Mirant GENESIS
Patent 7,039,874 awarded for this UI control
The GENESIS (Generation and ERCOT Settlements Information System) application is a generation asset bidding and scheduling application designed to allow Mirant Americas Energy Marketing energy traders to participate in the ERCOT Texas energy market. Traders use the system to enable scheduling of operated assets, bidding of excess capacities, and facilitating near-real-time communication between Mirant’s energy traders and ERCOT while capturing transaction data for auditing settlement statements.
Technical Description
The GENESIS UI operates in a Microsoft Internet Explorer client environment and uses a framed layout. The upper frame contains the elements common to each screen such as the Adjustment Period/Day Ahead selection, a custom date range control and the online help system. The lower frame contains the results of user interaction to view system data or enter new data records.
The presentation tier uses XSLT/XML and JavaScript to render the screens from display controller software and is hosted on BEA WebLogic. (The business and data tiers were implemented by the software development team using Java and Oracle database). Technologies used in the UI include:
- HTC Component behaviors to promote reuse of controls (24 hour range slider control and bid entry tables)
- Javascript to provide animated ‘busy processing’ feedback to the user when navigating screens or fetching data from the server
The development tools used to construct the UI include:
- Macromedia Studio MX (Dreamweaver, Fireworks)
- Adobe Photoshop Elements
- XML Cooktop (XSLT Translator)
Mirant (NYSE: MIR) is a global competitive energy company. They deliver value by integrating an extensive portfolio of power and natural gas assets with marketing and risk management expertise. Mirant has facilities in North America, the Caribbean, and the Philippines, and operates one of the world’s largest integrated asset management and energy marketing organizations from their headquarters in Atlanta. Mirant owns or controls more than 22,000 MW of electric generating capacity worldwide, with approximately 1,100 MW under construction and more than 2,000 MW in planned development globally. In addition to their worldwide expertise in energy operations, Mirant is a leading marketer of wholesale electricity, natural gas, and selected energy-related products and commodities.