Deutsche Telekom’s solution for faster fault localization in the ED Netze power grid

• ED Netze GmbH is rolling out the NB-IoT mobile communications technology after a successful trial period
• Remote monitoring 4.0 from local grid stations eliminates time-consuming fault localization
• This Deutsche Telekom solution is designed to minimize downtime

During 2022 and 2023, ED Netze GmbH will continue the ongoing expansion of remote monitoring for short-circuit indicators. Having completed a proof of concept study, the southern Baden-based grid operator opted for the standardized NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) mobile communications technology as its long-term plan. In 2022, ED Netze will upgrade the first 250 short-circuit indicators in collaboration with Deutsche Telekom, to be followed by a further 250 NB-IoT devices in 2023. Incorporating these local substations into the central remote monitoring concept will help to minimize grid downtime still further.

Accurate data for short response times
ED Netze is investing in the future of the grid. The state-of-the-art communications technology allows problems to be pinpointed with complete accuracy, eliminating the need for time-consuming inspection trips and fault tracing. The excellent data situation allows ED Netze to fix supply interruptions faster with minimal disruption for grid customers.

Franziska Heidecke, Head of Digitalization and Innovation at ED Netze, is feeling confident about the future: “The expansion of remote monitoring represents a major step forwards and our grid customers will benefit from a further improvement in our System Average Interruption Duration Index, or SAIDI. This enables us to maintain a high quality of supply within the ED Netze territory.”

Dennis Nikles, CEO of Deutsche Telekom IoT GmbH, explains: “NB-IoT is a 5G standard for massive IoT applications, making it a sound choice for the future. The signals work even in heavily shielded buildings and underdeveloped sites, making it ideal for ED Netze’s purposes.”

Fast installation, ready for immediate use
ED Netze uses plug & play technology to install energy-efficient NB IoT devices from Exelonix in transformer stations. Data is transmitted by the dedicated Deutsche Telekom narrowband network for IoT, while the devices are operated and monitored in the Cloud of Things.

Arkadius Kolloch, Head of Control Technology and Systems at ED Netze, headed up the testing phase: “Last year, we spent a number of months testing five mobile devices at regional distribution substations for several weeks at a time.  We were impressed by the quality of data communication, backed up by rapid fault localization. This allows us to deploy our installation engineers more effectively across our expansive network. The more information we can get from the network, the faster we can localize, and ultimately resolve, faults. 

Source: Deutsche Telekom media announcement