- This project will transform WEB’s asset management strategy by providing accurate asset data for all utility assets.
- eSmart Systems will deliver a program to capture approximately 100.000 assets for inventory.
- Grid Vision® will be used to create an image-based digital inventory that represents the physical infrastructure.
The Bonaire population is growing, and tourism is developing. Water- en Energiebedrijf Bonaire (WEB) supply water and electricity to 20.000 households, companies and organizations on the island. The project will utilize eSmart Systems Grid Vision® Asset Digitization solution to capture the required asset information from the field including visual documentation on their substations, MSRs, cabinets, masts, electricity and water meters.
We were very impressed with eSmart Systems approach and methodology to support our asset management needs. Through an initial pilot project, the high-quality accurate asset information delivered within Grid Vision provided valuable insights into our critical infrastructure. We are now thrilled to be rolling this out across our whole infrastructure.
We are excited to be supporting WEB on their asset management journey. This partnership will set the foundation for obtaining an accurate asset register that WEB can utilize beyond this project for their investment planning decisions to support the growth in Bonaire.
About WEB Bonaire
Water- en Energiebedrijf Bonaire N.V. (WEB Bonaire) supplies water and electricity to Bonaire. Water- en Energiebedrijf Bonaire N.V. (WEB) was founded in 1963 and is owned by the Public Entity of Bonaire (OLB). WEB is responsible for the sustainable, reliable and affordable production and supply of drinking water, electricity distribution, collection and treatment of wastewater and the distribution of irrigation.
About eSmart Systems
eSmart Systems is a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for the inspection and maintenance of critical infrastructure. With our software solution, Grid Vision® we revolutionize how utility companies operate and maintain their transmission and distribution networks. We support utilities globally to reduce inspection costs, make inspections safer, improve the quality of asset data and prolong asset life. eSmart Systems has more than 20 years of international experience in establishing and operating knowledge-based, leading IT and energy-related companies targeting global markets.
Recently, there has been an increased adoption of digital tools to carry out overhead line inspections like the use of drones and cameras to collect imagery or visual data and manually analyze them, but a more efficient and effective method of conducting those inspections is by completely digitalizing the process and using AI technology to analyze and sort out the data. Utilities are looking at software to check the health and performance of transmission and distribution assets as part of a suite of digital tools in order to create agility and safety on that side of their operations.
In an October webinar we did with Xcel Energy, Brian Long, Xcel Energy’s Project Director for Transmission Asset Management, clarified “The main reason we do this is to improve our inventory and really understand the condition of our assets.” With fast and robust data being sent to the utility through virtual inspections, utilities can have a clearer picture of the health and efficiency of their T&D network without sending work crews which saves time, gas and labor money, and reduces worker exposure to job hazards from lines and substations. AI-based inspection solutions can also find more defects than traditional methods, and can be used with modeling tools to help predict issues with assets on a timeline which can increase both efficiency and safety.
The main reason we do this is to improve our inventory and really understand the condition of our assets.
Virtual line inspections provide a wealth of data in conjunction with various sensors and other devices that can be utilized in the decision-making process for all sorts of applications beyond just asset health. The timing of investment decisions can hinge on which systems most need addressing, and having a complete picture of one’s systems through a synthesized data repository can inform and accelerate that process. More granular data can be used to target specific parts or aspects that need addressing rather than more costly replacements of an entire unit or system. Data can also be used to create efficiencies for field crews both in management’s ability to effectively allocate their efforts, and for the crews themselves if they have easy access to the data in the field. The whole of the utility apparatus can be more deft with these data and analytics tools.
The key to unlocking the business value of virtual inspections is a smart plan executed by skilled staff
On our podcast about AI misconceptions, eSmart System’s CTO Erik Asberg said:
I think people sometimes get disappointed when an AI tool doesn’t magically solve their problems. AI isn’t magic, it’s just a tool.
