Andel owns and operates the electrical distribution grid in eastern Denmark and provides power to 1.5 million customers through the grid companies Cerius and Radius.
Challenge
Andel is expanding their infrastructure to meet growing customer demand. Aging assets, distributed solar/batteries, additional heat pump load, and electric car charging are all significant drivers at Andel for renewing and extending the grid and optimizing its operation.
Network data quality is critical to providing an intuitive and consistent viewing and editing experience across the many departments that use network information, and for the safety of operations and quality of service.
Therefore, the utility requires state-of-the-art geographic information system (GIS) and advanced distribution management system (ADMS) software to enhance productivity, from design and planning to operations. As a merger of two utilities, Andel faced the challenge of consolidating legacy technology systems. It chose to consolidate its legacy geometric network and Intergraph G/Tech into ArcGIS Utility Network.
Solution
Andel consolidated two legacy geographic information systems into a future-proof GIS. The detailed Utility Network data model combined with simplified usage enables GIS to be a single source of truth for asset and network data throughout the enterprise. The utility uses ArcGIS Enterprise with Utility Network, a business-critical system that supports network planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
Andel concluded that Utility Network was the best primary dataset for its two ADMS systems. ArcGIS Utility Network serves as the primary dataset for assets and the electrical model in its normal configuration, while the ADMS systems own the grid’s dynamic configuration.
Andel sought to benefit from the comprehensive and detailed data model in ArcGIS Utility Network. Their goal was to align the representation of real-world assets in GIS and operational systems, improving the foundation for numerous workflows and spatial analytics.
Advanced integration software is needed to ensure that both GIS and ADMS always represent the actual state of the grid while also providing support for the complex grid extension and commissioning processes.
To facilitate the transition, Andel utilizes the Similix Utility Network Migration Suite. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface for mapping between the source system and Utility Network. Its no-code rule engine maintains the configuration of data transformations.
Building on this improved data and the common information model (CIM), Andel chose the Similix CIM Adaptor for ArcGIS. This product-based solution is configurable to export and synchronize the planned changes to the electrical grid. When the feeder is updated, the CIM Adaptor exports a full or changed feeder as a CIM file known as a difference file. These data updates support both the PSI Energy ADMS and Schneider Electric ADMS.
Detailed network data must be well-maintained. Andel uses Esri UK’s UNE for ArcGIS (UNE) to manage network data easily. Without specialized GIS training, workers can use this lightweight web app to view, edit, and manage real-time digital twin models of detailed electrical, water, or gas networks.
UNE sits seamlessly on top of the ArcGIS system and honors the rules of the Utility Network data model. Its functions enable users to update information with built-in smart editing capabilities. Furthermore, they understand and query the network connectivity and perform traces.
UNE is used to design grid extensions and support other workflows. A design is stored in a branch version. Branch versioning is a type of geodatabase versioning that works with the ArcGIS Enterprise Web GIS model. It uses a service-based architecture to allow multiple users to edit and supports long-transaction scenarios through web feature layers.
This capability supports correct grid representations, particularly for lengthy construction projects. Data is exported to the ADMS systems, where it is staged and inspected before being updated.
After commissioning, ADMS confirms the design changes are implemented, triggering them to become part of the as-built electrical network. Finally, the Similix CIM Adaptor confirms that the Utility Network data and ADMS systems are in sync.
Results
Andel uses high-quality, consistent network data to support various business systems. They use a web-based system for planning and editing, which helps streamline important work processes by making data easy to access and edit, ensuring secure data sharing, and keeping information up to date for better decision-making and operational efficiency.
The intuitive user interface resulted in:
An estimated 80 percent reduction in time and training costs for 700 users using the UNE selection and query builder functions. Historically, network queries required knowledge of query expression language. In contrast, UNE provides an intuitive, web-based user experience so anyone in the organization can query the network using a series of drop-down fields. For example, users may quickly locate assets installed within a date range from a specific manufacturer. This information enables maintenance crews to work efficiently and effectively.
A projected 10x productivity increase by streamlining workflows using configurable smart templates. These configurable templates allow users to create complex assets like substations on the fly from a predefined template. Users are prompted to answer questions such as how many medium-voltage and low-voltage switching bays and transformer bays the substation requires. Then, they are created in seconds, along with all the hierarchy and containment rules.
An expected 90 percent reduction in road excavation costs by creating and sharing accurate network data. By extending UNE, Andel created a cross-section capability to view and manage cables within specific underground conduits effectively. With this information, field crews optimize existing conduit infrastructure without excavating new trenches and laying new conduits where capacity already exists.
In conclusion, Andel supports planning and design in a user-friendly web application built directly on Utility Network, which benefits from its service-based structure. Thus, Utility Network enforces the same rules and data quality on all platforms.
UNE directly supports both field crews and the back office while backing integrated systems with the same data quality. Projects are added to the ADMS before power is turned on. This ensures that both GIS and ADMS are always up to date for employee safety and customer reliability.
In the future, Andel plans to merge their two ADMS systems into the Schneider Electric EcoStruxure ADMS platform. This effort and any future upgrades will benefit from the new product-based, service-based, standards-based, and configurable GIS and integration system landscape. Additionally, application programming interfaces (APIs) will allow Andel to develop their solutions further.