Applications of cloud computing in the power sector

Concept:

California’s start-up Sharper Shape has unveiled its Sharper CORE Living Digital Twin 4D powerline digital twin solution. The Living Digital Twin adds time as the fourth dimension to the conventional 3D digital twin model to create a model that is constantly modified. It offers an improved inspection process and effective deliverables for asset and vegetation intelligence, along with sensor agnostic data collection tools to meet critical utility inspection needs.

Nature of disruption:

The Sharper CORE Living Digital Twin is a cloud software that collects, organises and visualises historical and real-time assets as well as other data to produce an accurate four-dimensional virtual version of a utility’s electric network. It combines aerial and ground data on powerline assets with third-party data from sources like weather satellites in a single AI and ML-driven software platform. This model gets updated continually with the changes in the environment and the assets.  

The platform allows remote inspectors to track changing network hazards, highlighting qualitative differences and spotting statistical trends. It also analyses and prioritises risks in line with infrastructure-related needs and regional regulatory requirements. Moreover, it manages the entire process from flight/field planning and assignments, data intake and review, remote inspection, defect identification, assessment and reporting to enable digital inspections for both unmanned aerial systems (UAS) systems and ground inspections.

Outlook:

Sharper CORE Living Digital Twin aims to handle problems with powerline infrastructure, such as asset integrity, maintenance and vegetation control. The real-time aspect of digital twin technology can have a big impact on utilities' emergency response, vegetation management and preventive maintenance. It can also provide enhanced operations, accuracy, efficiency and safety. Sharper Shape secured an $18m Series B financing led by Michael Harvey Trust in May 2022. With the investment, the start-up will be able to expand its installations across Europe and the US as well as enhance its Living Digital Twin offering.

Concept:

US-based software-as-a-service solution start-up Wire Pulse has launched Reel Sense, a cloud-based platform that enables operators, cable manufacturers and installers to track the supply, logistics and installation of electric cables. It has partnered with US cable fleet operator Exelon for developing the solution.

Nature of disruption:

Reel Sense is an enterprise-wide digital platform that uses IoT hardware mounted directly onto the cable’s reel and data-driven software to manage cable, reels and work orders. It leverages data analytics and physics-based algorithms to transmit information in real-time to the Reel Sense Cloud. The platform can provide actionable, intelligent insight to users by collecting and interpreting data in real-time throughout the entire life cycle of cable.  

Reel Sense claims to improve inventory control and operational efficiencies of electric utilities for original equipment manufacturers and distributors. This solution has the potential for savings opportunities and risk management strategies through linked data. Wire Pulse claims that the platform can count and record ever-changing cable lengths at around 98% accuracy.

Outlook:

Electric cables are widely used all over the world and one major concern is their management due to the enormous cable length, the large circular format of reels and the huge cable volumes. Its maintenance process is labour-intensive, time-consuming and generates material waste.  

Wire Pulse and Exelon address this issue through the Wire Pulse platform that can provide complete tracking and tracing profiles for all cable and installation projects throughout the entire supply chain. It can also help operators to gain significant cost savings and decreases the environmental impact for the cable and utility industry through automated real-time data generation. Moreover, providing better visibility into partial reel inventory enables operators to use the otherwise scrapped reels back into their electrical operations, reducing generated waste.

Concept:

Siemens Energy has unveiled SensSolution, which it claims to be the world's first power transmission solution with cloud connectivity and a dedicated web application suite. It facilitates secure transmission of substation data to the cloud to help operators evaluate, monitor and support system operations in real-time.

Nature of disruption:

SensSolution transfers all available data from substations to a cloud-based platform where operators can browse various applications and dashboards to get a better understanding of a system's current state. This allows operators to plan and make the best choices to ensure optimal operation, deal with impending failures, schedule maintenance and make long-term investment decisions.  

Operators can receive alarms in the event of critical incidents and can directly access the tailored findings on SensSolution site regardless of their location. By knowing the precise state of all power transmission facilities in the system, operators would be able to improve the total availability and stability of their systems. Operators can choose to share substation data with various operations, maintenance, and planning teams. With a single click, specific visualisations and reports can be generated, which allows for a new level of streamlined support and collaboration when dealing with urgent issues and maintenance tasks.  

To keep the whole process secure, end-to-end encryption is implemented while transmitting the operational data, leveraging a secure gateway from a substation to the cloud. One-way access ensures that data only flows in one direction and that the high-voltage direct current and control system is never exposed to the outside environment. Siemens claims that any intrusion into the substation from the internet is seemingly impossible with the substation's full physical isolation.

Outlook:

The growing share of renewables in the energy grid along with their unpredictable feed-ins are key obstacles for transmission grid operators. The intelligent use of data generated in substations can help operators overcome the challenges.  

Siemens claims that SensSolution is the next logical step in its journey to unlock the potential of digitalisation in energy transmission. It has plans to implement SensSolution to its entire transmission solutions portfolio beginning with HVDC systems. This enables the exchange of electricity between different locations, which ensures that even renewable energy resources can be used in the most efficient ways and energy is transmitted to where it is needed.

Concept:

Massachusetts-based start-up Sense has developed a home energy app, which monitors and measures energy consumed by electrical devices. The intuitive product gives users the category-wise energy consumption in real-time and recommends ways to save costs as well as enable them to control the device remotely.

Nature of disruption:

The user needs to install a Sense monitor in the electrical panel. With a combination of sensors that connect to breakers inside the home’s electrical panel, a Wi-Fi-enabled dedicated compute box and number-crunching remote servers, the company’s home energy monitoring system can distinguish among the electrical signatures of plugged-in devices.  

The Sense home energy monitor detects devices by identifying their unique electrical signals. The monitor reads the electrical current being drawn and sends the data to the cloud. Sense analyses that data and sends it back through the app on the user’s phone or desktop. It uses machine learning to look at all the power devices and separate those individual devices that are on and off. Over time, it learns the energy usage pattern, detects devices and provides information on energy use. Moreover, the Sense monitor has been tested to UL and IEC standards for safety and certified by ETL/Intertek as safe to install in an electrical panel.

Outlook:

Energy efficiency and demand response are gaining importance globally. Utility bills do not give detailed bifurcation of energy usage hence it is difficult to identify which device consumes maximum power. Sense enables consumers to understand their home energy use and helps to reduce it while making informed decisions about their increasingly smart and connected home. The average user saves 6-9%.