3. 3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
During the period from December 2011 to February 2012, I was employed by
Ergon Energy within the Asset Management unitʼs System Development
Group, in the Network Development and Forecasting team as a Vacation
Student Engineer.
The role required assessing load data quality and availability from newly
created analogue tags from Ergonʼs ABB SCADA system, updating the
spreadsheet records of these load measurement points, and integrating them
into the Energy Information Management (EIM) database system that is used
by the Group to produce annual forecast reports, view historical load profiles
and assist in network planning, augmentation and demand management
strategies.
Additionally, I produced a work procedure outlining this process to assist
subsequent administrative staff in this role following the completion of
employment.
It was a challenging and rewarding period in that it gave me a greater
understanding of the vital and varied roles of a Power Engineer in the
Australian Electricity Supply Industry. It also afforded me to gain experience in
the efficient use of essential software packages and database systems to
produce usable information for network management and forecasting staff.
These experiences and skills have greatly benefited my personal
development in the progression towards becoming a professional engineer. I
feel that I will be better prepared to enter the workforce from this period of
work and look forward to building upon the knowledge gained in the future.
I wish to thank my supervisor and colleagues for the help and guidance
throughout the time with the company, as well as Ergon Energy and the API
for this valuable opportunity of professional development.
4. 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ............................2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................3
1. INTRODUCTION.................................................5
2. COMPANY BACKGROUND................................5
2.1 Overview ....………………………………………...5
2.2 Organisational Structure….…………………………...6
2.3 Asset Management….…………………..……………6
2.3.1 The System Group…...………………………………7
2.4 Statistical Metering & Data Management.……………….7
2.4.1 SMDB and PI Historian.............................................7
3. ROLE ...……………………………………………..8
3.1 Updating the PI Tags Workbook...……………………..8
3.2 Adding Locations in the SMDB.....……………………..9
3.3 Create a Work Procedure Document………………….10
4. ANALYSIS OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES…..10
4.1 Technical…………………………………………..10
4.2 Non-Technical……………………………………...10
5. CONCLUSIONS…………………………………..10
REFERENCES………………………………………11
APPENDIX A………………………………………...12
5. 5
1. INTRODUCTION
During the period from December 2011 to February 2012, I was under the
employ of Ergon Energy within the Asset Management unitʼs System
Development Group as a Vacation Student Engineer. The task of the role in
the Network Development and Forecasting team was to assess load data
quality and availability of newly created analogue tags from the Ergon Energy
ABB Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system and integrate
them into the Energy Information Management (EIM) system that is used by
the group (as well as others across the business) to produce a variety of
reports and assist in network planning strategies. The task specifics, along
with a brief company background, form the main body of this report.
2. COMPANY BACKGROUND
2.1 Overview
Ergon Energy is a Queensland Government-Owned Corporation, whose areas
of business cover the four links of the electricity supply chain – generation,
transmission, distribution and retail [1]. It is comprised of two principal
operating companies:
Ergon Energy Corporation Limited, which oversees the distribution
business;
The subsidiary Ergon Energy Queensland Pty Ltd, the ʻnon-
competingʼ electricity retailer [1].
Along with Energex, the Stateʼs other distribution corporation, Ergon jointly
owns the IT services subsidiary company SPARQ Solutions and the
subsidiary company Service Essentials Pty Ltd, who ʻprovide Economies of
Scale in the provision of back office services such as meter readingʼ [2].
It was formed in 1999 through the State Governmentʼs amalgamation of the
six preceding regional electricity distributors and ancillary retail arms:
South West Queensland Electricity Board (SWQEB);
Wide Bay - Burnett Electricity Board (WBBEB);
Capricornia Electricity Board (CREB);
Mackay Electricity Board (MEB);
North Queensland Electricity Board (NQEB);
Far North Queensland Electricity Board (FNQEB).
Ergonʼs network (the network) is operated over an area comprising 97% of the
state of Queensland (approximately 1.7 million km2
), providing electricity to
customers both on and off the main grid. It consists of:
34 Power Stations (grid connected and isolated);
6. 6
26 bulk supply points;
378 zone substations;
686 major power transformers (33kV to 132kV);
91,500 distribution transformers;
Approx. 150,000 km of power lines & 1,000,000 poles;
7,000 km of underground power cable [1].
Appendix A shows a map of Queensland with the network coverage, main
service regions and locations of major infrastructure.
2.2 Organisational Structure
The major business units that make up Ergon Energy Corporation and a brief
description of their overall roles within Ergon Energy are:
Operations – responsible for the delivery and operational effectiveness
of the program of works;
Asset Management – reviews the networkʼs performance and defines
the program of works by efficient and effective management of assets;
Employee Shared Services – human resources, culture and business
improvement strategies;
Customer Service – service strategies and service delivery to Ergonʼs
customers;
Energy Sustainability and Market Development – promotes energy
efficiency and demand reduction on the network while minimising the
impact of Ergonʼs day to day operations on the environment;
Finance & Strategic Services – manages and improves the profitability
and sustainability of all aspects of the business.
