The SCADA is a complex computer system that is operated 24hrs a day to monitor and control the network at all SEC's substations. This system gives the operators information, as though in a pilot's cockpit, on the entire network in the country, and this is monitored and controlled from a computer Screen.

Through this system, SEC is able to view information on electricity lines - starting from the 400kV and its substations, down to the 11kV lines at the distribution substations. SEC is able to know how much power is flowing and consumed, calculate the total generation, our import power and the condition of all the lines from the substations to all customers. The company is able to monitor this utilising internal communication infrastructure comprising of fibre optics, microwave radios and digital UHF radios. All the above is run with local expertise and our teams are on standby 24hrs.

The monitoring of distribution lines is currently limited to the substation itself, for instance, if an 11kV feeder to town trips, we shall only know that it has tripped and we can restore it, but we do not have further means to know what exactly has caused the trip. This is why customers are greatly encouraged to report hazardous lines since power can be restored at time yet the line might cause danger to the community.

In a number of cases feeder breakers can be restored, but there are cases where they cannot be restored remotely due to the seriousness of the fault that caused them to trip. In this case we are forced to send a technician on site to do it manually which could be starting by resetting lockout alarms on site which we cannot do them remotely for security purposes. In worst cases some faults require that lines be fully patrolled before it can be restored.

The customers are still encouraged to report incidents associated to power outages, which could be in the likes of a car crashing into a pole because such cases cannot be remotely ascertained. The toll free line 800 9000 will assist the operator when getting such valuable information from the public to quickly restore the network.

The system mentioned above was installed in 1999 and we are currently on an exercise to introduce a new system that will be more focused to the customers which will be completed in 24 months time. The advantages of the system under installation are listed below:

• All customer reporting a fault will be given an system reference number. This will allow customers to quote this number and will also allow our staff to track and follow up on customer faults irrespective of when they have happened even between shifts;
• Customers will now direct their calls to a call centre via the toll free number 800 9000 which will have more agents to take their calls other than a single or two people at the depot;
• The new system will give us data and statistics on how many times and how long a customer has been off irrespective of where the customer is in the country. This will allow our engineers to easily access such information in providing solutions for the entire network.
• From a click of a button we shall know what have been the causes of customer outages and all the history associated to the affected customers.
• The system shall also improve on the safety of our technicians since our commodity can be fatal.
• Later customers with their information will be notified of faults which are already known in the system automatically to avoid unnecessary phone queuing.
• Finally the system will improve efficiency by providing more accurate causes of faults from the data that is brought by the customers as they report their faults.