Economic
Overhead Conductor Software (EOCS) is a software tool that assists
engineers and system planners in evaluating new and existing
conductor installations.
Historically, there has been little attention paid to economically
evaluating the application of overhead conductors. Line losses,
thermal limits, and voltage concerns have been the primary
considerations in applying overhead conductors. This practice has
often led to the use of conductors that are either oversized or
undersized for their future operational environment. Using a
rigorous economic approach for evaluating conductors, which
includes future load growth and utility economics, can have a
tremendous impact on the conductor and future re-conductoring
selection process. EOCS software considers parameters such as the
following: average construction cost per mile, average
re-conductor cost per mile, fixed charge rate, escalation rate,
loss factor, demand charges, minimum acceptable rate of return
(interest rate), loss cost per amp, conductor thermal limit,
growth rate, initial load, present conductor in-service, and
replacement conductor. This tool shares many of the useful
features that have been popular in past DSTAR software products,
such as online help and popup entry windows
