The Electric Grid from Space to Sky — StormGeo Partners with eSmart Systems, HVL and European Space Agency

Oslo, Norway, December 12, 2019 — StormGeo, a leading provider in weather intelligence and decision support solutions, today announced a new project with ESA wherein StormGeo will assess the technical feasibility and commercial viability of satellite-based services in support of smart grids and electricity grid maintenance.

The proposed framework, known as GridEyeS, aims to give electric utilities and transmission companies more accurate risk assessments, faster outage management and better restoration strategies. The project team combines the expertise in satellite images and remote sensing from StormGeo, machine learning and drone imagery from eSmart Systems, and data science and power systems from HVL.

GridEyeS is one of the first projects of its kind to monitor the electricity network. Technical project lead, Professor Reza Arghandeh, discussed the challenges of the project, “Combining massive heterogeneous data sets from various sources of satellite sensors, drone images and weather observations and extracting intelligence out of it is a complex computational process. We will tackle this complex challenge with state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms that are able to capture spatiotemporal changes in datasets related to the electricity network infrastructure.” Prof. Arghandeh teaches Big Data and Machine Learning at Western Norway University of Applied Science (HVL) and is a Senior Data Scientist at StormGeo.

Knut H. H. Johansen, CEO of eSmart Systems, added, “Using satellite images to analyze and predict the influence of vegetation on the risk level in power grids is a high-priority research axis, as vegetation is a main factor for grid disturbance. Furthermore, the potential for using satellite-based information is broad and could, for example, also be exploited for subsidence detections along power line trails.”

“By connecting data across systems and companies, we are opening up a new world of streamlined operation planning and faster grid restoration,” said Jostein Mælan, COO of Weather Insights at StormGeo. “Given the team’s combined expertise in AI, software development, satellites, weather and power grids, we expect to push the boundaries to make our electricity grids more resilient.”

The first stage of the project over Norway will be completed in 2020.

About StormGeo
StormGeo is a global provider of weather intelligence and decision support services, with leading solutions for shipping, oil and gas, renewable energy, utilities and aviation. StormGeo’s products and services help clients manage risk, optimize performance, reduce costs and increase revenue. The company has 24 offices in 15 countries, including six 24/7/365 global operations centers. As a participant in the UN Global Compact for Sustainable Ocean Business, our passion for weather and the protection of natural resources motivates us to support our clients in making informed, environmentally responsible business decisions. For more information, visit www.stormgeo.com.

About eSmart
eSmart Systems AS is a Norwegian developer of next generation software solutions for inspections of powerlines, grid maintenance planning and energy flexibility optimization. Our mission is to create intelligent solutions to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future, by developing innovative technology to the energy market. The company is based on more than 20 years of international experience in establishing and operating knowledge based, leading IT and energy related companies targeting global markets. Key owners of the company are Kongsberg Digital, Energy Impact Partners, Equinor Venture, Nysnø, innogy Ventures and several Norwegian utilities. For more information, visit www.esmartsystems.com.

About HVL
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (Høgskolen på Vestlandet) or HVL is a Norwegian public institution of higher education, established in 2017. HVL stretches over five campuses and 400 kilometers on the western coast of Norway. The total number of students at HVL is about 16000, and there are 1800 academic and administrative staff. The university graduate over 3000 candidates annually and offers a broad range of academic programs at Bachelor’s, Masters, and Ph.D. levels within the engineering, health, social sciences, economics, administrative science, and education. For more information, visit www.hvl.no.