Electricity is always flowing and the energy sector is always active – 24/7, 365 days a year. New grid projects, exciting facts about electricity, digitalisation, innovations, the environment – we regularly publish informative articles on a wide range of topics. Always up-to-date, always with our finger on the pulse. Welcome to our blog!
Pylonian: monitoring electricity pylons using IoT sensors
A large part of the extra-high-voltage grid operated by Swissgrid consists of overhead lines. Electricity pylons ensure the necessary stability and safety for power transmission. The grid comprises around 12,000 pylons and 6,700 kilometres of lines. As the regular monitoring of exposed infrastructure is very time-consuming, Swissgrid launched a feasibility study called «Pylonian» in 2021. The objective was to monitor selected electricity pylons around the clock using sensors based on Internet of Things technology.
Lines are switched off for safety reasons during construction or renovation work. The planning of these outages is highly complex and would be unthinkable without a software solution. Swissgrid is applying user-centred design for the further development of its software to ensure that the employees responsible for planning work can be given even better support in the future.
Swissgrid is testing the use of augmented reality glasses for substation inspections in a pilot project with Rimon Technologies GmbH, an ETH spin-off. The initial results and feedback from employees and service providers are promising.
When it comes to Jamie Paik’s robots, size doesn’t matter. The miniature devices make the most of their abilities by working together. The researcher wants her work to inspire others, but she has also had to answer some critical questions.
Electricity is the lifeblood of our modern society; it drives us silently and invisibly.
It always takes the path of least resistance; to make it tangible and depict it seems impossible. Not so for Nadieh Bremer.
The transition towards sustainable energy sources requires the extra-high-voltage grid to be upgraded and expanded to comply with the amount of electricity that will need to be transmitted in the future.
6,700 kilometres of lines, 12,000 pylons and 141 substations – the Swiss extra-high-voltage grid is a complex web. This becomes particularly apparent when it is to be represented graphically.
The grid needs to be upgraded and expanded in line with demand to ensure the successful implementation of the Energy Strategy 2050. That much is clear. But grid projects often take longer than planned. Why is that?
