Over the last two years, SurvalentONE DVR – supported by the deployment of new voltage regulation equipment and extensive AMI – has enabled Scottsboro Electric Power Board to trim electricity costs and increase the stability of its distribution network.
The Challenge
In 2014, Scottsboro Electric Power Board (SEPB) was invited by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to participate in a new conservation voltage regulation (CVR) program. The program aimed to minimize voltage levels throughout the utility’s network, reduce power consumption, and lower costs. To meet the technical demands of the program, SEPB needed to deploy a voltage regulation software to monitor their electrical network.
SEPB had been using SurvalentONE SCADA since 2003 and had subsequently expanded its ADMS capabilities to include OMS, Power Factor Control, WebSurv, and several other SurvalentONE applications. The utility was confident in Survalent’s ability to deliver high standards of quality and service. Therefore, SEPB decided to implement SurvalentONE DVR for seamless integration with their existing ADMS.
The Solution
SEPB soon realized that in addition to supporting their initial CVR effort, SurvalentONE DVR was also capable of maintaining voltages within a tighter band during peak demand hours. Therefore, the utility also implemented a separate voltage regulation regime for daily peak periods in conjunction with TVA’s Dispatchable Voltage Regulation time-of-use program.
SEPB also invested in AMI technology, enabling SurvalentONE DVR to read true end-of-line voltages, use them to regulate each feeder, and provide valuable situational awareness of the network. As a result of the SurvalentONE DVR implementation, SEPB receives a reduced wholesale cost from TVA, automatically reduces daily peaks, and has increased the stability of their distribution network.
Scottsboro Electric Power Board (SEPB) is a municipally owned utility in the City of Scottsboro, Alabama, that delivers electric, cable, Internet, and phone services to 8,500 customers
