Power Analytics Article Index for
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Power Analytics





ECONOMIC IMPERATIVES FOR POWER ANALYTICS


Complex,“mission critical” electrical power systems are typically found in facilities such as a computer Data Center , Network Operations Center , Air Traffic Control systems, transportation networks, Power Generation and Power Transmission plants, Manufacturing facilities, etc.

A power outage in such facilities can have costly or even catastrophic consequences, with many companies losing millions of dollars (U.S.) per incident of downtime. In the United States, more than 500,000 businesses and consumers experience electrical power problems every day... with the average power outage lasting two hours. The annual cost to the U.S. economy due to these power disruptions is estimated at $104–$164 billion... not including up to another $24 billion due to power quality phenomena. {Link without Title}

For example, following the North American Northeast Blackout Of 2003 , research among data center operators showed that – of 500 companies surveyed – nearly half experienced significant financial losses, with 10% of them experiencing losses exceeding $1 million (U.S.) [2]. The severity of these losses varies by industry: firms in the financial services sector, for example, stand to lose upwards of $6.45 million per hour of downtime [3].

According to published reports, 40% of all business downtime is caused by electrical power problems [4]. Of those electrical power problems, 80% originate within the organization’s own infrastructure, not external causes [5].


HOW POWER ANALYTICS WORK


As with Business- and Predictive Analytics, there is a significant use of knowledge-based systems and artificial intelligence-like software technologies in the underlying system. [7 .

Power Analytics rely on two types of software package used to model power systems infrastructure, and 2) a diagnostics software package that uses the specifications within the CAD model, to compare against live data from the infrastructure itself {Link without Title} . In doing so, Power Analytics:

  • Assesses rapidly-changing electrical power variables (such as loss of utility power, overloading, etc.) to discern and preempt threats such as power fluctuations and/or a power outage.

  • Provides users with detailed insight into the real-time status of their electrical power infrastructure, e.g. their power systems availability, capacity, and reliability.

  • Guides users through the design, planning, maintenance, and operations procedures necessary to achieve maximum power systems uptime, and minimize power-related downtime.




REFERENCES & SOURCES


EYP-MCF / Critical Power Coalition whitepaper [http://www.criticalpowercoalition.org/presandinfo.html

AFCOM Data Center Institute [http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=105&STORY=/www/story/09-15-2003/0002016980

Contingency Planning & Research [http://www.contingencyplanningresearch.com/2001%20Survey.pdf

{Link without Title} Sandia National Laboratories

{Link without Title} Electric Light & Power Magazine

[6] WIRED Magazine [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.03/hawkins.html]

[7] Business 2.0 magazine [http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/02/01/8398989/index.htm]

7x24 Exchange Conference, Newslink article [http://www.edsa.com/newsEvents/7x24ExchangeFeature.pdf