To get the best use out of the data and the analytics, a robust plan with buy-in from the entire organization is necessary to reach the most efficient applications of the data for the highest return of investment in terms of time, money, and safety. It is also prudent to ensure that staff is properly trained to utilize these tools, or partnerships are formed with skilled professionals familiar with these processes. Collaboration and partnership in general can help fill knowledge gaps for an organization looking to onboard more advanced systems. The tools at our disposal are capable of synthesizing a lot, but they are only tools, we cannot forget the human element.
Concluding thoughts.
Throughout this year, we’ve seen many advancements in utility infrastructure and systems as they modernize for resilience and increasing customer expectations. Making the most out of data in transmission and distribution is both part of the modernization process and an accelerant of it. By creating efficiencies in this space utilities can open up resources for further investment and planning. Collecting data can allow for proactive decision-making on upgrading which makes the grid more resilient. With a clearer understanding of assets, workers can be better allocated and hazards can be identified faster. A utility with a good plan, knowledgeable partner, and trained staff that are kept up throughout the process can use virtual inspections alongside a suite of tools to improve not just their T&D, but the whole enterprise.
Contact us today and see how Grid Vision is transforming the way the world’s leading energy providers inspect and maintain critical infrastructure.
Join our webinar to learn how Distribution System Operator, Mitnetz Strom (part of the E.ON Group), integrates AI and drones into its grid inspection programme.
Supplying approximately 2.3 million customers with electricity, the German DSO wanted to enhance their inspections with a fully autonomous process, utilizing autonomous drones and AI-enabled image recognition. The panel of experts will share insights from the project journey including lessons learned and efficiency gains achieved to date.
In this webinar, you’ll learn about the following:
- An overview of the Mitnetz inspection programme
- Their journey in integrating AI
- Key considerations for AI implementation
- Data capture strategies
- Maximising returns from captured data
Other Webinars You May Like
-
WebinarsWatch our webinar – Disrupting the status quo: AI in utility operations
Watch this webinar to understand why everyone is talking about AI transforming utilities’ day-to-day operations and business as a whole. Learn what leaders really need to know about these fast-moving technological changes.September 25th 2024 -
WebinarsWatch our webinar – Master your substation asset data: Expert insights and strategies revealed
Watch this webinar to learn how to improve poor quality and incomplete data for your substations and how you can achieve lower costs and a much faster response to faulty assets by relying on accurate, up-to-date data.May 09th 2023 -
WebinarsWatch our webinar – Incorrect asset data – why it puts congestion management strategies at risk
Stedin, DSO for 2.3+ million customers in the Netherlands, realised that the asset data they used for their network calculations resulted in anomalies. Watch this webinar to understand Stedin’s approach to validating asset data for their 22,000 Medium Voltage substations.October 02nd 2023 -
WebinarsWatch our webinar – How AI & Virtual inspections changed operations at Xcel Energy
Inspecting transmission and distribution assets is tremendously time- and labor-intensive for utilities. Watch this webinar to learn the benefits and requirements of using a virtual inspection program and what AI is and isn’t capable of doing.May 12th 2023
Join our webinar to learn how Distribution System Operator, Mitnetz Strom (part of the E.ON Group), integrates AI and drones into its grid inspection programme.
Supplying approximately 2.3 million customers with electricity, the German DSO wanted to enhance their inspections with a fully autonomous process, utilizing autonomous drones and AI-enabled image recognition. The panel of experts will share insights from the project journey including lessons learned and efficiency gains achieved to date.
