Benefits of IntelliGrid Architecture

The current information infrastructure of the energy industry is plagued with legacy systems, proprietary protocols, stranded applications and ad hoc interfaces. This jumble impedes the expansion and upgrading of computer systems, software applications, and new equipment. The IntelliGrid Architecture, therefore, further identifies a recommended approach to add new applications that are readily integrated and replace the jumble of legacy interfaces with common ones; and thus provide lower cost solutions as the information infrastructure grows in extent and complexity.

Figure 1: Benefits of Architecture: Reduced application costs from standardized ‘building blocks’

The specific benefits of IntelliGrid Architecture are:

§ Enabling advanced applications that will require a ubiquitous infrastructure

§ Capital savings from standardized components that can be competitively procured

§ Life cycle savings from lower maintenance costs due to standardization

§ Reduction in stranded assets from systems that can integrate

§ Ability to incrementally build upon first steps; and then scale up massively

§ Reduced development costs by building on components of IntelliGrid Architecture systems engineering

§ Robustness achieved from structured approaches to systems management

§ And finally, an architecture is necessary to consistently and adequately secure the energy industry.