Sentient Energy Launches UM1 Underground Line Sensor

Remote Monitoring Helps Utilities Reduce Outage Duration by 20%, Monitor True Load Data, and Implement Plug and Play Line Sensing on Underground Lines

Frisco, TX – February 7th, 2022––Sentient Energy, the leader in intelligent line sensors, analytics, optimization, and control for the power distribution grid, today announced its new UM1 underground line sensor. The first sensor of its kind in the industry, the UM1 allows utilities to extend underground line sensing beyond feeder lines to include laterals or underground residential distribution (URD). Sentient Energy’s UM1 provides remote visibility, fault detection, and load monitoring in single-phase transformer cabinets.

Utilities are increasingly looking to strategic undergrounding for improved grid resilience and reliability. Power interruptions have a significant impact on customer satisfaction for residential utility customers. And, as the pandemic has caused many more people to work from home, access to reliable electricity service at the grid edge is more critical than ever. Until now, pinpointing and fixing underground residential faults was time-consuming and frustrating leading to longer outage durations.

“Virtually every utility is prioritizing underground distribution to improve safety, but for utilities to realize the full reliability benefits of undergrounding investments, they need precise visibility and control along all parts of their underground systems,” said Bob Karschnia, CEO of Sentient Energy. “The UM1 provides that visibility in a way no other sensors can, and will help utilities dramatically reduce downtime in residential areas.”

Sentient Energy’s UM1 underground sensor delivers value in several industry-first ways, and helps utilities realize faster return on investment with their undergrounding initiatives. With the new UM1 underground line sensors, utilities can:

• Radically improve fault location in underground residential distribution, reducing outage durations by over 20% improving customer satisfaction and reducing fault repair costs.
• Provide true load data at selected URD locations to identify transformer detrimental loading and potential power theft.
• Implement plug and play line sensing on underground residential distribution in minutes to determine optimal power distribution configurations.
  
  

“Developed in close collaboration with several valued utility customers, our new UM1 underground sensors slash the time it takes to find and remedy outages, to keep the lights on for residential areas,” continued Mr. Karschnia. “With the addition of the UM1 to the Sentient Energy Grid Analytics System, utilities can now extend the proven benefits of line sensing across their entire distribution system, gaining visibility of their single-phase underground circuits closer to the grid edge.”

The UM1 is being tested at several leading North American utilities. To learn more about how to improve undergrounding strategies by leveraging Sentient Energy’s UM1 intelligent sensors:

• Read “Enhance Visibility into Your Underground Power Lines with Intelligent Line Sensors” on the Sentient Energy blog
• Register for our March 10th Power Session “UM1 Underground Line Sensor Power Session” with Energy Central
• Visit Sentient Energy at booth #2033 to see the UM1 in person during the 2022 TechAdvantage® Expo March 7th– 9th in Nashville, TN

About Sentient Energy

Sentient Energy, a Koch Engineered Solutions company, is the premier provider of intelligent sensing, data analytics, optimization, and control technologies for the distribution grid. Sentient Energy’s hardware and software solutions help electric utilities make data-driven decisions to enhance the delivery of reliable, safe, and efficient power. With the industry’s only Grid Analytics System that covers the entire distribution network, Sentient Energy leads the global market with the largest network of line sensor deployments in North America, gathering rich data in real time for predictive insights and strategic grid management. Sentient Energy’s Grid Edge ControlTM solutions enable utilities to reduce energy costs at the grid edge through Volt-VAR optimization, conservation voltage reduction, and peak demand reduction. Sentient Energy partners with leading communications network providers. For more information, visit www.sentientenergy.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Media Contact:
media@ktcmarketingandpr.com
312-505-9756