Are your customers getting high on voltage?
In 2018, Metropolis was approached by the ABC and asked if we could provide approved voltage information to help build a story about voltage levels across Australia. Metropolis was able to quickly design and deploy a voltage analysis solution giving the ABC some really interesting insights into how networks are delivering voltage levels and how an increasing penetration of Solar is affecting those levels.
If no action is taken to address these issues, customers will suffer. The quality of their electricity may degrade, affecting the lifespan of their appliances due to high voltage
AEMO & ENA
2018
Challenge
Provide reliable voltage information across multiple states and postcodes at various times during the day.
Help the ABC to understand how many customers experience voltages outside the Australian Code and establish the influence of Solar on voltage levels.
Solution
Metropolis were able to design a process of contacting its meter fleet multiple times a day and recording voltage levels at customer’s premises.
This data was collated over a period of time consolidating almost a million records to create maximum, minimum and average readings by postcode and state.
Outcome
Metropolis were able to paint a picture for the ABC that was not available from the electricity networks themselves.
The analysis showed almost 1 in 8 customers experience voltages outside of the allowable standard and that the states performed very differently. Within each state certain postcodes showed good performance and other postcodes showed significant issues.
This information is powerful in helping distribution businesses focus on areas that are most in need.