In this webinar, you’ll learn about the following:
- An overview of the Mitnetz inspection programme
- Their journey in integrating AI
- Key considerations for AI implementation
- Data capture strategies
- Maximising returns from captured data
Other Webinars You May Like
-
WebinarsWatch our webinar – Disrupting the status quo: AI in utility operations
Watch this webinar to understand why everyone is talking about AI transforming utilities’ day-to-day operations and business as a whole. Learn what leaders really need to know about these fast-moving technological changes.September 25th 2024 -
Webinars
Watch our webinar – Master your substation asset data: Expert insights and strategies revealed
Watch this webinar to learn how to improve poor quality and incomplete data for your substations and how you can achieve lower costs and a much faster response to faulty assets by relying on accurate, up-to-date data.May 09th 2023 -
Webinars
Watch our webinar – Incorrect asset data – why it puts congestion management strategies at risk
Stedin, DSO for 2.3+ million customers in the Netherlands, realised that the asset data they used for their network calculations resulted in anomalies. Watch this webinar to understand Stedin’s approach to validating asset data for their 22,000 Medium Voltage substations.October 02nd 2023 -
Webinars
Watch our webinar – How AI & Virtual inspections changed operations at Xcel Energy
Inspecting transmission and distribution assets is tremendously time- and labor-intensive for utilities. Watch this webinar to learn the benefits and requirements of using a virtual inspection program and what AI is and isn’t capable of doing.May 12th 2023
eSmart Systems and envelio are excited to announce their partnership to support utilities with their asset management and grid planning decisions.
eSmart Systems’ Grid Vision® solution powered by AI enables utilities to scale virtual inspections and grid inventory while digitalizing transmission and distribution assets with an image-based digital asset, combining inspection data, substation assets, metadata and grid topology to provide actionable insights and downstream value beyond the inspection.
envelio’s Intelligent Grid Platform empowers utilities by delivering a digital twin of the distribution grids. The platform unites relevant grid data from multiple sources into one platform to digitalize and automate grid planning and grid operation processes. Applications like Grid Planning and Grid Study enable the evaluation of future scenarios and their effect on the power grids. The results can then be used for strategic grid planning.
Bringing the two solutions together unlocks a powerful combination of an accurate image-based digital asset with the digital twin, resulting in a knowledge-based platform to support utilities to break down silos between grid operations, investment planning and condition monitoring to provide holistic and accurate information on the conditional and physical state of the grid. Based on these additional insights on the power flow and mechanical asset data combined, utilities can enable improved maintenance and inspection planning, support unplanned outage response and improve long term asset investments and strategic grid planning for their power grids.
We are excited to be supporting WEB on their asset management journey. This partnership will set the foundation for obtaining an accurate asset register that WEB can utilize beyond this project for their investment planning decisions to support the growth in Bonaire.
Innovation partnerships like the one with eSmart Systems are the key to the energy transition. Together we create a solution with a technological best-of-breed approach that enables cost-optimized and accelerated asset management and expansion planning of the power grids and thereby supporting grid operators in meeting the challenges of the energy transition.
- Inspektionsdienstleistungs-Programm zur Bereitstellung einer vollständigen virtuellen Inspektion des AllgäuNetz Freileitung Hochspannungsnetz.
- Virtuelle Inspektion unterstützt durch Künstliche Intelligenz.
Die AllgäuNetz ist Verteilnetzbetreiber im südlichen Allgäu in Deutschland. Gemeinsam mit eSmart Systems beginnt AllgäuNetz die Zusammenarbeit mit dem Ziel die Inspektion des Freileitungsnetzes deutlich zu verbessern. Die Lösung der eSmart Systems ermöglicht eine virtuelle Inspektion der Freileitungen, die durch eine künstliche Intelligenz unterstützt wird.
Mit diesem Schritt unterstreicht AllgäuNetz ihre Strategie, verstärkt erneuerbare Energien zu integrieren, den Ausbau intelligenter Netze auszudehnen und die Digitalisierung ihrer Assets und Prozesse voranzutreiben. Dies dient dazu, die Energiewende zu unterstützen und gleichzeitig das hohe Maß an Versorgungssicherheit für die AllgäuNetz Kunden zu optimieren.
We were very impressed with eSmart Systems approach and methodology to support our asset management needs. Through an initial pilot project, the high-quality accurate asset information delivered within Grid Vision provided valuable insights into our critical infrastructure. We are now thrilled to be rolling this out across our whole infrastructure.
