Think back to the last time you lost power. Depending on where you live, it could have taken quite a while before you got it back. Electricians and computer scientists have put their heads together to come up with a number of new digital solutions that make use of the latest developments to reduce the risk of this happening. As people transition to electric cars and other new gadgets, they’ll come to rely on these and other improvements so they don’t run out of power at peak times. Here are 3 cool ways software is used to help maintain a power grid.
1. Conducting Power Surveys
Electric companies are investing in high-end, resilient power grid technology that helps them reduce the risk of outages. These consist of everything from better utility powers to underground lines. Engineers can use standard computer-aided design packages to draw out a map of the grid section they’re working on. Once they have a good idea of what it should look like, they’ll be able to identify the areas that most likely need additional work.
Standard CAD packages aren’t the only software tools technicians who work in this field use, however. Geographic information systems have become extremely popular in recent years, since they give an overview of nearly any plot of land someone could think of. Smaller towns that previously had to deal with poor service will stick out like a sore thumb on these maps, so electrical contractors will immediately know where they need to put most of their effort.
2. Correcting Smart Meters
When smart metering technology first came out, it was promoted as a solution to nearly every problem with the power grid. Things haven’t quite worked out the way that pundits had originally reported, but they have given electricians the ability to predict how much electricity people will need in the coming years. Software engineers have come up with data governance programs that look through all of the information collected from smart meters and decide whether it’s accurate or not. Whenever someone moves into a home or makes some big upgrades, they’re going to use a different amount of power than before. Traditional smart meters can’t keep up with this shift. Software can predict the chances of this happening and make adjustments accordingly.
3. Use of Alternative Transmission Protocols
Scientists have found that conventional broadcast networks are useful for carrying instructions to remove power grid switches. When demand drops in a given area, operators can send coded digital signals to a distant switch to reroute portions of the amount of base power in a grid to a different place. Rural electrical substations can use this kind of switching to take advantage of sophisticated computer technology that they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to. That enables people living even in smaller areas to enjoy the benefits of smart grid technology.
Electrical demand continues to increase all over the world, and that puts additional pressure on existing grid resources. Fortunately, these examples prove that sophisticated computer software packages can help planners and engineers design a better distribution system.