What are your thoughts when you hear the word power grid? Network of tall metal structures carrying electricity across different lands. It also includes generator stations, transmission lines, and distribution lines. Our whole ecosystem today can come to a halt without them. However these systems are aging & the fuels required to produce power are depleting, we are moving towards sustainable energy resources to reduce carbon emission, environmental pollution & costs. The demand has surged over the years and the weather changes have become more frequent, as the internet expands, cyber attacks on power grids are becoming frequent.
The technology has advanced, and consumers have become smarter. Implementing and investing in technologies like solar, wind, and other independent sources have given them more control over the power sources. Consumers can now give (sell) power back to the grids, giving them more access to the system thus reducing costs significantly. This is where digitalization kicks in and the smart grids come into action. With 5G enabled power generation and transmission systems the future of power grids looks promising.
Changing the 100-year-old ecosystem isn’t easy, as a little damage to the equipment can lead to a blackout. Smart grids hold the key, it enables the two-way flow of electricity and data, making communication between the equipment. As we add more renewable sources of energy, the fluctuation of power also increases, however our systems are designed according to static conditions. Implementing a private 5G network digitalizes the substation which can now automatically analyze the power generation and can simultaneously make decisions to monitor the grids in real-time.
Private 5G network helps in implementing AI. AI processors can be deployed over the power generation unit over poles, and by using an AI inference algorithm data can be analyzed in real-time. Drones become connected and real-time surveillance of towers is possible, resulting in lower maintenance costs & higher efficiency. Inspection robots can be deployed, equipped with 5G CPE has low latency, large bandwidth, and high speeds which transmit temperature and power device images in real-time. Edge computing and AI are used to process and analyze data. This makes inspection easy, safe, and time-efficient as compared to manual inspection.
Utilities and the economy move towards sustainable sources of energy. As the utilities are connected via the cloud by using a private 5G network, this allows the cloud-system to monitor, control and optimize the growing solar systems, energy storing units, EVs, and other thousands of IoT devices. These devices can be used to smartly distribute energy and enhance grid reliability. More importantly, this creates transparency between consumers and power generation systems, resulting in reduced costs and increased use of renewable resources.
Private 5G network makes the grid smart, employing products and services together with intelligent monitoring, control, and self-healing technologies. Generators of varying sizes and power capacities can be connected to maintain and control the power change in real-time, thus having no fluctuations in the power supply to consumers.
Digitization of the power grid will revolutionize the industry. To create an industry that is transparent, automated, and controllable in real time, 5G is essential. Tracking the location of power failures, low outputs, etc., intelligent devices are required for analyzing, detecting, operations and inspection. We are in the smart grid era, private 5G networks help in the interconnection of power grids, multi-user demand-supply balance, and real-time interaction between power systems and consumers. A new number of homes can be lit up using optimized & intelligent technology.
We at Niral Networks possess the required private 5G set up to enable and convert your enterprise into a 5G ecosystem. Reach out to us for further queries and business needs.
