Energisa modernizes energy distribution system with state-of-the-art technology

Incorporating new procedures into the energy sector is always a challenge. Even more so when any move directly impacts the lives of a significant portion of a country's population. These are premises that the Energisa Group is intimately familiar with.

Aware of the constant demand for modernization and the growing challenge of dealing with extreme weather events, the Group announced the implementation of the project Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS), which in other words stands for Advanced Distribution Management System.

With ADMS it will be possible to collect information in real time from field devices, such as meters and transformers, as well as detect and locate faults in the electricity network, providing operators with precise information so that corrective measures can be taken quickly. As well as enabling the unification and standardization of operations, the technology is equipped with tools for analysing and monitoring distribution systems. Initially, it will reduce response times and mitigate the risk of power supply interruptions. Once the system is fully implemented, the networks are expected to be automatically restored, allowing for additional gains in operational efficiency and reliability.

Unifying the management of the operation will bring a series of advantages: millions of customers will have more agile service and an even better quality energy supply," explains Gustavo Valfre, Energisa's vice-president of technology

Considered one of the largest of its kind in the world, when you take its size as a reference, ADMS is the first centralized and virtualized system in Brazil. It is expected to take four years to be fully implemented, meaning it will be fully operational by 2027.

 ADMS is a fully integrated platform, where we will combine the entire remote control structure (of devices, networks and power substations) with the call center that supports our customers when there is a power outage, for example. The platform also incorporates our field team dispatch system, making operations more agile," explains Cássio Bazana, Energisa Group's technology manager

It's a bold project. Because, as well as receiving investments of around R$125 million, it will be implemented in all of the Energisa Group's 9 distribution companies, which together serve 20 million people.

To meet this technological challenge, the Energisa Group has teamed up with major partners. In addition to Schneider Electric for automation, Dell is responsible for hardwareNVIDIA for graphics processing, Citrix for virtualization and Minsait for the system of regulated indicators. This collaboration between different specialists is fundamental to ensuring the success of the project.

In practice, ADMS makes it possible to monitor and control electricity distribution in real time. It's more or less like a "brain", running this network, ensuring that energy is delivered to customers safely and efficiently. And this applies to homes, businesses and industries.

ADMS is based on some things that happen, for example, in Formula 1. So, an F1 car is racing on a track, and at the same time the sensors are picking up information from that car, sending it to the teams' servers and returning it to the mechanics in the pits. So we're adopting this same information technology in the ADMS system, because we're monitoring our networks in real time and this information goes to a centralized server, which gives it back to our operators as information so that they can make the best decision in milliseconds," says Bazana.

For ADMS to work in the best Formula 1 style, you need training. And a lot of it. Implementation began at Energisa Mato Grosso do Sul, where the size of the challenge can already be seen. In the first stage, 79 professionals were trained, with a workload of 312 hours. To reach the entire Energisa Group, the project will need to train around 7,000 employees, including system operators, engineering teams and distribution electricians. The next distribution companies to be included will be Energisa Minas Rio, Energisa Sul-Sudeste and Energisa Paraíba.

With the implementation of one of the world's largest ADMS, Energisa is not only raising the standard of its distributors' operations, but also reinforcing its position as a leader in technological innovation in the electricity sector.