As power grids become increasingly complex, the need for real-time grid visibility and data-driven decision-making continues to grow. With electrification, distributed energy resources, and changing load patterns placing new demands on distribution grids, utilities need better insight into what is happening across their networks.
With dSense, grid operators can extend their visibility beyond primary substations and gain valuable insights directly from secondary substations. The result is improved fault detection, enhanced power quality monitoring, and a stronger foundation for both grid operations and grid planning.
Bringing Grid Monitoring Closer to the Edge
Operating a stable and resilient power grid requires accurate, real-time information. However, visibility has traditionally been limited in large parts of the distribution grid, particularly at the secondary substation level.
Developed by dLab in collaboration with Techinova, dSense combines advanced secondary substation monitoring with dLab’s patented earth fault detection algorithms and more than four million recorded and analyzed events from distribution grids.
The solution enables utilities to collect, monitor, and analyze data further out in the grid than ever before, providing a more complete picture of grid conditions and asset performance.
By digitalizing secondary substations, utilities gain greater visibility across the entire distribution grid – from the subtransmission grid to the low-voltage network. This makes it possible to identify anomalies earlier, detect developing faults, and prevent outages before they impact customers.
Turning Grid Data into Actionable Insights
dSense is fully integrated with dLab’s application dAnalyzer. Data collected from secondary substations is automatically analyzed and transformed into actionable insights for grid operations, maintenance planning, and investment decisions.Rather than simply providing more measurements, dSense helps utilities understand what the data means and where action is needed.
This enables grid operators to:
- Identify between which secondary substations a fault occurs
- Detect earth faults and overcurrent events earlier
- Understand loading patterns and grid utilization over time
- Identify both capacity constraints and underutilized capacity
- Respond faster to grid disturbances
- Monitor and analyze power quality
- Improve decision-making for grid planning and investments
Proven in Daily Operations
At Affärsverken, dSense is already helping improve visibility and decision-making across the distribution grid.
According to Anders Savetun, Technical Specialist:
“We gain a completely different understanding of what is happening in our power grid – even before problems arise. This provides a stronger foundation for both day-to-day operations and future investments.”
Advanced Fault Detection and Disturbance Analysis
dSense is a fault detector and disturbance analyzer designed for monitoring up to five feeders in a secondary substation. It detects and records overcurrents, non-directional earth faults, and directional earth faults, with or without voltage measurement. When used as a subordinate IED to an RTU, dSense can support automatic switching operations in distribution networks during fault conditions.
When used as a subordinate IED to an RTU, dSense can also support automatic switching operations in distribution grids during fault conditions.
A Platform for the Digital Distribution Grid
dSense is integrated with dLab’s intelligent platform and the application dAnalyzer, creating a scalable foundation for digital distribution grid monitoring.
As utilities continue their grid digitalization journey, additional dLab applications will also become available at the secondary substation level, enabling even deeper insights into grid performance, asset health, power quality, and capacity utilization.
For more information about dSense, visit Techinova’s product page.
