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Network Explorer

Network Explorer is a browser-based Energy Workbench application that provides general purpose visibility of electricity network assets, time-series load trends and customer information via a geospatial map.

The geospatial map tiles are generated by the Energy Workbench network server, which has a network asset and connectivity model. This enables tracing and aggregation functions to be performed, allowing users to highlight and analyse selected subsets of the network.

The same underlying map component is also used across other Energy Workbench applications, including EDNAR and the PowerFactory and Sincal model builders, ensuring a consistent view of the network for all users.

The network levels displayable on the map will depend on which voltage levels have been loaded into the Energy Workbench, but can include

  • sub-transmission (typically 66 kV and higher),
  • High/Medium (typically between 6 kV and 33 kV)
  • low voltage (typically 120 or 240 V)

The asset model is typically refreshed daily via extracts from the GIS, ADMS, Customer Information and other corporate systems, however this will depend on how the Energy Workbench has been deployed for your organisation.

The Network Explorer also supports real time switch state updates, allowing visibility of both the current and normal network states and can show both proposed and out of service assets if this data is available to the Energy Workbench.

Accessing the application

Network Explorer runs in most modern browsers such as Chrome and Edge and is also supported in browsers on apple and android tablet devices. The landing page is accessed via a web address.

For an Energy Workbench solution hosted by Zepben, the standard URL format (to be used in the browser address bar) is:

https://prod.your-org.zepben.com/

Your system administrator will supply the URL for a self hosted deployment.

Parameters can also be included with the web address, allowing for the application to show the map at a specified location and zoom level on startup. For example, the following URL will display the map at the specified latitude and longitude specified by the x and y parameters, and at a zoom level specified by the z parameter:

https://prod.your-org.zepben.com/?x=144.1286661098968&y=-36.10037209284242&z=8.816127519089608

User authentication is typically implemented using Single Sign On (SSO), meaning once you are authenticated on your device, the application will open without further prompting for username and password.

Summary of functions

Network explorer includes the following functions:

  • The network map - shows electricity network assets overlaid on a geospatial land base provided by OpenStreetMap.
  • Layer controls – allow selection of which assets are to be displayed, along with controls to colour the network by phase, voltage or feeder.
  • Metrics – provides drill down asset counts at various network levels.
  • Device tree - provides a tree view of devices along a selected feeder, down to the individual customer level.
  • Network hierarchy – provides a tree view regions, sub-transmission loops, zone substations, feeders and distribution transformers.
  • Load data trends - shows trends of aggregated load data for selected portions of the network, including max/min daily profiles, load over time and load duration curves, from individual customers to entire feeders.
  • Customer lists - provides customer lists for selected portions of the network.
  • Network tracing functions - allows the network assets to be selected from various trace functions. The traced assets are highlighted on the map and are used to define the network extents for generation of customer lists and the Load data trend displays.
  • Asset attribution – shows detailed attributes for individual assets.
  • GeoJSON studies – allows users of the Python SDK to create and upload geoJSON payloads to display additional overlays on the map.
note

Much of the text in the Network Explorer is configurable through a language file. This documentation has been written with the "out of the box" language file that ships with the application. Your organisation may change some of the text to suit local terminology or language.