Solutions Brochure

The Sentient Energy Grid Analytics System^TM

Sentient Energy’s comprehensive system helps make the grid safe, reliable, and ready for renewable energy sources like solar and electric vehicles. Our solution combines intelligent sensors with powerful management and analytics software. Lower your utility’s operational costs and improve satisfaction by preemptively addressing circuit issues while maintaining reliability.

What Sets Public Power Utilities Apart

Community-owned and governed by the people you serve, public power utilities conduct business with a unique focus on long- term relationships, deep trust and delivery of affordable, reliable electricity. These items and more set your utility apart, and provide for the delivery of consistently lower electricity costs with fewer outages.

As a member of APPA and NRECA, Sentient Energy understands that member and community-owned power companies differ. from their investor-owned counterparts. And that’s why we tailor our approach to effectively meet the needs of our electric public power customers.

How Sentient Energy’s Grid Analytics System Meets Your Needs

Continued grid reliability and grid modernization

Reliability

Like oscilloscopes attached to overhead feeders, laterals and underground power lines, Sentient Energy’s intelligent sensors collect high-resolution load, fault, disturbance waveforms and power direction measurements. Our solution offers universal monitoring and predictive analytics for overhead feeders, laterals and underground lines. Numerous utilities have shown that intelligent line sensors are the most cost-effective and fastest way to reduce outage durations and enhance field crew productivity.

Enhanced grid visibility while keeping operational costs down

Visibility and O&M Costs

Acting as a utility’s “eyes and ears” in the field, our hi-resolution sensors capture and process detailed data at many points along the grid—communicating alerts and analyses to SCADA or AmpleTM Analytics modules. Momentary faults and disturbance signatures are quickly and often preemptively identified and analyzed before they become a larger, more expensive sustained fault problem—especially during wildfire and storm seasons.

Increased efficiency in deployment of manpower and resources

Manpower and Resources

The MM3^TM, ZM1^TM and UM3+^TM intelligent grid sensors are quick and easy to install without

de-energization and simple to monitor. Text and email alerts are driven by customizable, utility-set thresholds and parameters so that engineers are not bombarded with alerts they’re not interested in. With no additional management resources needed, these targeted alerts provide simplicity of monitoring—saving the utility additional manpower and the engineer valuable time.

Increasing need for renewable energy and electric vehicle integration

DER and EV Integration

Renewable energy sources like solar and electric vehicles connecting to the grid cause changes
in power demand and load patterns. As more buyers of electricity also become sellers, the
need to monitor flow of current in both directions is increasingly important. Sentient Energy
intelligent sensors help public power utilities manage bi-directional reliability.

Components of the Sentient Energy Grid Analytics System

Sentient Energy’s Grid Analytics System consists of intelligent line sensors, distributed apps and the Ample Analytics suite. The sensors monitor overhead feeders, laterals and underground lines.

MM3 – our flagship intelligent sensor; high-performance monitors featuring substation-class measurement, computing and processing capabilities
ZM1 – complements the MM3; intelligent sensing and
high-resolution data capture capabilities available at grid locations with low or no amperage
UM3+ – high resolution sensing and distributed
computing capabilities for the underground grid

The Ample Analytics Suite

Ample is the core software platform used to collect and manage data and analytics from the Sentient Energy line monitors — providing feeder, circuit and system-wide insights. Ample simplifies deployments, managing the sensors from manufacturing through provisioning and configuration. Key features of our analytics suite include:

On-premise and/or hosted, Ample records sustained
faults, momentary faults and transient disturbances
User-specific role support to proactively identify needed repairs, minimize truck rolls and head-off larger, more costly issues
Flexible licensing options to fit immediate and future needs
Four modules including Manage, Monitor, SAIDI, and SAIFI Detect
Can interface to SCADA, OMS, DMS and other
operational systems

An Evolution in Grid Management & Reliability

Reactive

Utilities could only react to line disturbances and outages

Proactive

Now, with intelligent sensors and analytics, utilities can pre-emptively address issues

Predictive

Actionable near real-time data and predictive analytics are leveraged to predict safety and reliability issues

The Sentient Energy Grid Analytics System enables industry evolution from REACTIVE to PROACTIVE to PREDICTIVE

More Advantages of Sentient Energy’s Grid Analytics System

MM3 and ZM1 overhead sensors install without de-energization in less than 2 minutes per sensor
Once installed, sensors keep running, 24×7, 365 days a year
Communications flexibility: RF Mesh and 4G/5G-ready
Ample Fleet Management is modular, flexible and scalable—it can easily control a small number of sensors. per feeder for initial use cases all the way to system-wide deployment
Ample SAIDI and SAIFI provide tremendous visibility into power quality and sophisticated analytics for. improved safety, reliability and O&M savings
Ample Monitor provides immediate detailed access to load and unbalances anywhere on the distribution grid or at substations
Ample instantly sends notice of sustained interruptions and other user defined performance thresholds by e-mail or text

The Sentient Energy Grid Analytics System is an integral part of grid modernization, visibility and reliability efforts. Our affordable solutions save you time and money, paying for themselves quickly.

System Components	Intelligent sensors, communications software, analytics
Measurements Supported	Load, direction, faults, oscillography, temperature, 120 data points, others
Deployable Grid Locations	Overhead feeders, laterals, underground, risers, substation
Software Deployment Options	Utility data center, public or private cloud
Client	Browsers: Chrome, Internet Explorer, direct DNP to SCADA
Communications Support	Cellular (LTE/4G,3G,2G,GPRS/GSM, CDMA fallback), Landis+Gyr Gridstream, Itron/SSN
Communications Security	Transport Layer Security (TLS) with managed PKI, DNP3 SAv5
Protocols	DNP3, IPv4, IPv6, Latency Tolerant ProtocolTM
Sensor Operating System	Linux
Server Operating System	Redhat, CentOS