TekUncorked has introduced an LVIoT platform that forecasts and mitigates risks and threats to the electricity distribution network. In this exchange, we have Meenakshi Vashist, Founder & CEO, TekUncorked, giving an overview of the platform’s working, and how power distribution utilities can derive immense benefit from the platform to reduce grid losses and improve power quality. While TekUncorked LVIoT platform is slowly gaining acceptance in India, it is also making inroads in the global market, notes Meenakshi Vashist. An interview by Venugopal Pillai.
We broadly understand that TekUncorked has an LVIoT solution that helps discoms understand their grid better, enabling them to take preventive action. Tell us more.
TekUncorked LVIoT is an AIIoT platform comprising of Smart Edge IoT Devices, Connectivity stack, and an AI Engine for real-time grid monitoring, fault and risk localization and actuation to trigger auto-healing of the grid. TekUncorked focuses on reducing grid losses, providing actionable insights, predicting faults and breakdown, and enhancing energy efficiency and power quality in the distribution grid.
From a technical standpoint, is this not similar to a SCADA system, which most utilities are already equipped with? What are the clear advantages that TekUncorked’s LVIoT solution enjoys?
LVIoT is a grid management system for electricity distribution. While SCADA is used for HT Grid, the LT grid has minimal remote automation capability owing to the grid sites being spread over a large area (there is a grid access point approximately every 1.25 sqkm). LVIoT platform addresses this gap. Also, by providing interface hooks to SCADA, it is now possible to remotely monitor the entire grid from source to end-point through LVIoT.
Tell us how TekUncorked fine-tunes and upgrades its algorithms to meet customized requirements of utilities.
LVIoT platform uses the concept of AI layers to address various consumer needs. While the basic platform is fully functional and supports all the basic functionality of monitoring the grid health, customer from time to time share additional requirements, which are built on top of the basic algorithmic frame-work in a plug-and-play fashion.
State government-owned discoms are contending with higher AT&C losses but are financially weak. In such a situation, how do you see the response of government discoms to your solutions?
State-owned discoms are now getting support from various global agencies like World Bank to modernize and upgrade the distribution grid. This is quite an encouraging move and shall help the discoms address the gaps and weakness.
We appreciate that maintaining the LVIoT solution and continuously upgrading the algorithm would need specialized manpower. What is the profile of the “brainpower” that is behind this continual product development?
Full-stack software developers, data scientists and embedded developers work on continually taking the LVIoT platform up the value chain.
In general, we see that while the HV and EHV grid (on the transmission side) is generally well monitored, the LV grid is fraught with uncontrolled technical and commercial losses. While TekUncorked’s LVIoT solution can be availed to improve grid monitoring, it is there something that can be changed at the grid infrastructure design level?
Enhancing capability in the grid infrastructure and making the sites remotely controllable and incorporating architectural upgrades which can allow the grid to be auto-healed at a universal level. Such upgrades shall enhance LVIoT capability to auto-heal the grid from large number of diverse scenarios like over/under loading, low power quality, breakdowns, safety risks and more and would bring us closer to the vision of reliable, outage-free electricity for all.
TekUncorked has undertaken several projects in India. What comes to your mind as the most satisfying project, perhaps where the discom has derived maximum value from the LVIoT solution?
The LVIoT platform is still in early stages of evolution and all the projects executed so far have not only benefitted the electricity distribution network but also brought up interesting challenges and scenarios from the grid which provided us opportunities to enhance the LVIoT platform stack to drive more intelligence in grid management
Do you see the scope of TekUncorked’s LVIoT solution globally? Have you initiated discussions with any country?
Absolutely yes! We have had early discussions with utilities in UK and Africa and generated lot of interest. In fact, TekUncorked was declared a winner by UN Habitat Katowice Energy Challenge in 2022. FedEx in their annual handbook FedEx Cares mentioned TekUncorked as one of the most promising startups in energy sector, globally.
In India, the distribution sector is the weakest link in the power value chain. Reducing distribution AT&C losses in this sector is the top-most national priority. Given this, how do you see the road ahead for TekUncorked?
Exciting and high impact! TekUncorked team is quite confident about the impact that LVIoT can drive in the coming years, by reducing grid losses, improving power quality, managing demand and helping reduce carbon footprint of the electricity distribution grid.
(Key to abbreviations: LV = Low Voltage; IoT = Internet of Things; AI = Artificial Intelligence; SCADA = Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition)
