Gridspertise’s advanced digital solutions for smart and sustainable networking – pv magazine USA

The importance of increasing the resilience of the network in the US in recent years has been underscored by the need to develop infrastructure capable of withstanding more severe and frequent weather events caused by climate change. The electrical system in many parts of the country has been affected by hurricanes, forest fires, thunderstorms and other phenomena that have led to outages.

In addition, utilities are working to manage the exponential growth of production through distributed energy resources and increasing energy demand related to transport electrification and other end-uses. The growing complexity of energy flow management has necessitated a more reliable, resilient and reliable electrical infrastructure.

Gridspertise at Distributech

Grid expertisea subsidiary of Enel Group, has a mission to become a trusted partner for utilities around the world to support them in accelerating the digitalization of their networks to address current and future challenges.

Enel is the largest private distribution network operator in the world, so using its unique experience and inheriting its extensive intellectual property, Gridspertise offers a flexible, customer-focused portfolio that can be adapted to existing or new customer needs of any size and geography.

Gridspertise solutions and services use advanced technology and are round in design, reliable and tested on a large scale in markets around the world. They are designed to create value and provide sustainable and reliable smart grids while promoting more efficient energy use and providing innovative services to end customers.

This year at Distributech, the leading annual transmission and distribution event, Gridspertise will present for the first time its ecosystem of networking solutions in the US, focusing on three areas of application: Forecasting and Prevention; Network automation and sustainability; and rapid response and recovery.

Forecasting and prevention

Prompt detection of vegetation and other elements that may interfere with distribution networks is key to ensuring reliable and uninterrupted power supply and optimizing maintenance costs.

Gridspertise in Digital Twin network creates a virtual copy of the electrical network and its environment by acquiring and processing data sets provided by laser scanners, photographs and sensors. Thanks to its 3D viewing capabilities and computer vision, it facilitates vegetation management and predictive maintenance, as well as enhances network resilience by optimizing emergency management.

The solution can also be applied to optimize health and safety planning processes and engineering measurements.

Results: up to 26% savings on mowing for vegetation management, 15% on maintenance and 50% on engineering measurements with an overall increase in safety and efficiency of field workers.

Network automation and sustainability

The increasing complexity of energy flows associated with distributed generation and electrification requires greater network flexibility and intelligence at the border.

QEd is a Quantum Edge device is a comprehensive solution that virtualizes network functions using customizable and scalable applications. With its decentralized computing capabilities and cutting-edge multi-purpose platform, QEd allows network operators to run business services directly at the border and enables new applications to address future emerging issues.

By reducing physical components at secondary substations, QEd reduces field interventions for installation as well as maintenance and logistics costs, making networks more efficient and sustainable.

To deliver powerful cutting-edge solutions such as QEd, Gridspertise uses an openly innovative approach, combining its intellectual property with the expertise of strategic technology partners.

Gridspertise collaborated with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., the world’s leading innovator of wireless technology and the driving force behind the development, launch and expansion of 5G. The solution combines state-of-the-art, secure and scalable capabilities from Qualcomm Technologies’ IoT solutions and is equipped with powerful computing, Edge AI, connectivity and security features.

As Robert Danda, CEO of Gridspertise, explained: “QEd is our cutting-edge solution, a breakthrough in the digitalization of network infrastructure that allows the DSO to launch key network functions directly at the border. We are proud to work with Qualcomm Technologies and combine our expertise to unleash enormous potential in the utilities industry. ”

Quick response and recovery

Gridspertise in Improved workforce the solution is a digital set of tools that can speed up and make field operations safer. It includes a set of applications for consulting and navigating the power grid.

NetNav, one of the main applications, offers 2D network mapping, which allows you to quickly and completely retrieve network data offline and update network topologies in real time by field workers. It is indispensable for almost all field work and for effective management of complex modern networks.

NetNav offers real-time and offline network navigation of up to 10 million nodes per selected area, integrated instrument management for accurate GPS or centimeter distance detection, and precise network editing with a return to central GIS systems. It can also be integrated with SCADA systems for remote network management and is an instant and intuitive statistics hub for all network maintenance applications.

ARNet, another application, uses augmented reality to design an electrical grid superimposed on the outside world that surrounds the operator. This allows field staff to quickly, reliably and accurately identify items that need to be intervened in any weather.

ARNet offers an effective solution to compensate for and overcome environmental disasters. It provides rapid intervention in the event of a natural disaster (SAIDI impact) and highlights hidden elements, thus reducing intervention time.

Innovation and digitalisation can help make the network more sustainable and efficient. To stay competitive and provide reliable customer service, U.S. distribution system operators need an expert partner who is on the cutting edge of technology and can apply these solutions on a large scale.

Gridspertise will demonstrate these solutions at booth № 123 at Distributech and hopes to become a trusted partner for U.S. utilities.

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