JUST RECENTLY, “I Am Iloilo City’s” and soon Iloilo Province sole power distribution utility MORE Electric and Power Corporation a.k.a. MORE Power took a bold step in ensuring the future of power distribution in the region.
And that bold step is, an advanced Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, the system is part of a P115 million investment to complete a modern system designed to improve power services in its franchise area.
This landmark initiative for the Western Visayas energy sector introduces the area’s first fully unmanned 30MVA substation.
So, what is SCADA and what does it do, it serves as the heart of its entire power system, as well as fiber optics and point-to-point connection, which means the centralized Scada system is the key feature of the control center capable of operating and monitoring operations in real-time not only in Iloilo and Panay but also in areas where the entity will be operating in the future. This allows the control center to respond to any issues within seconds.
The SCADA system, which also serves as the “brain” of the company’s distribution system, is a combination of software, hardware and intelligent programming that enables them to monitor, control, record data and forecast supply and demand situation.
This system allows a power distributor to control circuit breakers and switch all substations remotely without a manual intervention in these facilities. That way, the personnel can be reassigned to more critical roles.
Likewise, the SCADA system records and consolidates data and subsequently generates a simplified report to apprise operators of the power system’s current state.
Other features include instantaneous fault detection to resolve issues in the power system and a 24/7 helpline to address complaints more efficiently.
Who would have thought that just 5 years ago when MORE Power took over, substations were nearly overloaded, frequently knocked out, and in poor condition, some were not even upgraded for 30 years, distribution lines, aging poles, high systems loss, and rampant illegal connections.
Today, five years after taking over from an obsolete almost dilapidated power distribution utility MORE Power took “I Am Iloilo City” into the 21st century with state-of-the-art advanced Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
Moving on, this achievement represents a major advance in modernizing the region’s power infrastructure, underscoring MORE Power’s commitment to efficient, reliable, and innovative service for Ilonggo consumers.
The facility is remotely controlled from MORE Power’s Control Center via an advanced Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Fully automated, it is operated and managed entirely from the center, with real-time data delivering all essential information.
State-of-the-art design allows monitoring of load flow, voltage levels, and equipment conditions without on-site human supervision.
Expanding SCADA systems and Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) forms a key part of MORE Power’s five-year development plan and grid modernization efforts.
To say that it is impressive is an understatement; MORE Power is literally taking “I Am Iloilo City” into the future of power distribution.
As MORE Power president/CEO Roel Castro said, “We will make use of the best technologies to assure our customers of the benefits, because we at MORE Power recognize that a city that is rapidly-developing cannot run anymore on a distribution system with conventional, manual methods.”
Indeed, the future technology wise of power distribution is already here and coming soon in the very near future is “One Iloilo, One Rate, One Service”./PN
