Visibility and system insights for the Orion Network (ViSION)

This project aimed to improve visibility and insights gained across the Orion network from GXP through to behind the meter – via monitoring, smart meter data, analytical technology and smart processes. The insights developed through the ViSION project will help unlock latent capacity in Orion’s low voltage network, therefore reducing the need for future network investment, lower costs to customers, and deliver other efficiency, quality and safety improvements.

Typically, an lines companies street-level low voltage network supplies more than 99% of its customers. Despite this high percentage, lines companies have traditionally not had good visibility of the condition and behaviour of their low voltage networks, which were planned for reasonably stable passive household loads with one-way power flow.

However, as more customers adopt technologies such as EVs, and solar systems and batteries create two-way power flows, developing visibility of and capability in the low voltage area is more essential to efficient electricity network management, and facilitating customer choice and participation in demand response.

This project aimed to improve visibility and insights gained across the network from GXP through to behind the meter – via monitoring, smart meter data, analytical technology and smart processes. The insights developed through our ViSION project will help unlock latent capacity in Orion’s LV network, thereby reducing the need for future network investment, lower costs to our customers, and deliver numerous other efficiency, quality and safety improvements.

This project achieved its purpose in terms of developing and trialling a range of new processes and creating insights. Orion answered a range of questions about what insights were possible, most desirable, and the pros and cons of developing an in-house platform vs using a third-party platform.

The overall objective was to develop and trial a new low voltage network data, analytics and insights process, through a multi-phased approach, that delivers lower costs and increased quality of electricity service to customers.  

Orion will continue to evaluate the extent to which the ViSION project realised its proposed benefits such as helping unlock latent capacity in Orion’s low voltage network.

There are many learnings around smart data contracts and importance of establishing good data practices and governance. These are all outlines in more detail in the learnings report here. 

Orion will continue to enhance data acquisition and analytical capabilities. This includes testing current functionality against evolving use cases and improving real-time insights.