IN-PERSON CLASSROOM SEMINARS

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Jason Makansi - Fundamental of "Big Data": Business Analytics and Digital Intelligence Across the Electricity Production and Delivery Value Chain


A Two-Day Classroom Seminar (CPE Approved)

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Powerful data management and software analytical tools, often discussed under the rubrics of "big data, deep think, the Internet of everything, or the industrial Internet," are altering the landscape of electricity infrastructure development and management. Smart Grid alone is in many ways a huge data acquisition and management program. But these powerful tools are changing the ground rules at power stations, fleet operation centers, and dispatch and grid control facilities. Some experts believe that professionals must now distinguish between the infrastructure "brain" and the "brawn" of the physical equipment. This course lays out the fundamentals of Big Data as it specifically applies to the electricity production and delivery value chain - fuel/energy sources, generating plants, transmission, distribution, and electricity demand management. [Details to follow]. Attendees will be conversant in the basic principles driving analytic software, Internet applications, cloud applications, and will ensure that attendees get beyond the buzz words to what's practical and what has real potential in the electricity industry.

What You Will Learn
  • How to distinguish data, information, and knowledge
  • Aligning the corporate IT perspective with the asset operator/manager perspective - IT (Information Technology) and OT (operating technology)
  • Time-stamped data: real-time data, intermittent data, off-line data, etc.
  • The data to knowledge continuum
  • Acquiring data: meters, metrics, measurements, sensors, and "operator rounds"
  • Structured vs unstructured data: organizing the data streams
  • Quantity vs quality of data: Harnessing the flood
  • The basics of systems automation, monitoring, diagnostics, and control: distinguishing among the four
  • Data/information propagation: Internet, telecommunications, extranets, intranets, wireless, and sneaker-nets
  • The meta-organization and digital intelligence: remote locations, outsourced services, and centralized monitoring and diagnostics
  • Conceptualizing a data/information/knowledge and for any asset (e.g., power plant, substation, home energy system, etc)
  • Crunching data: algorithms, models, pattern recognition, neural networks, analytics, optimization
  • Reporting, communicating, and presenting data: Taming the firehose
  • Reaching across organizational barriers - integrating islands of automation to streamline communications
  • Managing security aspects of digital intelligence
  • Basic functions of the myriad pieces and parts of the digital knowledge network - including digital devices (cell phones, tablets, pads, PCs, etc.); analytics software; hardware (computers, servers, human/machine interfaces, networks, etc.); raw data sensing elements; final control devices; inventory, outage, and maintenance management systems; automation and control systems;
  • Forecasting equipment, organizational issues: predictive analytics and forecasting engines
  • Converting digital intelligence into business and asset performance gains - cost savings and avoidance, allocating capital, insurance reductions, availability gains, efficiency gains, optimized equipment sparing philosophies, right-sized staff, regulatory assurance (NERC, state PUCs, cybersecurity, others), etc.
  • Digital intelligence, staff, and time: getting the right information to the right people at the right time
Seminar Agenda
  • Review of the electricity production and delivery value chain
  • Review of electricity infrastructure organizations, management, and functional chains of command - electric utilities, independents and merchants, transmission companies, distribution companies, grid operators, ISOs and RTOs, etc - and regulatory and business structures
  • Outline of the data/information/knowledge production and delivery value chain
  • The digital intelligence system from the corporate IT perspective
  • The digital intelligence system from the asset (e.g., power plant, substation, distribution network) automation and M&D perspective
  • From component to machine to system to plant - digital intelligence, "smart devices," and data propagation at every level
  • Integrating digital intelligence with the people and functions in the organization - from reactive to pro-active based on forecasting and predictive capabilities
  • Primary example 1: The digital intelligence system for a power plant
  • Primary example 2: The digital intelligence system for a transmission grid substation
  • Primary example 3: The digital intelligence system for a smart-metered network distribution area
  • Primary example 4: The digital intelligence system for home energy automation system and utility interface
  • Putting digital intelligence to work by function: Operations, maintenance, environmental and safety regulatory compliance, management and executive "dashboards,"
  • Big issue 1: cybersecurity and the reliability of the digital intelligence system
  • Big issue 2: Distinguishing the signal from the noise - error, uncertainty
  • The new high performance organization: embedding digital intelligence into every person and every component/system and the performance gains possible
  • Examples of integrating digital intelligence with reliability centered maintenance, plant dispatch and trading, emissions control, vendor services, machine fleet performance metrics, regulatory standards (NERC reliability, PAS 55), and many more
Hotel and Seminar Information
This two-day seminar will be held at the hotel listed below or can be conducted on-site at your facilities. The seminar will start promptly at 8:00 AM and will finish at 4:30 PM on the first day. On the second day, the seminar will resume at 8:00 AM and will finish at 12:00 PM (noon). The program includes continental breakfast, lunch, and coffee breaks. Attendees also receive a professionally produced seminar manual that can serve as a valuable office reference. Dress is casual for all seminars.
COVID 19 Information: Please click here for the PGS Covid-19 policy. You can confirm each hotel's specific COVID 19 policy using the link(s) provided below.
Registration Fee and Discounts
The price for this comprehensive two-day seminar is $1,595 (USD).
Register online or Call (843) 212-4038.
  • Additional attendees and government employees receive a 10% discount.
  • Register 4 or more attendees and receive 20% Off. Special pricing is available for groups of 5 or more.
    If you want attendees to pay with separate credit cards or have other questions, please call (843) 212-4038 for assistance.
Payments and Cancellations
Payment is due prior to the start of the seminar by Visa, Master Card, American Express, or corporate check. Seminar fees will be charged to your credit card at the time of registration unless other arrangements have been made. Please make checks payable to "PGS Energy Training" 26 Teal Lane • Hilton Head Island, SC 29926. Cancellations will result in a credit that is good for 2 years which can be transferred to a colleague. Substitutions may be made at any time. For more information on PGS policies regarding administrative matters and complaint resolution, please contact our offices at (843) 212-4038.
CPE Credits in Specialized Knowledge

