The Smart City Event has kicked into high gear, readers!
Here at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, it’s been “shocking” (I am, indeed, incorporating electricity-related puns into this) how many people are in attendance for this year’s IoT Evolution Expo. Part of the #TECHSUPERSHOW experience, first-time Internet of Things enthusiasts and long-time specialists alike have been walking side by side throughout the center, and it’s been one heck of a first day.
Earlier this afternoon, I joined a Smart City Event discussion led by Libelium’s Global Key Account Manager, John Wood.
Below are some highlights from that particular session:
- Utilities around the world are adopting smart meter reading capabilities, but there are still significant pain points in delivering the kind of power necessary for many IoT sensors. (Specifically, sensors that provide faster data for failure response-related needs.) That’s where Libelium’s efforts as an IoT + ESG solutions provider come into play; medium-voltage and high-voltage solutions that make sustainable differences.
- According to Wood, “When it comes to problem identification, most power line infrastructures are operating below half of their capacity. They’re sorely underused. And since many different factors can — and often do — intervene in companies being able to generate electricity over those lines, what Libelium brings to the table is very much oriented towards that.”
- Other challenges Wood described include traditional infrastructure and operational concerns, complex procedural hurdles, and large-scale investment needs. “There’s a lot of funding in the EU for this,” Wood explained, “and less in the United States, but it’s still all-around difficult. Further investments in digitization and innovation are needed.”
- There are different “current” (pun intended) alternatives; Libelium is placing major focus on dynamic line rating (DLR), as well as repowering, conductor replacement, building new power lines, etc.
- “There are a lot of economic and sustainability impacts of note,” Wood said, “but we believe DLR to be the best choice. It’s a cost-effective solution and the pros for the environment outweigh the cons.”
- More on DLR: It’s an advanced method to calculate the transport capacity of power lines in real time. It involves analyses of variable environmental and operational conditions (e.g. conductor temperature, weather conditions, etc.) and it helps avoid lines’ premature aging with up-to-date weather data and more accurate predictions. So, Libelium’s proposal is that — with on-site IoT-powered sensors — they can offer an adjustment rate up to 97% via adapting dynamically with DLR and the intelligent mitigation controls therein. (Also involved are digital twins that adjust energy transmission calculations, robust accuracy improvements, machine learning, and a greater overall number of monitoring points to work with.)
For more information on Libelium and its solar-powered products and solutions, data transmissions over 4G and NB-IoT, monitoring functionalities and more, read here.
Edited by
Alex Passett
