UISOL Delivers Smart Grid Architecture to Glendale Water and Power

LAFAYETTE, Calif., Dec. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- UISOL, the utility systems integrator, has delivered to Glendale Water & Power (GWP) the architecture for one of the nation's most progressive, comprehensive smart power programs.

This architecture provides the guidelines, standards and processes for the applications, the data, and the integration associated with Smart Grid while overlaying comprehensive security architecture. It empowers GWP to unify all current communications, deploy enterprise service bus (ESB) technology to enhance systems integration, strengthen firewalls and security measures, improve efficiency of operational and business functions, and lay the foundation for managing future intelligent utility operations. The architecture includes an implementation roadmap over the next five years.

"Careful planning was a top priority for us," said GWP General Manager and CEO Glenn Steiger. "We needed a utility specialist to help us build a system and process that will accommodate whatever changes occur in technology and applications or in consumer needs in the future. UISOL's leadership integrating enterprise-wide distributed energy resources made them the best possible choice."

Municipal utilities like Glendale are undergoing significant change as they embrace smart metering and smart grid. Glendale recognized that this change would involve several new technologies and information systems and require complete integration of systems and data to achieve the benefits and goals of smart grid.

UISOL CEO Ali Vojdani sees the GWP project as a vital utility service that is becoming increasingly affordable for municipal utilities, "As silos fall and data becomes more readily available within secure operations' centers and across departments, utilities increase efficiency, reduce operational costs, and realize the potential for delivering greater value to consumers."

Glendale has recently completed the installation of smart metering for all its electric and water meters and will begin implementing the next phase of smart grid including distribution automation and grid optimization. With the architecture, Glendale has created a comprehensive data model and selected an enterprise service bus (ESB) technology to speed the integration of the new systems and operations throughout Glendale's water and electric services.

With the architecture in place and a detailed roadmap laid out, the project is progressing to the next phase of deployment, an interim state architecture that integrates current capabilities and lays the groundwork for new applications.

The new Glendale Water and Power architecture is based on industry standards and practices, such as National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Smart Grid Maturity Model from Carnegie Mellon Institute.

About UISOL
Utility Integration Solutions, Inc. (UISOL) is the utility industry systems integration specialist. UISOL is a wholly-owned Alstom subsidiary, delivering consulting and systems integration to clients worldwide. UISOL helps clients transform their business performance through the power of smart integration for demand response, smart grid, advanced metering, advanced distribution management, market operations, energy storage, communications, customer and enterprise asset management, and more. Learn more: www.uisol.com

Media Contact:
Nancy Broe
The McDonnell Group, Inc.
404-583-0003
[email protected]

SOURCE Utility Integration Solutions (UISOL)