Schneider Electric and EPB, Chattanooga's municipal utility and operator of the most automated electric distribution grid in the country, announced they have partnered to provide EPB's customers with enhanced energy and load management capabilities. These capabilities will be provided through new smart grid applications including a near-real time energy management information system (EMIS).
Serving more than 169,000 homes and businesses across 600-square-miles in the Greater Chattanooga area, EPB operates one of the largest 100 percent fiber optic networks in the country. EPB began constructing their Smart Grid in 2008 to improve communication capabilities, reduce the impact of power outages, improve response time and allow customers greater control of their electric power usage. Today EPB is continuing to benefit from this Smart Grid investment and add value to their customers by partnering with Schneider Electric to implement additional smart grid applications.
EPB is currently deploying Schneider Electric's Energy Profiler Online (EPO), a cloud-based EMIS which provides near real-time usage, load, and cost information to large commercial and industrial customers.
The Business Power Tracker and PowerLogic software and meters, in combination with EPB's high speed, fiber optics communications network provide a powerful platform for customers to monitor and manage their energy usage. While some energy management systems typically provide utilities with data on a daily basis, the Business Power Tracker, collecting AMI data from EPB's fiber optic network, can provide data at 15 minute intervals throughout the day. As a result EPB can now monitor potential power quality and reliability issues in near-real time allowing customers to make operational changes within the day, or to analyze the data over time. With this solution, EPB enables its customers to make smarter decisions throughout the day.
