Electrification leads to increased automation

Tensio and the software house Powel have together developed a solution that automates online messages on the low-voltage network.

This greatly reduces the processing time for the grid company and makes electric car customers particularly happy.

“Before Tensio started using the new solution, the average processing time was 14 days. With the new solutions, approval will be completed electronically in a few seconds,” says the project manager at Powel, Eirin Bye.

750 network messages were automatically transmitted via the system

Tensio Trøndelag Sør (formerly TrønderEnergi Nett) has used the solution for some time and is extremely satisfied. Since 1 January 2020, 750 out of 3000 network messages have been automatically transmitted to Tensio via the system. Most of these were requests for electric car chargers.

“The biggest difference relates to the customer experience. They quickly receive a digital response, and in the best-case scenario, the utility worker visits them the day after they got in touch. That’s great for us, the utility workers, and especially for the customer,” says Marius André Olsen, section manager at Tensio Trøndelag Sør.

The main goal of the project is to develop software that enhances the efficiency of the network connection process. This is possible because the technical analysis for a given case is delivered upon request, and because the system works seamlessly with the software for managing the connection process.

Developing a new version with additional automation

Due to ever-increasing electrification, the pressure on grid companies' low-voltage connections is increasing. Automatically processing the simplest cases frees up time, allowing Tensio to focus on cases that require more complex assessments.

“We save a lot of time internally by not having to process these requests. That allows us to focus on the more demanding requests from customers,” says Olsen.

But although they have already achieved great results, Tensio and Powel aren’t finished developing their solution. In the first version of the software, they focused their work on measuring points and security cabinets at their customers’ sites. In the next version, the goal is to automate and streamline requests for increased fuse size/larger power cables.

“Our goal is to automate around 1,500 network messages. That’s double what we do today. But there’s a lot to consider. Powel’s ruleset must be examined so that we can determine a proper limit on what can be transmitted securely. Good and thorough tests are also needed,” he says.

Have to work more efficiently

Testing at Powel and Tensio is already underway, and the companies hope to go live with the second version of the service by the end of the year.

“It’s very exciting to be part of these kinds of development processes. The solution must be easy to use for the customer and safe for the grid company. The electrification of society means that the pressure on us is increasing, and we need to be able to work more efficiently and digitally. The banking and insurance industry has proven that it’s possible, and now we’re taking that leap ourselves. We’re looking forward to taking the next step,” concludes Marius André Olsen.