Automation Infrastructure The Platform for Delivery of Energy Services

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Automation Infrastructure The Platform for
Delivery of Energy Services

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Background A Changing Landscape

• Changing energy markets are creating new
  business opportunities and challenges
• Tight supply, transmission limitations,
  unreliable distribution affects many locales
• Ignoring demand management/load shedding
  opportunities may have severe financial
  ramifications. End users are now compelled to
  respond.
• Generation assets are approaching the end of
  their life cycle while demand is increasing.
  ESPs are forced to consider investments in
  distributed generation to increase supply
• Capitalizing on market inefficiencies and new
  opportunities can drive financial success for
  both end-users and ESPs

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Demands and Opportunities

• Strategies for shedding or shifting peak loads
  and consumption patterns need to be implemented
• Optimal strategies will notify customers of
  events before they occur and give them tools to
  execute control such as schedule/temperature
  adjustment, activation of on-site generation,
  curtailment of laods, etc.
• To accomplish this, it is essential to be able
  to interact, in real-time, with energy
  consuming/generating equipment
• Need to communicate with the existing hardware
  infrastructure that operates the end-users
  facility
• Wholesale replacement of legacy devices is not a
  financially viable option.

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Challenges to Implementation

• In the past each device, (on-site generator,
  building control system, lighting control system,
  etc.), could only be managed and controlled via
  its own proprietary software application
• Devices did not include the capability to
  communicate with other related systems
• The situation formed a barrier preventing
  cost-effective deployment of enterprise-wide
  energy service solutions
• Today, emergence of new class of software,
  referred to as an automation infrastructure
  solves this problem by creating an open, standard
  platform for the delivery of energy service
  applications

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The Problem

• Embedded Systems (temperature controls,
  facilities automation systems, on-site generation
  equipment, utility metering devices, industrial
  automation systems, etc.) have been developed
  largely without the benefit of standards
• They employ a wide array of communications
  protocols, data formats, software platforms
• Result the world of embedded systems is highly
  fragmented difficult to achieve
  interoperability
• Result complex and expensive to integrate with
  enterprise applications including energy
  management
• Embedded systems have not been conceived with
  the Internet, interoperability, and integration
  with the enterprise in mind

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The Problem

• More recent systems follow some of the emerging
  standards
• This has only exacerbated the standards
  themselves have not been designed to interoperate
  
• The recent push towards standard protocols has
  created more languages that need to be
  integrated instead of fewer
• History has demonstrated that interoperability
  will not be accomplished through the use of any
  single standard
• There are simply too many that have achieved
  viable followings. The ability to move to new
  standards is also problematic for the owner

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The Fundamental Need

• What we are left with is the need to integrate
  the myriad of meters and control systems without
  affecting the devices themselves (no replacement
  of existing systems)
• A solution that embraces the multitude of new
  standards and the wealth of legacy systems
  equally
• The problem poses a significant barrier to
  implementing new service offerings that requiring
  real-time, or near real-time monitoring and
  control between the ESP and the end-user site

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A Solution Automation Infrastructure

• The infrastructure a layer of software that
  resides above the individual embedded systems and
  their specific protocols
• Provides a uniform method of accessing data
  from, and issuing commands to, the various smart
  devices
• Becomes the platform that enterprise-level
  applications are built on
• Infrastructure must be protocol agnostic and
  vendor neutral supporting all devices equally,
  and providing open interface to third party
  applications

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The Common Object Model

• The infrastructure enables seamless integration
  of diverse systems by introducing concept a
  common object model
• Takes the data elements from all of the various
  devices inputs, outputs, setpoints, schedules,
  control parameters, etc., and morphs them into
  virtual objects with a common design
• Creates a virtual model of the actual systems
  a model that supports all of the functions and
  features of the end devices.
• Result a uniform, normalized, database of
  objects for enterprise applications to work with

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Automation Infrastructure Common Object Model
Delivers information to the Internet and
enterprise applications

Common Object Model

Diverse Systems Data
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A Foundation for Energy Service Applications

• The Automation Infrastructure has access to all
  of the data and actions supported by the diverse
  systems serves as a foundation for other
  software applications to optimize operation of
  the facility
• Examples
• Real time energy data collection and analysis
• Execution of energy control strategies
  setpoint reset, equipment curtailment and
  scheduling
• Alarming based on demand and consumption
• Aggregation and control of energy consumption
  across multiple facilities, etc.

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The Benefits for Energy Service Applications

• The common objects are browser friendly easy
  to build browser-based displays of real time
  data, reports, and alarms
• The infrastructure executes real time control
  logic that works across the multiple systems or
  sites
• The result true interoperability and a
  universal platform for enterprise energy
  applications without the need to disturb the
  installed systems.
• Allows system expansion with existing embedded
  devices or with new best of breed devices
  previously not used due to incompatible field
  protocols

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Summary Why It Matters

• The needs of our information driven economy and
  energy deregulation demand seamless operation
  across diverse systems
• Enterprise-level applications must be able to
  interact with diverse systems for applications
  such as metering, demand management, curtailment
  programs, real time pricing and procurement
• These applications demand a solution that works
  not only with new systems based on emerging
  standards but also with the huge installed base
  of legacy systems

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Summary Why It Matters

• An automation infrastructure provides the
  solution to these challenge
• Enables the easy deployment of value-added
  applications to access and control smart devices
  of all types over the Internet regardless of
  protocol, operating system or age