This live group seminar is eligible for 11.0 CPE credits. Be aware that state boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. As of January 1, 2002, sponsored learning activities are measured by program length, with one 50-minute period equal to one CPE credit. One-half CPE credit increments (equal to 25 minutes) are permitted after the first credit has been earned in a given learning activity. You may want to verify that the state board from which your participants will be receiving credit accept one-half credits.

PGS Energy Training is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org. CPAs interested in attending any seminars should contact our offices for details on CPE credits granted and any prerequisite requirements.
PGS Energy Training is registered with GARP as an Approved Provider of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits. If you are a Certified FRM or ERP, please record this activity in your Credit Tracker at http://www.garp.org/cpd. Please inform PGS Energy Training that you are a GARP CPE participant upon seminar registration.

The Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) is a not-for-profit membership association dedicated to preparing professionals and organizations for making better-informed risk decisions. GARP's membership represents more than 150,000 risk management practitioners and researchers at academic institutions, banks, corporations, government agencies, and investment management firms in 195 countries and territories. GARP administers the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and Energy Risk Professional (ERP) Exams – certifications recognized by risk professionals worldwide. Visit www.garp.org/cpd.
Who Should Attend

This workshop is designed for all professionals involved with electricity infrastructure, from the owner-operator firms, regulatory and government agencies, consumer and advocacy groups, equipment and system suppliers, energy traders and marketers, project developers and designers, architect engineers and construction firms, corporate planners, and executives lacking a firm grounding in digital asset intelligence as applied to electricity production and delivery, even IT professionals with gaps in the digital intelligence for asset management, and I&C/electrical engineers with gaps in their IT training and experience

Prerequisites and Advance Preparation

This course has no prerequisites. No advance preparation is required before the seminar.

Why Choose PGS?

PGS seminars are known for their clear explanations and in-depth content. Register for a PGS class today, and join the over 10,000 energy professionals who have already attended one of PGS's proven programs.

Program Level & Delivery Method
Intermediate level. CPE delivery method is "Group-Live."