MINNEAPOLIS – At the start of 2002, the Texas electric industry took a significant step towards deregulation as it allowed individuals and corporations in Texas cities to choose their power supplier. This advance in deregulation meant new demands on power distribution systems, including the one managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
Ellerbe Becket designed the new ERCOT control center in Taylor, Texas (near Austin), to incorporate the latest telemetry, communications and audiovisual technology to address reliability and security issues that come with the growing number of deregulated customers. The 85,000-sf building uses redundant components and systems integral to the information technology and physical facility.
It was important to ERCOT that the new building complements its natural surroundings while protecting the most critical areas of the 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. The buildings' exposures, openings and seams were planned to limit any water damage. The design and placement of windows, vents and exterior HVAC equipment were carefully calculated to minimize any likely damage. Additionally, they considered the type and thickness of materials used to harden or reinforce roofs and secured building areas. To finish the exterior, Ellerbe Becket created a "rain screen" using Accordal exterior terra cotta cladding. These individual, replaceable tiles, mounted in suspension above the building's shell, further protect the exterior while enhancing the organic look and feel of the building.
Building access was equally crucial; several different features were integrated into each new security level throughout the building. The Taylor control center floor plan features an open design, so that people can observe the goings-on without entering a room and disrupting operations. Highly sophisticated voice, data and real-time projection allow emergency response teams to respond effectively to critical incidents without disturbing control center operators.
While they wanted their new building to be virtually impassable to any unwanted visitors, ERCOT also wanted to ensure that the 12-inch thick walls were habitable for their 200 employees working in the building. Workers can experience higher-than-normal physical and mental stresses in an average control center's 12-hour shift. If all is going well, the job can turn mundane, leading to inattention. Conversely, during a critical incident, stress levels add to the tension.
ERCOT described the ideal working environment as one that helps workers stay alert when operations run normally and calms the same workers in times of crisis. Lighting, both natural and artificial, was designed to promote alertness and awareness; ambient light near monitors helps reduce eye fatigue. Highly textured finishes and neutral color palettes reinforce operator comfort and tranquility, while sound-dampening features help muffle the noise that can lead to acoustic fatigue.
Since many operators share their work environments with the alternate shift, each work station is designed with fully adjustable parts and customizable sound, light and temperature controls. The result is that each operator can personalize the workstation they are assigned an important factor in staying alert. Fully equipped conference and break areas were built close to the main control room so system operators can take short breaks without losing contact with the system.
With all the leading edge and futuristic features of the building, ERCOT was also determined not to lose sight of its Texas roots. That's why the boardroom overlooks the outdoor rodeo arena adjacent to the building site, and why the full kitchen features a turkey fryer that employees can put to use when preparing family-style meals for the building workers to enjoy.
ERCOT serves 85 percent of Texas households and businesses, overseeing more than 70,000 MW of power generation and 37,000 miles of transmission lines.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering and the construction industry with office locations worldwide.
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