Case Study: VSD

Vychodoslovenska distribucna, a.s. (VSD), a key player in the distribution grid in Slovakia, faced mounting challenges related to grid reliability and escalating costs. Non-technical losses in their distribution network, occuring at an increasing rate, were becoming a financial burden and threatening grid stability and customer satisfaction. VSD needed to pinpoint the precise locations of these losses within their grid.

The Awesense team conducted extensive grid measurements (investigations), encompassing measurements from 13 segments of both medium-voltage (MV) and low-voltage (LV) grids. Towards the end of 2019, a pilot project was undertaken in collaboration with VSD to verify the functionality of Awesense’s sensors and TGI (True Grid Intelligence), aimed at detecting and precisely localizing non-technical losses (NTL) within the distribution grid. This initiative involved the gradual deployment of Awesense Raptor sensors in a selected town, segmenting the grid into multiple MV/LV grid segments for energy balance calculations. The project yielded notable results: 129 consumers were measured, revealing losses exceeding 12,000 kWh during the approximately 27-day measurement period. Furthermore, the team installed Awesense Raptor sensors swiftly, discreetly, and without interrupting the power supply. The TGI solution’s capacity to identify grid irregularities was confirmed and subsequently validated through on-site inspections. Moreover, the Raptor sensors demonstrated their capability to record real-time grid data. Remarkably, even in an area equipped with smart meters, the implementation of Awesense technology led to the complete eradication of non-technical losses in the area, with four sites confirmed to be source of NTL (after in-person inspections).

“Based on the results of the measurements, we managed to reduce the losses in this grid area where the measurements were carried out to the level of technical losses. The approach of the Awesense staff was very helpful, both in the preparation, in the process of installing and uninstalling the meters, and in the evaluation of the project itself. The “Investigation Analysis” document prepared allowed us to identify segments and points of consumption with a higher probability of unauthorized withdrawals for the purpose of inspections by our inspectors. It should be pointed out that the detection and documentation of unauthorized electricity consumption and the reduction of the so-called “Non-Technical Losses” in the grid is a combination of technical measures, chosen approaches, and working methods, and the final result depends a lot on the skill of colleagues at the point of consumption. This successful project is a very good example of appropriately chosen technical measures, used measuring instruments, working methods, and professionalism of people both on the side of Awesense and on the side of colleagues from VSD, for which all of them deserve a big thank you.”