ISO-NE Changes in GADS Reporting Requirements as of January 1, 2012

by ronfluegge 23. December 2011 16:46

We just received an email from the ISO-NE entitled “Changes in GADS Reporting Requirements as of January 1, 2012” dated December 21st indicating that their reporting requirements have changed.

As a result, we are reviewing our code to ensure that the GADS performance and event files created for ISO-NE for 2012 meet these requirements.

If you submit data to ISO-NE and …

• have not already downloaded the 12/16/2011 update, please wait until we have made these necessary code changes.  
• have already installed the 12/16/2011 update, we would recommend that you download and install the upcoming update when it is available.

We expect to post the ISO-NE update on or before December 30th.

We have sent an email to NYISO asking if they too are planning similar changes.

You will get a follow-up email when the update(s) is posted.

GADS Open Source Version 11.12.16.0 Update

by ronfluegge 16. December 2011 17:33

We have just posted to the websites GADS Open Source Version 11.12.16.0.

Because this release includes NERC GADS mandated changes for 2012, we highly recommend that you install this update.

This is GADS Open Source Version 11.9.9.0 of the Windows UI that has been updated to address the 2012 GADS changes received from NERC as recently as December 12th and the issues as listed below.

Note:  We are modifying the GADS Open Source software to give you the choice to submit to NERC only the mandatory (required) data or the entire GADS data set. 

You will still be able to collect all of the data such as fuel data, event verbal descriptions, etc. but only the data "you choose" will be written into the 05/07 file to be sent or uploaded to NERC/OATI.

If you are a non-North American user, you will not be affected by these changes unless you indicate that you are planning to submit data to NERC in the Unit Setup Console software.  The changes you will see, such as the event verbal description no longer being a required field, will be available to both North American and international users.

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Manual Settings Changes Required (Users submitting to NERC ONLY)

Unit Setup Console 11.12.16.0 - Manual Settings Changes Required (Users submitting to NERC ONLY)

1. On tab 3 for each unit ensure that "Display the Cause Code Extension / Amplification Code field" is CHECKED
2. On tab 3 for each unit ensure that "User can also enter custom values (editable)" is NOT checked.
3. Make sure that you have installed and run the Cause Code Updater application.
4. With full event data reporting, including RS events, now a requirement for most generating units, on tab 2, if your event reporting has changed over time (e.g., in January 2012, you now start reporting RS events), you should enter that change in event reporting using the button on the bottom right.  This ensures that Analysis correctly calculates the factors and rates for the units.

Data Entry 11.12.16.0

1. The default option when writing NERC data is to write out only the REQUIRED data.  If you want to write out ALL GADS data, check "Write ALL Data Including Voluntary to NERC" to write out both the required AND the voluntary NERC GADS data to the files.  Make sure that "Write expanded 05 / 07 data format." is checked when writing files to send to NERC/OATI.

Dashboard 11.12.16.0

1. The default option when writing NERC data is to write out only the REQUIRED data.  If you want to write out ALL GADS data, check "Write ALL Data Including Voluntary to NERC" to write out both the required AND the voluntary NERC GADS data to the files.  Make sure that "Write expanded 05 / 07 data format." is checked when writing files to send to NERC/OATI.

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Code Changes

Data Entry Admin Console 11.12.16.0

1. Can now create a default location to write out the NERC and ISO ASCII files

Data Entry 11.12.16.0

1. The default option when writing NERC data is to write out only the REQUIRED data.  If you want to write out ALL GADS data, check "Write ALL Data Including Voluntary to NERC" to write out both the required AND the voluntary NERC GADS data to the files.  Make sure that "Write expanded 05 / 07 data format." is checked when writing files to send to NERC/OATI.
2. Confirmation of event record deletion on Submit
3. Confirmation when deleting (Rev X) any event
4. Added Browse button to select a folder other than the default when writing ASCII files
5. New cause codes for Pumping (9345) and Synchronous Condensing (9340)
6. Event Verbal Description field is no longer mandatory ... can be left blank.
7. NC events can have available capacities > 0 -- No NC event records in GADS ASCII file per NERC

Changes required by NERC and PJM

8.  Changed D1 validations per NERC – Amp Codes no longer required
9.  All U1s must have an Amp Code (PJM only)
10. All transition U1s - any Amp Code except Amp Codes T1, T2 or 84, or none per NERC
11. All U1s from online - only Amp Codes T1, T2 or 84 allowed per NERC
12. No NC event records in GADS ASCII file per NERC

