New report highlights the role of real-time monitoring and predictive technologies in building a smarter, safer and more resilient grid
Camlin has collaborated with academics from Imperial College London on a new report exploring how Britain’s electricity distribution networks can strengthen resilience in the face of a changing risk profile and increasing pressure.
The report, From Risk to Resilience: Advancing visibility and performance across the electricity network, examines how Ofgem and Distribution Network Operators can better prepare for the combined impacts of ageing infrastructure, electrification, growing reliance on uninterrupted electricity supply and more severe weather events.
It finds that Ofgem’s upcoming RIIO-ED3 framework represents a key opportunity to support the long-term investments needed to build a more resilient network. The report highlights the importance of moving from a reactive “fix-on-fail” model towards a more proactive “predict-and-prevent” approach, using real-time monitoring, early fault detection and digital insight to identify risks before they become outages.
It also points to the role of continuous line monitoring in improving network visibility and performance. Modelling carried out by Imperial College London found that continuous line monitoring could reduce customer minutes lost by up to 80% compared with the baseline scenario, demonstrating the potential of digital technologies to support better outcomes for consumers and network operators.
Peter Cunningham, CEO of Camlin Group, said:
“Electricity networks are entering a period of major change. As demand grows and the system becomes more complex, operators will need deeper visibility and better intelligence to manage risk, protect consumers and keep the grid performing reliably.
This report highlights an important opportunity to support a more proactive approach to network resilience. Its finding that continuous line monitoring could reduce customer minutes lost by up to 80% shows the scale of improvement that is possible when operators have the right visibility and insight across the network.
This is exactly what our products such as LineSIGHT, TOTUS and PRESense are designed to deliver. By continuously monitoring energy infrastructure, detecting and locating faults in real time, and helping operators act earlier, we can help deliver the shift recommended in the report from ‘fix-on-fail’ to ‘predict-and-prevent’ – improving resilience, reducing disruption and delivering long-term value for consumers.”
The report was produced independently by academics from Imperial College London and informed by desk-based research, quantitative modelling and stakeholder engagement.
