Drones, robots, augmented reality: the future of the grid is already here

Drones, electric mobility, augmented reality and the new digital tools to be installed on high-voltage pylons. These are the themes of the projects Terna presented at the VIII edition of Maker Faire Rome, the most important European event dedicated to innovation, organised by the Rome Chamber of Commerce through its special organisation Innova Camera. All of them are connected by an important thread: the challenge offered by the energy transition, the switch from fossil fuels to renewable sources, which requires significant digitalisation changes on the grid as well as elsewhere. All linked to sustainability.

In fact, “Innovation and sustainability overlap,” explained Stefano Donnarumma, Chief Executive Officer of Terna, speaking at Maker Faire 2020. “Under the European framework, 95% of grid investments are considered sustainable: so every element of technological innovation applied to the grid is sustainable. Under our Driver Energy business plan, 900 million is dedicated to innovation, to implementing systems linked to management of energy flows”. Massimiliano Garri, the Innovation, Digital Energy Solutions & Connectivity Manager for the Group also emphasised that, “making the grid more resilient by facilitating the energy transition is the objective of Terna’s digital transformation: connectivity, cybersecurity, new ways of working and digital sustainable assets represent the four key elements for Terna’s digitalization”.

As a partner for the Maker Faire Rome, held in the capital from 10 - 13 December, Terna prepared a virtual stand to demonstrate its latest ideas on innovation. Here's what they are.

#IoT4TheGrid: the IoT for the grid of the future. The IoT4TheGrid project allows Terna to use infrastructure as equipment for digitalization, thanks to a series of digital tools installed on pylons. These devices are of various types, ranging from those taking weather readings to pull sensors, as well accelerometers and inclinometers applied to cables and wires. The data collected makes it possible to improve of maintenance efficiency, as well as to manage flows, limit outages and increase grid security. Additionally, the project makes it possible to monitor areas subject to landslides and landslips, quickly identifying adverse weather events that could cause damage to the territory. “Think of the impact climate change has on the dispatching of energy: bad weather can create various problems, sometimes even outages involving all infrastructure, including ours. This can be mitigated over time through the adoption of forecasting technologies,” noted Donnarumma.

Drones and robotics for line monitoring. The second project involves the use of drones to manage the national transmission grid, which offers a dual advantage to Terna in terms of worker time and safety. In fact, by using drones technicians can visit any grid points to control the progress of a construction site or to prevent a possible malfunction, avoiding the need to temporarily shut down the grid or to physically climb up the supports.

“All of this also lets us make use of predictive maintenance, which is the most effective kind. The robotics systems applied to the grids allow us to carry out remote maintenance, using localised intelligence,” Donnarumma remarked.

E-mobility Lab: the electric mobility the system needs. The electric mobility project Terna presented at Maker Faire Rome is called “E-mobility Lab” and aims to transform electrical vehicles into genuine “batteries on wheels”, that is into flexible tools for the electricity system, both in charging mode (V1G) and in discharging mode (V2G or "Vehicle to Grid").

Terna Lines Simulator: mixed reality for exploring infrastructure and territory. Finally, Terna Lines Simulator is a technology for virtual and augmented reality which simulates the presence of electrical infrastructure in the territory from the consultation phase through to development, exploring every aspect of the work. Thanks to 3D layers and interactive maps, animated and navigable content, infrastructure which includes dozens and dozens of kilometres is summarised on the screen of a tablet. This is an extremely useful tool for technicians, who are able to investigate the engineering and structural features of a power line much more quickly and effectively.