Public Power Systems provide an important value to the communities they serve. Schneider Engineering provides comprehensive engineering, financial, consulting solutions to our Municipally-Owned Utility (MOU) Clients to assist them in meeting their goals of reliability, competitiveness, and value to the community. Our MOU service offerings are designed to assist utilities meet urban engineering and operational challenges, evaluate and apply advances in technology, understand changing expectations from consumers, navigate requirements from regulatory agencies, and adopt sound strategies to meet the dynamic challenges of the power supply market.
Sample projects are shown below. To request more information, visit our Contact Us page or call us at 830.249.3887.
This project involved preparing a system-wide coordination study on this North Texas electric system that evaluated the existing device coordination and making recommendations for improvements. SE’s electric analysis included: Running coordination studies in Milsoft WindMil and LightTable to evaluate existing distribution device coordination for approximately 36 distribution feeders and 32 downline electronic devices; Making recommendations for updated device overcurrent setting to improve system protection and device coordination, as well as for new reclosers or alternate recloser locations; Providing fault information for each existing and recommended device location; and Preparing fusing recommendations. (2018-2019) As part of building a new 138kV substation in Central Texas, this project consisted of one 138kV, 20 MVA Power Transformer with 13kV feeder breakers and provisions for future power transformers and feeder breakers. Schneider Engineering’s scope of work included: Major equipment procurement; Engineering design including: Civil/Site Work Design, Electrical Design, Relay and Control Design, Underground Feeder Duct Design, Foundation Layout and Details, including spill containment, Structural Design, and Preparation of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) Relay Settings; Plans and Drawings; Construction bidding and contracting; and Construction coordination and inspection. The Civil and Site Work design included: Conducting a topographic survey of the pre-construction site; Producing a topographic map of the site; Cut/Fill/Grading plans; Design of a decorative concrete security fence with motorized sliding gates; Security card readers for gate operation; An on-site storm water detention pond and sedimentation filter; Highway entrance design; Coordination with the City Engineering Dept. for highway entrance and pavement; Road widening and pavement design; Preparation of SWPPP plans and documentation; and Preparation and certification of a SPCC plan for the facility. (2016-2019) This Utility was awarded a CEC PEV Readiness grant to plan for necessary electric system infrastructure, installation and permitting practices, and rate structures to accommodate increased number of residential Plug-in Vehicle (PEV) charging stations. Schneider Engineering prepared an engineering analysis, a comprehensive electric cost of service (COS) study, and associated rate design that prepared the Utility for the impact of PEV charging stations at varying saturation levels. The scope of work for the Cost of Service and Rate Study work included: Project kickoff, development of goals/deliverables; Data collection and assimilation; Analyzing data received from Client; Analyzing available historical load research data for all existing customer groups; Analyzing existing customer groups and rate schedules, and propose additions or deletions; Developing cost of service and rate design model; Reviewing allocation models and methodologies with input from the City staff; Revising and presenting final model with inputs for scenario modeling; Presentation of Financial Forecast and Cost of Service studies to City Council; Developing comprehensive proof of revenues and rate design model; Validating model with input from the City staff; Revising and presenting final model with inputs for scenario modeling; Reviewing rate ordinances for customer classes; and Finalizing and presenting final rate ordinances to City Council. The scope of work for the CEC PEV Readiness Grant included: Developing permitting and inspection process and recommendations for residential PEV programs; Developing the electric system model and review local load capacity and methods for managing distribution; Performing comprehensive study on impacts to the City's electric distribution system from the addition of level 1 and level 2 PEV charging stations on residential homes at various saturation levels; Determining required system improvements and cost estimates for improvements; Reviewing and studying possible issues using solar PV and energy storage; Reviewing above findings and reporting and compile; Preparing rate structure; and Finalizing and presentation to City Council. (2018-Current)
This Client retained SE to coordinate the preparation of a RFP to solicit proposals for companies that will design and install Community Solar / Distributed Generation Solar projects on a turn-key basis on properties in their service areas. SE’s scope of work included: Preparing RFPs for the design and installation of community/DG projects on a turn-key basis including RFP requested technical and cost information regarding various options, such as tracking arrays vs. fixed arrays, SSA (Solar Services Agreements), PPA (Purchased Power Agreements), and other purchase/ownership options; Issuance of RFP/management of proposal responses including issuing request for proposal, managing and responding to vendor information requests and questions, and receiving proposals from vendors; Proposal evaluation including fully evaluating and vetting the RFP, developing a short list of suppliers from the RFP process, attending short listed vendor meetings as requested by Client, negotiating contractual agreements with preferred suppliers, finalizing and implementing contractual agreements with preferred suppliers, attending collaborative meetings as requested by Client, and attending board meetings as requested by the Client; Project management of project deployment to current selected site and four future sites; Grant procurement and implementation support including development of two grant proposal submittals and development of final grant proposal submittal; and Program Development Support including tariff and rate design for Solar in Your Community program and program deployment and implementation support. This Client was awarded a $50,000.00 grant from the DOE and an additional $100,000 grant for Best LMI program. (2016-Current) This project consisted of rebuilding sections of overhead distribution line to accommodate a road widening, addition of sidewalks and pedestrian/bicycle trails adjacent to the University campus. Schneider Engineering designed multiple pole relocations and replacements, line re-routes, and conversion of one section of overhead distribution line to an underground duct bank to facilitate the addition of a parking Garage on the University campus. SE coordinated relocation of communications infrastructure in addition to the distribution lines. Deliverables included initial evaluation of poles, coordination of new pole locations, design of new line routes and new poles, and design of the underground duct bank. SE also provided construction specifications and bid documents, construction drawings and stringing charts, and construction support and inspection. (2015-2017) This project included running a distribution analysis to evaluate the capacity of each of this Utility's 40 feeders to accommodate solar generation without adversely impacting the feeder or feeder upgrades. SE’s scope of work included meeting with the Client, performing distribution WindMil Analysis which evaluated the kW demand trend for each feeder in peak and off-peak demand using feeder interval data for each feeder, modeling distributed PV generation along each distribution feeder using the Client-provided system model, identifying locations and model distribution PV generation at the end of the longest three-phase distribution line of each feeder, and running voltage drop analysis on each feeder to evaluate the distribution system with generation and determine the holding capacity for each feeder, running a substation analysis to determine and report if the combined distribution PV hosting capacity of each feeder exceeded the demand on each substation power transformer; and providing a written report that provided the PV hosting capacity for each distributed solar installation and end of line installation at each feeder. (2018)
SYSTEM COORDINATION STUDY
NEW SUBSTATION
COS AND RATE STUDY / CEC PEV GRANT
COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS / DG
BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN PROJECT
PV HOSTING CAPACITY STUDY
