At the heart of the State of New Yorkâs power-curtailment program to reduce electricity consumption during peak-load times is a pioneering shop floor-to-business-platform solution involving Opto 22âs SNAP Ultimate input/output (I/O) units and Computer Associateâs Unicenter Network and Systems Management software solution.
Remotely located generators will be centrally connected, says Eric Breen, president of Deer Park, N.Y.-based Energy Aggregation Services, which is managing the project. The center will be the focus of operations and a repository for all data gathered from the generators. âThe entire hardware and software solution will be used to verify the readiness of these generator assets to alleviate peak loads, as well as provide the necessary data for billing and settlement transactions.â
The I/O system-to-generator interface is via analog and digital signals or, in cases in which the generator has a serial port, via serial interface. âOnce configured, I/O units will send simple network management protocol (SNMP)-based messages, containing initial meter readings, back to the control center, along with alarms to warn of overheating, loss of oil pressure and other critical conditions. A final meter reading will be recorded so the New York State Independent System Operator, a public agency, can compensate facility owners accordingly,â says Breen, who manages this distributed-power-generation project.
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