Systems Integration

GridBright helps to successfully implement Outage Management systems (OMS) projects for large and small utilities, MUNIs, and Cooperatives, improving grid operation and reliability. Complementing our OMS experience is expertise in Distribution Management Systems (DMS), SCADA, and EMS. We also support the creation of website outage maps and outbound outage notifications to the public and regulators.

We have worked with OMS products from multiple vendors, including Oracle, Alstom, CGI, and ACS, and have executive relationships with others such as OSI, ABB, Schneider, and Trimble. Each of our consultants has a minimum of 15 years of experience with OMS software. Collectively they have been involved with more than 45 OMS implementations and upgrades around the globe. Four of our senior associates have been working with the Oracle NMS product since its inception at CES, the company that initially developed the Oracle OMS software. Some were among the founders of CES. They have a long history of working with various OMS vendor business unit support, development, and services.

GridBright helps electric utilities improve grid operations through smarter solutions for managing resiliency, distributed resources, and renewables. The utility business is changing, and new and existing investments in Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) need to be “future-proofed” to survive this transformation in the industry. GridBright consultants are working at the forefront of renewables, grid optimization, and grid reliability changes. We specialize in Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) and have hands-on experience with products from multiple ADMS vendors, including ABB, GE, Oracle, CGI, and ACS.

Our extensive expertise includes ADMS services, including:

• Business processes assessment
• Technology assessment & roadmap planning
• The business case for a new implementation, upgrades, or switching ADMS vendors
• Business process redesign to support a new ADMS implementation, migration or upgrade
• ADMS procurement, including RFI/RFP preparation, vendor selection, and negotiations
• Consulting regarding new processes and technologies, including:
  • Integration of ADMS with other systems
  • Modeling of DERs and renewables in ADMS and the integration of DERMS
  • Volt/VAR Optimization (VVO) measurement and verification of results
  • Use of analytics to supplement, enhance and leverage ADMS functions
  • Website outage maps & outbound outage notifications to the public and regulators
  • Estimated Restoration Time calculations, metrics, and management
  • Damage assessment tools, setting up storm centers, storm drills, and storm training
  • Harmonizing restoration processes with Incident Command System

Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) profoundly impact modern grid operations. For example, renewable wind and solar generation are supplanting traditional central power plants while creating network congestion at the distribution level. In addition, rooftop solar, electric vehicles, battery storage, and microgrids can dramatically alter customer load patterns and undermine tariff cost recovery. At the same time, utilities can use these new resources as non-wires-based alternatives to improve grid carrying capacity, power quality, reliability, and legacy asset lifecycles. As a result, many vendors are now offering DERMS and Advanced Distribution Management (ADMS) software to support the integration of DER.

We have world-class subject matter experts on DERMS, ADMS, and grid modernization with hands-on experience building, deploying and integrating DERMS packages. We have a comprehensive framework for integrating DER derived from extensive R&D in the DER space with deep familiarity with the DERMS marketplace and vendors. Our Subject Matter Experts (SME) provide customized training and consulting on emerging operational issues, processes, and solutions for DER Registration, Modeling, Forecasting, Optimization, Dispatching, and Measurement & Verification.

Today’s utility emergency management process must address new types of incidents such as wildfires, cyber security breaches, and pandemics. Extreme weather incidents also increase in frequency, and the adverse effects can be devastating. Without adequate planning and training, a utility’s incident response can fail, stall, or become overwhelming. We help implement new processes and technology upgrades enabling a utility to establish repeatable procedures to respond safely, efficiently, and in a manner that increases resiliency.

We have world-class subject matter experts on grid operations who have direct experience managing significant incidents for utilities, including setting up storm centers. Our staff includes systems integrators and software product managers for emergency management, damage assessment, OMS, and ADMS solutions and are knowledgeable of the marketplace and vendors. We have the expertise to evaluate current practices and to recommend how to apply utility best processes to each unique utility.

Areas of GridBright EM expertise include:

• Practice Assessment—Reviewing your existing documentation and evaluating your current approach through stakeholder workshops, mapping out the responsibilities by role
• Technology Assessment—Reviewing your application of emergency management technology, systems interfaces, and data quality to support efficient work processes
• Process Improvements: Present industry best practices on applying an incident command structure for utility-specific workflows. Recommend a future approach for incident management. Ensure processes meet compliance for the state, local, or commission governance.
• Change Management: Consult on organizational change management to embrace new expectations and create buy-in from your employees. Assist with utility-led instruction on roles, duties, and expectations during major events.
• Post Event Evaluation: Moderate and guide post-incident analysis to validate how the documented process was applied. Determine where adjustments should be made.
• Strategies, Roadmaps, and Business Cases: Create multi-year roadmap and business cases that bridge the gap from your current state to a technology-aided future state.