While smart meters have dominated the news, there are other important components of the smart grid. Efficient fault detection can greatly enhance distribution grid reliability, reducing restoration time drastically from several hours to a few seconds or minutes, thereby improving distribution reliability indices such as CAIDI, SAIFI and SAIDI. With service quality issues playing an increased role in utility rate cases, this aspect of the smart grid should not be overlooked. Distribution monitoring delivers immediate and long term value. The figure below demonstrates how GE Energy’s Intelligent Line Monitoring System can reduce the fault location time from 1 to 3 hours to just under an hour.

Monitoring benefits everyone. It enables utilities to save on lost man-hours as well as lost revenue, yielding improved performance, reliability and profitability. It helps all customers, especially businesses. Reduced outage times allow companies to do what they do best – Be open for Business! That’s a smart grid.