September 30, 2024
Over the past weeks, we’ve heard from operators and managers throughout the Mission-Critical Control Room industry and compiled the most popular questions into this “Ask The Control Room Experts” Q&A. Our specialized team of Control Center Architects and Engineers provides answers and insight into the issues driving the future of Control Centers across the country.
What considerations should go into selecting a video wall technology?
There are three main types of Control Room video wall technology: Narrow Bezel LCD, Cube, and Direct View LED. While there are pros and cons of each, the first thing to consider is your specific use case. Starting with the content to be displayed on the wall, Lamb’s Control Room experts want to know the type of incoming content (SCADA, live video, text-heavy spreadsheets, etc.), the native resolution of that content, and the ability for that content to be scaled.
Next, we move out from the video wall and determine who is the primary operator viewing and interacting with that content. How far away from the wall does that focal point need to be? With those human factor questions answered, we then present the initial cost and lifecycle cost of the varying technologies. There are also hidden cost factors to identify, such as power availability and HVAC capacity that can play a factor in which technology is right for your space.
What are utilities considering when they choose to shield their buildings from an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)?
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) shielding is gaining traction in the utility Control Center world. The clients that Lamb’s Control Room experts have worked with have shared the common vision that the resiliency of their overall grid operations and ability to rebuild after an EMP event is at the forefront of their long-term goals. This conversation often starts with a physical risk assessment that identifies an EMP event as a legitimate threat, making mitigation of that threat a priority. From there, Lamb’s team takes our clients down a series of decision points to determine the level of shielding, the extent of shielding within the building, and the post-event recovery strategy to be employed. This is a collaborative effort between Operations, Security, Facilities, and IT, facilitated by Lamb’s Engineers.
What technology can we implement to increase Control Room operator situational awareness and productivity?
The biggest advancement in both Control Room operator situational awareness and operational effectiveness is utilizing a KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) solution on the console workstation. While KVMs have been around for many years, they are now being rapidly adopted into Control Room designs, allowing for a single keyboard and mouse to operate across networks and simplifying the operator’s work environment. They essentially turn the desktop monitors into a single canvas and can prioritize a screen as the primary “work area,” leading to less side-to-side travel and head-turning by the operator. Our Control Room experts have seen a marked increase in clients incorporating KVM solutions over the past 2+ years.
We haven’t had many changes within our Control Room for years. How do we start and what type of budget can we expect to need?
Every Control Center project should start with a solid foundation. For Lamb, this is our Planning Phase, where our Control Room Architects and Engineers pull together a holistic concept for the future of your Control Room, including operational, facilities, IT, and security considerations. Any plan that doesn’t include this holistic perspective isn’t setting you up for success. It’s setting you up for costly change orders.
As far as budgeting goes, this can vary greatly depending on the level of change and technology incorporated into your future plans. Control Room Design isn’t rendered in a vacuum. It impacts your mechanical and electrical infrastructure, your IT backbone, and your security posture. Our Control Room experts tackle this by preparing itemized budget estimates at the end of our Planning Phase and working with our clients on phasing the renovations, if needed, over multiple budget cycles.
Have a different question or want our Control Room experts to provide a deeper dive on one of these topics? Reach out and let us know at info@relamb.com or contact us here. Our Architects and Engineers are happy to assist with your Control Center or Control Room needs.
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