ACS and Minsait show how the convergence between the IoT and information and operational technology improves the reliability of the electrical power supply system in the USA
The two companies have put together the most comprehensive offer when it comes to anticipating and reacting to power grid events by means of management solutions integrating the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and advanced data processing and operational automation capabilities
Among other benefits, their technology streamlines the automatic identification of incidents and their isolation to minimize the number of affected customers and restore the service in record time, achieving improvements of up to 35% in the reliability indices and significant cost savings
In recent reports, Gartner and IDC have endorsed their solutions for the smart and integrated management of distribution networks and their capacity to provide new digital services
Advanced Control Systems (ACS) and Minsait, two Indra companies, have declared that the convergence between Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) and the capabilities of the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) is now leading the way in enabling US utility firms to improve the reliability of the electricity supply and address challenges such as the rise in meteorological phenomena with a direct impact on power grids, the need to integrate distributed energy resources and the regulatory pressure that is driving the improvement of management indicators.
This is one of the main conclusions of the 41st Annual ACS Minsait Utilities Customers Conference & Minsait Utilities Customer Summit - Americas 2019 held from Sunday September 29 until tomorrow, Thursday October 3, by the two companies in Savannah (Georgia, USA), bringing together more than 250 directors of US utility firms and technology experts.
“On the one hand, electricity companies are allocating a large part of their budgets to increasing their capacity to implement FLISR (Fault Location, Isolation and Service Restoration) solutions so as to limit the number of customers affected by an impact on the power grid. On the other, digitalization is using technology such as the IoT to expand the grid’s real-time display capabilities to low voltage and even to controlling behind-the-meter demand, which will enable public utility companies to anticipate needs and incidents and optimize the system”, explains Kevin Sullivan, CEO of ACS.
The benefits of the solutions for both companies have already been acknowledged by customers such as Georgia Power and Monash, the largest university in Australia. In the former case, ACS’s Centrix FLISR application has improved the reliability metrics of the North American electrical company by 35% since its launch in 2012.
As for the project in Monash, it envisages the construction and operation of a power micro-grid with Active Grid Management (AGM), the Industrial Internet of Things solution developed by Minsait to facilitate the dynamic, proactive, distributed and smart operation of medium and low voltage grids, thus reducing the overall costs of the electrical system and improving its reliability. Minsait experts expect that the university will be able to generate 7 Gigawatts per hour of electricity by 2020, enough to supply 1,000 homes for a whole year.
Analyst recognition
In partnership with ACS, Minsait is completing a solid end-to-end offer in the advanced management of energy transport and distribution networks, adding the manufacture of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems and a comprehensive range of Operational Technologies including new network automation solutions and distributed energy resource management to its management solutions for the entire energy business value chain and digital transformation capabilities.
Indeed, recent reports by international analysts have acknowledged these strengths. Minsait has been included as 2019 Representative Vendor in the Gartner Market Guide for the Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) segment and as a Major Player in the IDC MarketScape EMEA Service Providers for Digital Grid Enablement 2019.
“Without a doubt, ACS and Minsait now have the most comprehensive IT/OT offer in the US public utilities industry. By integrating the two solutions into a single suite (Onesait Utilities), the companies will benefit from an end-to-end platform that optimizes the business processes of a utility firm, from generation to end customer. ACS and Minsait have a vision of the needs of the utility firm of the future and the technology to address them”, states Leonardo Benítez, director of Energy & Utilities at Minsait.
About ACS
ACS (www.acspower.com), an Indra company, is a leading provider of grid control software solutions & advanced automation technology that enhances operational performance of the electric power industry. For 40+ years, ACS has been a trend setter in power grid control. The combined portfolio of ACS solutions and Minsait’s Onesait Utilities solutions represents the most comprehensive end-to-end solution suite across the energy value chain and includes ADMS, EMS, SCADA, OMS, RTUs, GIS, MDM, CIS, WFM, iIoT platform and mobile applications to automate utility business processes.
About Minsait
Minsait, an Indra company (www.minsait.com), is a leading firm in Digital Transformation Consultancy and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America. Minsait possesses a high degree of specialization and knowledge of the sector, which it backs up with its high capability to integrate the core world with the digital world, its leadership in innovation and digital transformation, and its flexibility. With this, Minsait’s offer is focused on high impact value propositions, based on end-to-end solutions, with a notable segmentation, which allows them to achieve tangible impacts for its customers in each industry under a transformational approach. Its capabilities and leadership are shown in its product offering, under the name Onesait, and its cross-sectional offer of services.
About Indra
Indra (www.indracompany.com) is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies, and the technology partner for key operations of its customers’ businesses around the world. It is a world-leader in providing proprietary solutions in specific segments in Transport and Defense markets, and a leading firm in Digital Transformation Consultancy and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America through its affiliate Minsait. Its business model is based on a comprehensive offer of its own products, with an end-to-end approach, of high value and with a high innovation component. In the 2018 financial year, Indra achieved revenue of €3,104 billion, with 43,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and business operations in over 140 countries.