ERCOT ISO Taylor Control Center

Ellerbe Becket designed the new ERCOT control center to incorporate the latest technology to address reliability and security issues that come with the growing number of deregulated customers. The building uses redundant components and systems integral to the information technology and physical facility.

Weather is a significant factor in designing a building for continuous uptime. In Texas, that means anticipating extreme temperatures, tornadoes and Gulf Coast hurricanes. The Taylor control center was designed to withstand up to 200-mph wind speeds comparable to an F3 tornado.

This stand-alone building is comprised of two primary components: a two-story, non-hardened or conventional office component for non-critical business operations, and a two-story hardened area housing critical real-time operations. The hardened area includes electrical and mechanical equipment rooms; Computer/LAN Server/ Communications operations and support; Control Room operations and support; and Crisis Management operations and oversight.

In contrast, the non-critical business support functions are grouped together and organized to maximize the flexibility between individual staff, work-groups and departments. By locating the standardized workstations along the perimeter with the closed offices to the center, daylight and views are shared equally while maintaining individual privacy within their workspace. This layout also allows for future flexibility, with minimal cost to reconfigure as business changes occur. Conference rooms and office support spaces are centralized, with communication stairs at each end for convenient access from both office floors.