| DESS 7 | Overview | Why Use DESS |
| Features | Modules | Integration |
| Plugins | Articles | Support |
DESS plugins are .NET modules that make it possible to extend the functionality of DESS. Essex Energy offers a number of plugins as described below. End-users or third parties can also create their own plugins for extending DESS or for integrating with external data or software.
Plugins available from Essex Energy include:
Metered Load Import
Used for importing load data for large customers with 15 minute or 1 hour measurement data. The addin will read the (voluminous) data from a spreadsheet or database and create or update both the load category data (load curves, power factor, etc), and the magnitude of the loads for different seasons.
This plugin is available at no cost for DESS users.
Reference Data Creation
This plugin helps you create conductor and transformer reference data. For the conductor data you can specify type of conductors, spacing and arrangement and it will calculate the sequence impedances. For transformers, the plugin will calculate typical values of impedances and losses if you don’t have access to detailed data.
This plugin in available at no cost for DESS users.
ESRI GIS Import
This plugin reads data from an ESRI personal geodatabase and creates a system in DESS. If the geodatabase contains a standard ESRI connectivity model this will be used to build the connectivity model in DESS, otherwise geographic-based connectivity will be used.
There is an extra cost for this plugin.
CableCAD GIS Import
This plugin, developed in conjunction with Enghouse lets you export data from an Enghouse CableCAD model and import it into DESS.
There is an extra cost for this plugin.
SHP/DBF GIS Import
This plugin reads GIS data in SHP/DBF format (SHP for maps and DBF for tabular data). These formats are supported by many types of GIS software as an export option.
There is an extra cost for this plugin.
Data Cleanup
This plugin helps to scrub data after import from a GIS. It includes a tool for removing unnecessary nodes/busses and line vertices. It also includes tools for copying source and substation data, cleaning up line data properties and fixing switch and loop errors that may occurr during data import.
This plugin is available at no cost for DESS users.