A CIM Based Data Integration Framework for Distribution Utilities

With the proliferation of distributed energy resources and advanced metering, modern electric power distribution systems require more simulation and engineering analysis to ensure that the planning and operation of the evolving feeders are efficient and reliable. Although distribution analytical and operational tools are widely available, their usage by utility engineers has been particularly difficult because of the huge effort required in massaging the data available from their enterprise systems into the unique database requirements for each analytical tool. This paper presents a data modelling and application usage framework for utilities that utilizes the Common Information Model (CIM) to standardize and integrate data directly available from the utility enterprise database. The paper describes this framework's approach in standardizing a utility's distribution data and storing it in a large database of high fidelity CIM models which can then be used as input to any analytical tool that can accept data in a CIM structure. This is demonstrated by using this CIM-based integration framework for Avista Corporation to translate data in the CIM structure into a distribution model of GridLAB-D, which is an open source distribution system simulator. The results from GridLAB-D are presented to show that many proprietary distribution analytical and operational tools can be made inter-operable if the utilities adopt such a CIM based data platform as a standard for distribution data.