The Role of ArcGIS Utility Network in the Utility Industry

The ArcGIS Utility Network introduces new methods and solutions to integrate GIS and other networks.

FREMONT, CA: The Utility Network is developing a new data model to aid the Esri geometric network model with new utility network functionalities. It will introduce new methods and procedures to integrate existing features between the geographic information system (GIS) and other business systems.

The utility sector is introducing new solutions to adapt to global digital adoption and climatic conditions. They attempt to digitalize their networks to leverage data and systems through GIS and spatial data applications. Esri’s ArcGIS benefits the Utility Network in the following areas:

Real-world network: The Utility Network represents the real-world network that allows the GIS to align with SCADA. Utility firms can base their utility network on multiple networks, and domain networks optimize a single utility commodity's functioning. Water and wastewater utilities can operate more than one domain network, which manages assets, equipment, devices, pipes, and cables to carry out utility commodities and control their flow. Utilities can maintain a single structure network that connects to all related equipment and infrastructure and supports the domain networks like poles, cabinets, pipe bridges, ducts, vaults, and chambers.

Abstracted representation of the network: Assemblies and containment relationships allow utility companies to perform network abstraction and visualization. It provides services to visualize energy entities like gas governors on the network. It allows utility players to access devices and equipment and their functionality.

The utility network enables schematic representations based on network connectivity. It is useful for generating representations of one-line diagrams or substation diagrams and for visually representing connectivity resulting from traces in real time.

Modern architecture: The utility network is service oriented and is developing applications in the utility industry. It eliminates the need for direct database connections to edit the network by exposing networks to expanding services. Utility firms can program Utility Networks to perform network functions and integrate other business procedures with network-aware GIS capabilities under secure and accessible platforms. Esri can connect other services and develop specific business applications in addition to its core services.