Electrical Power & Protection


AI improves energy supply reliability

I&C July 2024 Electrical Power & Protection

Many grids across the globe have a persistent problem in common, ageing infrastructure. In the US alone, the average installed base is 40 years old with a quarter of the country’s grid being 50 years or older. In South Africa, the scenario is similar, with the average plant estimated to be 40 years or older.

This makes a good case for the modernisation of grid infrastructure, a subject that could take an entire section in a bookstore or library. Fortunately there are some almost-immediate steps that can provide a quick win without having to undertake forklift-scale projects.

One such intervention is AI, which has the ability to enhance predictive maintenance by analysing data from a myriad systems and equipment, identifying potential failures before they occur. By predicting equipment failures, AI enables energy providers to schedule timely maintenance, reducing the risk of unexpected outages and costly downtime.

Furthermore, AI offers continuous, real-time monitoring, thereby detecting anomalies and establishing early warning systems. By predicting these potential failures, AI-driven systems provide optimised and intuitive maintenance schedules, leading to improved reliability and more reliable energy supply.


Dwibin Thomas.

The role of scada and historian systems

Scada systems collect and store real-time data from energy systems. When this data feeds into AI algorithms, it can provide predictive maintenance and subsequent recommendations. Historian systems store historical data, and capture long-term trends and performance metrics. Again, AI algorithms use this historical data to make predictions and recommend maintenance actions.

The combination of real-time scada and historical data provides AI algorithms with invaluable information, allowing for analysis and subsequent predictive maintenance. This optimises maintenance schedules and prevents equipment failures, enhancing overall energy network performance.

AI in energy management offers the following important benefits:

• Reduced downtime: AI-driven predictive maintenance identifies potential equipment failures before they occur, minimising unplanned downtime and ensuring continuous energy supply.

• Cost savings: By optimising maintenance schedules and preventing unexpected breakdowns, AI reduces operational costs for energy providers.

• Optimised resource usage: AI analyses data to optimise energy distribution, ensuring efficient utilisation of resources.

• Generation, distribution and transmission: AI optimises power plant operations, grid efficiency and energy transmission by improving performance and minimising downtime.

• Overall impact: AI-driven energy management benefits the entire spectrum, from generation to distribution and transmission, ensuring a steady and efficient energy supply.

Modernised networks

In more modern electrical networks, AI technologies are transforming fault location, isolation and restoration (FLISR) processes. Through advanced data analytics and machine learning, AI algorithms can analyse extensive datasets to detect anomalies indicative of faults and classify it accurately.

These insights enable decision support systems to provide real-time recommendations to operators, facilitating optimal fault isolation and restoration strategies. Moreover, AI-driven optimisation algorithms enable the reconfiguration of the network to minimise outage duration and restore power efficiently. Integration with scada and distribution management systems further enhances FLISR capabilities, allowing utilities to improve reliability and operational efficiency while reducing downtime.

While the role of AI in energy lies mainly in utilities, there is also a bigger picture. Energy networks are essential for productivity, be it manufacturing plants or energy-intensive segments such as mining, minerals and metals. AI-driven maintenance ensures uninterrupted operations, supporting both business and economic growth.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Addressing the cooling needs of the modern data centre
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
The rise in hardware density in data centres is gaining speed and is largely driven by the demands of artificial intelligence and machine learning, requiring more powerful servers and specialised hardware.

Read more...
Boiler selection for optimal thermal energy performance
Electrical Power & Protection
The changing world of boilers means companies wishing to improve their thermal energy efficiencies while containing costs and environmental impacts must make careful and informed decisions. AES’s rich pool of experience, ability to keep pace with new steam trends and technologies, and understanding of their clients’ production processes can assist clients to weigh up different options in a careful and informed manner.

Read more...
Securing Africa’s energy future starts at home
ACTOM Electrical Machines Electrical Power & Protection
Africa’s energy demands are surging, but the current reliance on imported solar technology leaves the continent vulnerable. This is why the prospect of building inverters and lithium batteries locally, designed for South Africa’s specific needs, is so promising.

Read more...
Dry-type transformers for Dutch intake substation
Electrical Power & Protection
A data centre in the Netherlands is the site of a recent innovation on the transformer landscape, where TMC Transformers has designed, manufactured and installed dry-type transformers in a large intake substation.

Read more...
Automation, is it 2049 already?
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
It would come as no surprise that AI and ML are at the forefront of the increased efficiency movement, and are vital cogs in this sophisticated automated machine. A development that is extremely exciting, is autonomous systems.

Read more...
Generators: The muscle in the new energy mix
WEG Africa Electrical Power & Protection
Contrary to their reputation as noisy and dirty, generators are a key part of modern energy supplies. Generators are reliable electricity workhorses in times of need. But they are also becoming welcome additions to modern energy mixes through efficiency improvements, noise reduction and flexible design choices.

Read more...
Doubling down on sustainability commitments: six practical solutions to meet the AI challenge
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical Power & Protection
The best time to plant a tree, the old saying goes, was 20 years ago, and the second-best time is today. The same concept holds true to sustainability in the data centre industry.

Read more...
Condition-based maintenance can revolutionise business continuity
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical Power & Protection
As businesses experience growing pressure to enhance operational efficiency and reduce downtime due to electrical failure, condition-based maintenance becomes essential for preventing unforeseen equipment breakdowns by assessing the real-time health of electrical systems.

Read more...
Ball valves and actuators to optimise HVAC performance
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric South Africa offers the full range of innovative SpaceLogic and EasyLogic ball valves and actuators. These cutting-edge products are designed to optimise HVAC system performance, ensuring comfort and energy efficiency in industrial, commercial and residential buildings.

Read more...
Power over Internet splitter for reliable power distribution
Vepac Electronics Electrical Power & Protection
A manufacturing facility requires a stable power supply for its wireless access points mounted across the factory floor. However, these devices do not support direct PoE input. By deploying the IPS-342P PoE Splitter from Vepac, the facility can efficiently convert PoE power from the network switch into 24 V DC output.

Read more...