Im Rahmen dieser Partnerschaft bietet eSmart Systems eine vollständige Ende-zu-Ende-Inspektionslösung von der Bilderfassung mit Drohnen und automatisierten Flugmustern bis hin zur virtuellen Inspektion mit Grid Vision®. Somit erhöhen wir die Inspektionseffizienz. Diese Partnerschaft wird sicherere, genauere und effizientere Sichtprüfungen der Freileitungen ermöglichen und die Inspektionskosten optimieren. Zusätzlich wird das Programm ein bildbasiertes digitales Abbild der Freileitungsanlagen erstellen, welches die AllgäuNetz dabei unterstützt, sich bei der Investitionsplanung auf Betriebsmittel, basierend auf ihrem Zustand, für Wartungs- und Reinvestitionsmaßnahmen zu konzentrieren.
We are excited to be supporting WEB on their asset management journey. This partnership will set the foundation for obtaining an accurate asset register that WEB can utilize beyond this project for their investment planning decisions to support the growth in Bonaire.
Über die AllgäuNetz GmbH & Co. KG
Die AllgäuNetz GmbH & Co. KG ist der Verteilnetzbetreiber im südlichen Allgäu und versorgt 144.000 Kunden sicher mit Strom.
Eine sichere und zuverlässige Stromversorgung ist eine wichtige Grundlage unserer Gesellschaft. AllgäuNetz GmbH & Co. KG, als Allgäuer Unternehmen Kraftwerke GmbH, Allgäuer Überlandwerk GmbH, Energiegenossenschaft z.B. Mittelberg, Energiebedarf Oberstdorf GmbH und Energiebedarf Oy- Kressen eG stellt sich dieser Verantwortung konsequent.
Mit unseren Mitarbeitern sind wir für große Teile des Stromnetzes im südlichen Allgäu verantwortlich. Das in Betrieb befindliche Stromnetz umfasst ca. 5.500 km Leitungen auf einer Fläche von ca. 1.700 km².
Durch das Zusammenspiel erneuerbarer Energien, intelligenten Netzausbau und -betrieb sowie zuverlässige flächendeckende Betreuung sorgen wir für ein hohes Maß an Versorgungssicherheit.
Gemeinsam mit unseren Privatkunden, Gewerbebetrieben und den Gemeinden im südlichen Allgäu arbeiten wir täglich an der sich verändernden Energielandschaft und setzen die Veränderungen gemeinsam innovativ und zielorientiert um.
Über eSmart Systems
eSmart Systems ist ein führender Anbieter von KI-gestützten Lösungen für die Inspektion und Wartung kritischer Infrastrukturen. Mit unserer Softwarelösung, Grid Vision® revolutionieren wir die Betriebs- und Wartungsprozesse von Netzbetreibern für ihre Übertragungs- und Verteilungsnetze. Wir unterstützen Netzbetreiber weltweit dabei, Inspektionskosten zu senken, Inspektionen sicherer zu gestalten, die Qualität der Asset informationen zu verbessern und die Lebensdauer der Assets zu verlängern.
- Inspection as a Service program to deliver full virtual inspection of AllgäuNetz’s distribution network.
- Virtual inspection supported by Artificial Intelligence.
AllgäuNetz the Distribution System Operator in southern Allgäu, Germany is partnering with eSmart Systems to transition their infrastructure inspection from manual to virtual inspection supported by Artificial Intelligence. This move is to emphasize AllgäuNetz’s strategy of integrating more renewables and expanding their intelligent networks and digitalizing their assets and operations to support the energy transition and optimise a high level of security of supply to their customers.
We were very impressed with eSmart Systems approach and methodology to support our asset management needs. Through an initial pilot project, the high-quality accurate asset information delivered within Grid Vision provided valuable insights into our critical infrastructure. We are now thrilled to be rolling this out across our whole infrastructure.
As part of this partnership eSmart Systems will provide the full end-to-end inspection solution from image capture with automated flight patterns and drones to the virtual inspection, which will provide safer, more accurate and efficient visual inspections and will optimize the inspection costs. The program will also build an image-based digital asset alongside the inspection which will support AllgäuNetz to focus on assets based on condition for maintenance and rebuilds.