Dashboard 11.12.16.0

1. The default option when writing NERC data is to write out only the REQUIRED data.  If you want to write out ALL GADS data, check "Write ALL Data Including Voluntary to NERC" to write out both the required AND the voluntary NERC GADS data to the files.  Make sure that "Write expanded 05 / 07 data format." is checked when writing files to send to NERC/OATI.
2. Changed individual event record deletion functionality to mark records for deletion.
3. Added Delete All Events tab

Analysis Admin Console 11.12.16.0

1. A new tab, "Delete All Data", has been added.  This allows you to reset all Analysis & Reporting tables that are mirror-images of the Data Entry event and performance data tables. This essentially forces the software to snapshot all of the data from the Data Entry data tables and to recalculate all the historical data. This is useful if you need to “start over” for any reason.  If you click "Yes" on the two confirmation message popups, the GADS data will be deleted from the Analysis & Reporting tables and will have to be reloaded from DE for the program to have data to use in the calculation process. This option is useful when it is necessary to start over; for example, when it appears that the data in the Analysis & Reporting tables has been corrupted.

Analysis 11.12.16.0

1.  Modified Chronological Event Listing to show contribution code 3 event records if selected
2.  Added list of selected units to footer for custom unit selections when selecting the “Summary Only” option   
3.  Modified code to allow for sorting for Event Details with Cause Code Extensions report
4.  Individual Events | Customized Event Records report allows sorting
5.  The menu item "Delete all Event and Performance Data" to delete all AR performance and event input data has been moved to the AR Admin Console.
6.  Added report to export to Excel NYISO-specified GE MARS input data
7.  Checking "Suppress Page Breaks on Report" suppresses the page breaks on some of the reports (e.g., Chronological Events Listing) so that it prints fewer physical hardcopy pages.
8.  On the Event Details Report the MWh LOA column has been widened to allow for bigger data to be displayed.
9.  Corrected a bug in the Chronological Events Listing report for units in IR and MB status
10. Corrected a bug when running User-defined or Peak Period Set reports

 

If you do install any of the above updates, we recommend a full update of ALL GADS/OS apps.

If you plan on using Microsoft Access for your storing your GADS data, you cannot use Windows XP; however, you can use Windows Vista or Windows 7.  When datasets from Microsoft Access are loaded into SAP Crystal Reports, Crystal Reports generates the unhandled exception that we cannot trap or fix.  This only occurs when running Analysis & Reporting on Windows XP in combination with Access databases.  If you are not able to switch to Windows 7, we recommended using SQL Server 2005 Express or SQL Server 2008 R2 Express (with tools) instead of Microsoft Access (SQL Server Express is free from Microsoft).  We can assist in installing SQL Server Express on your machines if you would like to implement this solution.  Or you can change your machines to Windows 7.

The full installation and source code can be found at

http://gadsos.codeplex.com/releases/view/65217

Except for bug fixes, the next major release is currently scheduled for May 2012.

If you have any questions or encounter any problems, please give me a call.  Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM Central Standard Time. Please note that my team’s offices will be closed on Friday 12/23/2011 and Monday 12/26/2011 in observance of the Christmas holiday.  The offices will also be closed on Friday 12/30/2011 and Monday 01/02/2012 in observance of the New Year's Day holiday.

I wish you happy and safe holidays on behalf of the entire Project team.

Event Verbal Descriptions

by ronfluegge 14. December 2011 23:30

Since the 86-character event verbal description is no longer a “required” field (voluntary but strongly recommended), we have been asked if it possible in a future release to add an extra 86 chars (or even 50 chars) on the “Verbal Description (86 characters maximum)” field and have these showing on the reports as well?  This would be in addition to the “expanded verbal description” that already exists and allows up to 4,000 characters.  The expanded verbal description was intended as a separate and complete standalone description of the event … just longer in content.

There is already an option to first enter the expanded verbal description; then the software will take the first 86 characters of the expanded verbal description and put them in the event verbal description field … so in essence doing what is suggested.  But these 86 characters are the same in both fields.

If enough users feel that this is a necessary or recommended change, we will consider adding the change in 2012.

Please let me know your thoughts by reply email at your earliest convenience.  Please respond if you would like such a change and if so, how many characters total?


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