1. August 2023
Metzingen/Karlsruhe, 1 August 2023 – Where is optimization possible and where is grid expansion necessary? To answer these questions, Stadtwerke Metzingen is relying on the SMIGHT Grid2 IoT solution from SMIGHT GmbH. In recent months, the municipal utility has seen a significant increase in load across the entire low-voltage grid due to photovoltaics, electromobility and heat pumps. These increasing variables complicate grid planning, which has so far only been based on empirical values and planning assumptions and leads to high investments on the part of the grid operator. With SMIGHT Grid2, municipal utilities can now act not only more precisely but also more economically on the basis of real-time data.
Stadtwerke Metzingen has already equipped ten local grid stations out of a total of 150 with the IoT solution from SMIGHT GmbH. These were selected based on the calculated load. Immediately after installation, it became clear that theory and practice do not always match. Daniel Jungel, Head of the Electricity, Street Lighting, Broadband, Water and Metering Department at Stadtwerke Metzingen, explains: “There were load centers that were actually not as critical as assumed. In concrete terms, this saved costs for new transformer stations.”
SMIGHT Grid2 is installed directly in the local grid station and measures the current with the direction of flow and phase angle (cos phi) for each phase and feeder. The data obtained now flows directly into Netze BW’s grid planning via an interface. The company works as a grid planning service provider for Stadtwerke Metzingen. Before using the SMIGHT solution, the condition of the grid could only be assumed using experience-based and calculated values. Now the employees are able to work with the exact and relevant measured values, which enables better and more effective network planning. The municipal utilities also receive additional information on the stations via a monthly report. This shows the load development and identifies trends in the grid areas.
“Using SMIGHT has enabled us to better plan and deploy our financial resources, as we can now use the real-time data to determine where there is the most urgent need for action in the network,” says Daniel Jungel. “This allows us to optimize network planning, especially with regard to our finances.”
Fast installation, fast effect
The start with the SMIGHT solution was also easy for Stadtwerke Metzingen. The goods were delivered within two weeks of ordering and installation and commissioning also went smoothly. Daniel Jungel and his team needed less than two hours per station before the first data was entered into the web portal. SMIGHT employees were and continue to be on hand at all times to answer any questions. Daniel Jungel: “We not only receive data from SMIGHT, but can also work with it immediately thanks to the processing and visualization in the web portal. In addition, the expert customer advice helps us to understand and interpret the data even better.”
