In 2000, the Michigan Independent Power Producers Association (MIPPA) instituted a Michigan-based Green Power Co-op to establish a viable renewable energy-generated electricity market. Crucial to the success of the co-op is the innovative concept of tagging renewable energy power sources as Green. Since electrons cannot be color-coded "green" or traced individually back to the power source, tagging blocks of green power provides a way of designating and then monitoring green power throughout its life cycle.These green power tags are then tracked through what may be numerous sales, all the way to the ultimate consumer.
Need Assessment
As part of its mandate to make information available to various stakeholders,
MIPPA identified a need for a web site that allowed visitors to track the
green power tag transactions, and allowed MIPPA staff to enter, via a secure
interface, power provider information as it became available.The website
also needed to provide potential customers with a geographically-enabled
web interface that allowed them to see updated information on various renewable
power facilities across the state.Previously, MIPPA had relied on numerous
spreadsheets for tracking power information and costly mailers to keep
stakeholders informed.
SmartMaps Selected for Web Mapping Needs
MIPPA selected the SmartMaps web mapping solution to power the new
website and GreenPowerX.com became the world's first renewable energy exchange
system. The website features an interactive map application that
allows green power providers, consumers, and other stakeholders to view
information on participating green power providers throughout the state
of Michigan, and then initiate power transactions through the buying and
selling of green power tags. Accessible information includes details
on fuel type, generation methods, contact information, available power,
and environmental benefits. The ability for SmartMaps to deliver
a geography-based interface to Green Power information provides the necessary
element of relevance to users. The site shows a provider's proximity
to the consumer's home or business, thus bringing home the benefits of
green power.
The map is also tied to a web-based database that holds all of the GreenPowerX.com
information.As MIPPA staff enters new data, through a dynamic link between
the map and database, that data is instantly reflected in the map.In this
way, users are always assured that they have the most up-to-date information.
Don Johns, Director of Michigan Independent Power Producers Association,
says "SmartMaps has given us the mapping and information displays we needed
to promote green power use.Updates are very easy using our normal database
and staff entries."
How SmartMaps works
Unlike most web mapping applications that deliver raster images, or
snapshots of geography, to the browser, SmartMaps delivers vector-based
geography that can store attribute information, be dynamically updated,
and be tied directly to map functionality such as highlighting and reporting
features. This greatly reduces both the need to request information
from the server and delays associated with re-rendering the raster image.
SmartMaps can be incorporated into virtually any IT infrastructure, and
allows data to be communicated to users equipped with a standard web browser
and a network connection. A dynamic link is established with existing
client databases, and normal updates and changes in the database are automatically
reflected in the SmartMaps application.
Benefits
SmartMaps functionality provides fast zoom and pan navigation, as well
as data-on-demand windows that provide the user with additional information
on any given power facility. One of the goals of implementing SmartMaps
for GreenPowerX was to reduce the administrative burden of mailing details
of each energy transfer to various stakeholders.The SmartMaps solution
provides 24/7 access to information submitted using online forms.
The resulting efficiencies have dramatically sped up the time from application
to sale while ensuring that information is always up to date.