We are excited to be supporting WEB on their asset management journey. This partnership will set the foundation for obtaining an accurate asset register that WEB can utilize beyond this project for their investment planning decisions to support the growth in Bonaire.
About AllgäuNetz GmbH & Co. KG
AllgäuNetz GmbH & Co. KG is the Distribution System Operator in southern Allgäu, Germany, supplying safe and secure electricity to 144,000 customers.
A safe and reliable power supply is an important basis for our society. AllgäuNetz GmbH & Co. KG, as a company belonging to Allgäuer Kraftwerke GmbH, Allgäuer Überlandwerk GmbH, Energiegenossenschaft eG Mittelberg, Energiebedarf Oberstdorf GmbH and Energiebedarf Oy-Kressen eG, consistently faces up to this responsibility.
With our employees, we are responsible for large parts of the power grid in southern Allgäu. The power grid in operation includes approximately 5,500 km of lines in an area of approximately 1,700 km².
Through the interaction of renewable energies, intelligent network expansion and operation as well as reliable support across the area, we ensure a high level of security of supply.
Together with our private customers, commercial businesses and the communities in southern Allgäu, we work daily on the changing energy landscape and implement the changes together in an innovative and goal-oriented manner.
About eSmart Systems
eSmart Systems is a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for the inspection and maintenance of critical infrastructure. With our software solution, Grid Vision® we revolutionize how utility companies operate and maintain their transmission and distribution networks. We support utilities globally to reduce inspection costs, make inspections safer, improve the quality of asset data and prolong asset life. eSmart Systems has more than 20 years of international experience in establishing and operating knowledge-based, leading IT and energy-related companies targeting global markets.
- 5-year program to digitalize and automate current inspection process to a complete Artificial Intelligence (AI) image-based virtual inspection.
- The inspection program will focus on distribution grid with a focus on wood, steel and concrete structures.
- BKW will utilize AI to improve the speed and quality of the virtual inspection process.
The program will utilize eSmart Systems Grid Vision® solution, powered by AI to support the high voltage distribution grid with inspection and maintenance. This partnership will provide safer, more accurate and efficient visual inspections and will optimize the inspection costs.
Grid Vision® will be delivered as a Software as Service solution for BKW Energie. The solution delivers automation from day one through the 40+ AI models that are already trained on over 15 million global images. Through a Collaborative-AI approach, BKW will automate their virtual inspections to improve the quality and speed of inspections. The partnership will enable BKW Energie to transition their inspection processes to condition-based asset maintenance over time with the use of Grid Vision® Insight.
We were very impressed with eSmart Systems approach and methodology to support our asset management needs. Through an initial pilot project, the high-quality accurate asset information delivered within Grid Vision provided valuable insights into our critical infrastructure. We are now thrilled to be rolling this out across our whole infrastructure.
By lowering their carbon footprint through reduced field visits, and focusing on assets based on condition for maintenance and rebuilds, BKW Energie is building for a sustainable future and the partnership with eSmart Systems will support these initiatives with integrating more low carbon technologies onto the grid.
We are excited to be supporting WEB on their asset management journey. This partnership will set the foundation for obtaining an accurate asset register that WEB can utilize beyond this project for their investment planning decisions to support the growth in Bonaire.
About BKW
The electricity grid is the backbone of modern society. As the operator of Switzerland’s largest distribution system, BKW ensures that electricity flows reliably from producers to consumers. We plan and build grid infrastructure and make the most of the opportunities that digitalization has to offer to create sustainable living spaces.
We distribute electricity to one million people in our supply area via 22,000 km of lines and 188,000 grid connections. By running our grid safely and efficiently, we can offer our new customers access to it based on their needs.
About eSmart Systems
eSmart Systems is a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for the inspection and maintenance of critical infrastructure. With our software solution, Grid Vision® we revolutionize how utility companies operate and maintain their transmission and distribution networks. We support utilities globally to reduce inspection costs, make inspections safer, improve the quality of asset data and prolong asset life. eSmart Systems has more than 20 years of international experience in establishing and operating knowledge-based, leading IT and energy-related companies targeting global markets.
