top priority for grid operators no matter whom or where they serve. From a tree branch that takes out a single home to a complex, multifactor event that cuts power to 700 million people as a two-day event did in India this past summer, rapid outage detection and speedy restoration play critical roles. Regulators assess utilities' performances partly on reliability indices sometimes referred to as "SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) and her sisters": SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index), MAIFI (Momentary Average Interruption Frequency Index) and CAIDI (Customer Average Interruption Duration Index), which are challenging to keep these numbers within acceptable limits. These indices are based on IEEE Std 1366. As intelligence is extended down into the distribution system, much data can be generated if used properly by an integrated system of outage detection and power restoration and can help utilities improve on critical indices. This can be done using available technologies. In addition, GE Digital Energy recently developed a patent-pending software application that can monitor social media to provide speedy, granular data to assist these efforts. The attractive secondary benefit is customer engagement and satisfaction.