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ERCOT
Everything is bigger in Texas. In fact, if it were a country, it would be the world’s ninth-largest economy. And the engine powering this industrial titan is just as formidable. ERCOT (Electrical Reliability Council of Texas) powers 25 out of the state’s 29.1 million residents. It handles 90% of Texas’s load. 46,500 miles of transmission lines (the total length of Maine’s roads is just 46,736 miles) and 550 power generation stations keep it reliable and running.
Project introduction
One of ERCOT’s earliest projects (built on Cordova-Sencha) showed customers their power use stats. But it tripped up on several bugs–many due to the platform’s sheer age. A close audit proved upgrading it with modular fixes wasn’t the way forward. Too expensive, too much time, and still not user friendly. Instead, a pivot to native android and iOS apps would give customers an experience they’d keep coming back for. ERCOT agreed. And we got to work.
Challenge
ERCOT had strategic importance to Texas. This meant advanced security protocols, controlled build environments, and limited time-sensitive access. We responded with creative workflows. Information flowed our way only when needed. Mockups and rapid prototypes helped us extrapolate data, which we then used to build the dashboard.
Approach
The app’s color-coded meters actively reflect spikes and dips in consumption. Organizations can use it to track real-time stats about wholesale power and news about alerts outages across ERCOT’s 550-strong network. Users can see drops in production, the reasons behind them, and whether they’re on reserve capacity. The app presents this in an uncluttered way that draws attention to the urgency of energy conservation.
Outcome
The app allowed ERCOT to reach several people at once without relying on rude phone notifications or spammy emails. Plus, its info and design resonated with users and gave engagement a fillip.
Support and maintenance for the built-native apps became a low-burden affair, especially in comparison to the older Cordova-Sencha build. Another reason behind the low costs was the lack of heavy features, which translated to a relentless focus on user relevance.
Every great idea needs a great team that gets it. Combine our experience of building award-winning apps with an idea that disrupts. Contact us to get started.