The roles and responsibilities of the Asset Management Group and more
specifically the System Development Group, of which I was a part, will be
discussed in further detail.
2.3 Asset Management
The Asset Management unitʼs overall task is to maximise the effective and
efficient management of the network assets by being accountable for all Asset
Strategy and defining the Program of Work across the distribution business.
This is achieved through the output of the following groups:
Alternative Energy Solutions
Asset Planning
Metering
Program Development
Operational Technology
Standards
System Development
Telecommunications
7. 7
2.3.1 The System Development Group
This group undertakes modelling, forecasting and planning activities to
establish the current and future network demands. Long-term strategies of 5+
years and shorter-term network augmentation plans for sub-transmission and
distribution levels are then generated form this work. Other roles include, but
are not limited to:
Develop the Strategic Management Plan
Study network impacts of new major customer connections
Public Regulatory testing on potential augmentation plans
Determine network plant ratings
Load Analysis and Network Modelling to assist other groups and
business units [3]
2.4 Statistical Metering & Data Management
To enable the System Development group to perform its duties, statistical
metering data from load measurement points across the entire network is
collected and stored in large data warehouses. Sources for the data are:
NEM 12 – National Electricity Market (NEM) half hour interval readings;
NEM 13 – NEM meter register readings;
Nulec Reclosers – auto recloser readings;
BOM – Bureau of Meteorology weather data;
JIF – customer premise demand & consumption readings;
PI Historian – SCADA interval readings;
GISEP – network configuration;
ECORP – Ergon Corporate Oracle data warehouse containing premise
configuration, summarised assets, including equipment/asset IDʼs;
AEMO – Australian Electricity Market Operator total demand for
Queensland [4].
At present, an in-house developed database – the Statistical Metering
Database (SMDB) – is used as the main EIM system, providing access to the
data and useful analysis tools. The implementation of a new system is
currently underway, the details of which are not in the scope of this report,
except for a brief outline of the associated Dataview application in Section 3.1.
An overview of the SMDB and the SCADA data repository called PI Historian
is described below.
2.4.1 SMDB and PI Historian
Each load metering point is given a unique Location ID and is linked with an
Asset ID of the equipment it monitors. An extraction process runs each
evening to obtain the previous 7 days worth of data for every location from its
source and is stored in an individual file. At any time, up to date data can be
viewed through a custom Microsoft Excel workbook called SMDB Profiler.
Load profiles, half hourly averages and other information can be viewed for
each individual location over any date range required. There are several
8. 8
versions of this workbook, each customised by the various groups that access
the information.
The PI Historian system is a data warehouse that stores analogue spot-delta
and digital SCADA readings in four redundant computer servers – two each
(running in parallel) for Northern and Central/Southern Queensland regions.
Data is sent from Remote Terminal Units (RTU) attached to network assets
such as:
Power Transformers;
Transmission and Distribution Feeders;
Circuit Breakers;
Auto Reclosers (various voltage levels);
Transformer Tap Changers.
They capture a range of operational data including voltage, current flow, real
power, reactive power and apparent power, which are sent through individual
reading channels called PI Tags. Data is converted into half hourly averages
during the SMDB extraction process by custom ʻtranslatorsʼ, generated by the
System Development Group, which are chosen for each location according to
the available Tags.
As well as providing historical data for reporting and planning, Control Officers
monitor this system in real-time (through separate software) for the daily
running of the network. A record of all PI Tags and the associated assets are
kept in two separate Excel workbooks – one for each pair of servers. As new
Tags are created, new locations are required to be setup in the SMDB to
reflect the current state of the network and keep reporting accurate.
3. ROLE
The duties I was required to perform were to update and maintain the PI Tags
workbooks and create new locations in the SMDB, where possible, as well as
produce a work instruction on this process.
3.1 Updating the PI Tags Workbook
My first task was to become familiar with updating the PI Tag records
(described in Section 2.4.1) with new Tags in the relevant Excel workbooks.
This required me to:
Utilise existing custom Macros to import the new entries from the
correct server;
Sort through new Tags to select those that would be eventually used to
provide data to a translator, according to the type of operational data
they provided;
9. 9
Asses if the Tags were operational by attempting to extract recorded
data from the servers, using existing custom Macros;
Record if/when data were available to keep track which of the new
Tags could be setup in the SMDB;
Find the relevant Asset ID and record it against the Tags.
