You can enable or disable devices for Optimization actions by selecting either Enable Optimization or Disable Optimization, respectively, from the Control Tool's Optimization... button. These buttons are displayed for all optimization-capable devices. When a device is disabled from optimization, a condition flag is shown on the Viewer adjacent to the device.

You can set individual feeders to Automatic (Slow Cycle), Automatic (Fast Cycle), Manual (Slow Cycle), or Manual (Fast Cycle), or Disable mode with the Configuration Assistant's Feeder Management tab (see Using the Feeder Management Tab for details). However, the status of the other feeders on the same substation Load Tap Changer can influence the Optimization mode of the feeder.

In real-time mode, Optimization is capable of making use of bellwether meter voltages. The voltages are used as an input to the optimization algorithm to ensure that voltage violations are not created on the secondary network serving customer meters. By using voltage telemetry, the Oracle Utilities Network Management System can begin to learn the difference between the solved power flow voltage versus the actual telemetered voltage and make estimates as to what the secondary service drop may be between a service transformer and the bellwether meter location. If utilities strategically choses bellwether meter locations at points that experience the lowest voltage on a feeder, it will help ensure that the optimization does not create voltage issues in scenarios like CVR where the voltage is lowered to reduce demand. Oracle recommends that utilities chose two to three metering points per regulation zone on a feeder. These voltages can come from field devices (sectionalizer, recloser, capacitor, and so forth) that are capable of telemetering voltage but would be most useful at customer meters.

Before the Oracle Utilities Network Management System attempts to optimize an area of the network, it checks to see which bellwether meters have had voltages updates within a configurable time period (the default is 15 minutes) since only up to date telemetry will be utilized. Once the list has been received, if any of the telemetered voltage values differ by a configurable percentage from the power flow calculated voltages, the optimization will not be run in that area because there is either a severe power flow data issue or an issue with telemetry accuracy; in either case, the optimization will not be run since the results could have a negative impact on the performance of the feeder. Utilizing only the valid telemetered voltages, the secondary impedance drop is estimated at each of the bellwether locations and used as input into the optimization algorithm. For example, if the solved voltage at a meter is 95 percent of nominal and the telemetered is 94 percent of nominal, the Oracle Utilities Network Management System knows there is a one percent discrepancy between actual and solved. Therefore, when running an objective (such as CVR), the algorithm will ensure that this difference is taken into account when ensuring a particular plan does not create low voltage conditions. The Oracle Utilities Network Management System captures a snapshot of the bellwether voltages before and after plan execution so you can review the results to determine the effectiveness of the plan and to assure you that low voltage conditions were not created.