EirGrid plc Annual Report 2011

EirGrid plc Annual Report & Accounts 2011
• EWIC Workshop – October 2010;
• Workshop on Offshore Studies and Programme
for a Secure, Sustainable Power System –
January 2011;
• Power System Seminars – a series of five
seminars on the operation of the power system
from January to September 2011. The topics for
these events were decided in consultation with
customers and covered the following areas:
• Facilitation of Renewables – The Next Steps;
• A day in the life of the NCC & Managing
Power Flows;
• Economic Dispatch & Unit Commitment;
• Managing Dispatch Balancing Costs;
• Wind Forecasting and Dispatch;
• All Island Generator Forum – February 2011;
• A Practical Guide to Participating in the SEM –
This training course is being held quarterly by
SEMO;
• SEMO Market Operator User Groups –
November 2010, January, March, May and July
2011;
• SEMO Working Groups & Workshops – Events
held every month to date;
• TUoS Workshop – May 2011;
• Auction Management Platform Information
Session – May 2011;
• EirGrid National Stakeholders Forum – May 2011;
• All Island Generator TUoS Workshop – June 2011;
• Locational Signals Workshop – June 2011;
• EirGrid Customer Connections Forum – July 2011;
• Delivering a Secure Sustainable Electricity
System (DS3) – August 2011;
• Winter Peak Demand Reduction Scheme
Workshops – August 2011.
Customer Service Improvements
We conduct regular surveys of our customer base
which provides us with a benchmark on our service
levels, allowing us to identify priority areas for
improvement. In 2006 and 2008 EirGrid conducted
satisfaction surveys which assisted us in identifying
areas for improvement. In 2010 we conducted our
first survey as the EirGrid Group and presented the
results at our Annual Customer Conference 2010.
The key areas for improvement across the EirGrid
Group were responsiveness, communications and
the need for mutual understanding of our respective
businesses.
We responded by implementing a series of initiatives
across the EirGrid Group:
Responsiveness – We have implemented
improvements in our response times from our SEMO
helpdesk and have rolled out a Query Management
system in EirGrid.
Communications – We have rolled out SONI and
SEMO stakeholder plans, we deliver regular
communications on major projects such as
Grid25 and Gate 3, and we have implemented a
series of improvements in the management of
communications on customer projects in EirGrid.
Mutual Understanding – We conducted a series of
Power System Seminars to explain the day-to-day
running of our business, and engaged in increased
numbers of stakeholders and customer meetings
and visits, to gain a better understanding of our
customers’ businesses as well as hosting a large
number of events and seminars.
Also during 2011, SEMO launched its customer
charter which can be viewed on the SEMO website.
A brochure outlining the improvements that were
delivered to date, the changes that had been
implemented and the plans in place in order to
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