Exacter Reliability Services Showing 15-40% Reductions in Equipment Outages

COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwired - Dec 14, 2016) - Exacter reports that customers using Exacter's Grid Analytics Strategy over the last three years are reporting a reduction in equipment-related power outages between 15-40%. Exacter's proprietary predictive grid analytics provide a proven strategy with actionable data for impacting SAIDI, SAIFI, and reducing customer minutes of interruption (CMI). The Exacter Grid Intelligence process integrates historical outage data, circuit performance data, and GIS information with its proprietary Exacter outage-avoidance field data to produce predictive maintenance actions that target the best potential locations for impacting reliability performance at the lowest cost.

"Utilities are looking at new strategies for reducing SAIDI, SAIFI, and customer interruptions and targeting equipment-related power outages represents a great opportunity for impact," states Stephen Engle, VP of Sales for Exacter, Inc. "Exacter pre-project grid analytics produce a number of scenarios that allow the utility to develop action plans based on their goals. Each scenario presents a different objective-based profile for specific, pinpointed circuit maintenance to achieve a specific result. One scenario could be for reducing customer complaints, another for reducing SAIDI, another for impacting SAIFI, and yet another to target the most problematic circuits on the system. Each eliminates the need for circuit rebuilds."

When the analysis is complete and circuit attack profile decisions are made, Exacter patrols those circuits using its proprietary outage avoidance technology. Specific points emitting failure signatures on each circuit are identified and located via GPS, then 100% verified in the field using ultrasonic technology. A pole number, GPS location, and photograph of the problematic asset become part of the report. Eliminating the problem improves circuit performance.

When the location of the problematic overhead assets are combined with GIS data, each point identified by Exacter will have a criticality measure calculating how many customers would be impacted should an outage occur at that location. "The power of Exacter's grid analytics is the integration of both historical outage data, and GIS data with the true conditions-based field data our system provides," continued Engle. "It allows the utility to have visibility into actual risks on the system and assess the urgency of pre-emptive maintenance based on the criticality measure of customers affected."

Utilities that have used the Exacter grid analytics strategy show dramatic impact on SAIDI and SAIFI by using precise targeted maintenance rather than expensive line rebuilds. "When you know how many risk points are out there, where they are, and how critical each point is to the system, you have the data you need to make intelligence-driven decisions for continuous improvement of your reliability indices," concluded Engle.

Since 2007 Exacter, Inc. has provided strategic information and technology for helping utilities manage multiple aspects of overhead distribution & transmission reliability and overall asset management including predictive reliability initiatives, improving worst performing circuits, prioritizing capital planning, improving reliability indices, accelerating smart grid value and improving outage recovery.