NEW ZEALAND – The ioSphere team in collaboration with Dynamic Ratings have successfully connected a large Wilson transformer on the EA Networks grid to the new Swarm satellite network.

The Swarm satellite network, which is now owned by SpaceX, has the power to transform the management and control of the world’s electricity grids.

Energy networks have billions of dollars invested in critical assets, including lines and transformers. Connecting these assets digitally to a smart grid system is a major priority for grid operators who need to squeeze maximum performance and reliability from their infrastructure.

However, the deployment of smart grid IoT (and SCADA) technology has been limited by cellular coverage. Huge numbers of the most critical grid assets lie outside of cell networks.

The new Swarm low earth orbit satellite network, which is nearing full completion, offers a solution for remote digital grid management, said ioSphere in a press release.

“When we set out to create the best, universal IoT gateway for Swarm, electricity utility assets were high on our list of priority use cases,’ says Stephen Irons, ioSphere’s head of firmware development. “Seeing our new Swarm gateway connected to a huge Wilson transformer, and seeing the asset performance data flowing smoothly over Swarm, a world first, was a really exciting milestone for the ioSphere team.”

The solution, deployed on an EA Networks substation near Ashburton, incorporates an ioSphere IoT gateway connected to a Dynamic Ratings B100 sensor bank, which is connected to the transformer. The system, which is mains powered, returns the transformer’s oil temperature, load current and surrounding ambient temperature, over Swarm, to an online reporting interface.

“We really appreciate the help we had from Logic Wireless, Dynamic Ratings and EA Networks in pulling together this important industrial trial of the new Swarm satellite network’, says Donna Henderson, Head of Business Development at ioSphere, ‘The global adoption of Swarm in the utilities sector is likely to be enormous. It's just great to have the first major proof of concept right here in Canterbury”.

ioSphere expect to have their industrial IoT gateways for the Swarm network ready for sale to electricity distributors and other industrial applications in the second half of 2022.

Source: ioSphere