Searching for equipment Asset IDʼs required four separate applications, either
individually or in combination, depending on where the information was
available:
Energy Analysis and Modelling (EAM) Dataview – an operational part
of the new EIM system being developed, this application can display
information on assets, and will eventually allow access to metering data
from all sources, weather history and has various analysis tools to view
the data in various combinations;
Google Earth Enterprise Edition – a custom implementation of Googleʼs
geospatial information software that overlays satellite imagery of
Queensland with a representation of all elements in the network;
Energy Management System (EMS) – an ASEA, Brown & Boveri (ABB)
software package that displays the state of the network in real-time
using Single-line Diagrams (SLDʼs). This enabled the matching of Tag
names to physical equipment, as the load flow data displayed are
obtained from RTUʼs;
Microsoft Access Database – design and run queries on tables
containing asset information to obtain the relevant ID.
In addition to updating the workbooks with new Tags, I was also requested at
times to update specific Tags in the instance that data had become available
from a previously inactive RTU.
3.2 Adding Locations in the SMDB
The next task assigned to me was the setup of locations in the SMDB from
new Tags that had historical data available and extract them from the
available date. This process involved:
Creating a blank Access database template file in a regional directory
(based on the six authorities that preceded Ergon Energy) and giving it
a unique Location ID to be recognisable in the Profiler;
Entering the Location ID into the Region and Location table of an Asset
database, providing information such as region, asset ID, location
description, asset type, voltage level etc;
Using a dedicated Excel workbook to setup data extraction, select a
translator for the location and link the available Tags to the file;
Running the data extraction Macro and checking the historical data
were converted to half hour averages and correctly represented
graphically in the Profiler.
10. 10
3.3 Create a Work Procedure Document
Near the end of my employment period, I was tasked with creating a
document detailing the process of the tasks assigned to me as a reference for
administrative and labour hire staff that would continue with the work.
4. ANALYSIS OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES
4.1 Technical
Throughout the period of my employment with Ergon Energy, I was
challenged on a daily basis by the work assigned to me. Not only did I gain a
wider understanding of the complexity of large electrical power networks and
the Electricity Supply Industry in Australia as a whole, I now have a greater
appreciation of the variety, vitality and responsibility associated with the
Power Engineerʼs role in its operations. This was highlighted by the daily
interactions and inter-dependencies of the various work groups in my
immediate vicinity and the tasks that I completed. In particular, I gained
valuable new technical skills including:
An intermediate understanding of the structure and workings of large
database systems;
The use of various software applications and insight into how to use
each one to achieve desired outcomes;
The importance of data quality and the effects it can have on people
outside of my immediate work sphere;
A basic understanding of the concept of Network Forecasting and its
importance in the running of a large electrical power network.
4.2 Non-Technical
The non-technical side to working at Ergon Energy has provided me with
invaluable experience that will be of great benefit in my future as a
professional engineer. Developments include:
The importance of accurate communication between colleagues;
Experience in working cohesively in an office environment;
An enhanced standard of professionalism in work ethic and output;
Daily organisational skills to complete assigned tasks on time.
5. CONCLUSIONS
My time with Ergon Energy was invaluable in the progression towards
becoming a professional engineer. I am grateful for this experience as it has
given me a clearer insight into the Electricity Supply Industry in Australia,
knowledge of and training in essential skills and tools that I feel, with ongoing
11. 11
development, will prepare me to enter the workforce after the completion of
my studies with assuredness in my abilities.
I look forward to expanding on these experiences in future in other areas of
the industry and wish to thank the API bursary program, Ergon Energy the
people I worked alongside for the opportunities and the time of learning.
REFERENCES
[1] Ergon Energy Corporation Limited, Annual Stakeholder Report 2010/2011,
viewed online 5 Feb 2012,
http://www.ergon.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/52918/Ergo-Energy-
Annual-Stakeholder-Report-2010-11.pdf
[2] J Bridge, J Dyer & N Wembridge, Review of Energex FRC Cost Pass-
Through Application v1-12, 2008 PB Associates, viewed online 5 Feb 2012,
http://www.qca.org.au/files/E-CPass-FRCEnergex-PB-Report0508.PDF
[3] G Kearney, System Development ʻAbout Usʼ, 2011 Ergon Energy
Corporation Limited, viewed 6 Feb 2012, Ergon Energy intranet
[4] S Clark, Energy Information Management Ergon Energy – IEE System
Configuration Specification, Internal Document, 2010 SPARQ Solutions
[5] Ergon Energy Corporation Limited, Our service regions & depot map, Map,
downloaded 5 Feb 2012,
http://www.ergon.com.au/about-us/company-information/our-service-regions-
and-depot-map
12. 12
APPENDIX A – ERGON SERVICE & REGION MAP
[5]
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We service regional Queensland from coastal and rural areas to the remote communities of outback Queensland and the Torres
Strait which extends across 97% of Queensland - around 1.7 million square kilometres. We operate across a diverse, inspiring
landscape, from the harshest, most demanding terrains to the most sensitive.
