Carbon Footprint to Be Reduced, Rapid Detection in Disasters Enabled OEDAŞ to Monitor Electrical Grid and Lighting via Satellite

The system, developed in collaboration with satellite and space technology company Plan-S, will be used in areas with weak GSM signal strength, with a neighborhood in a rural part of Afyonkarahisar selected for the pilot application. This will allow OEDAŞ to detect faults and initiate necessary work without consumers in these areas needing to report them by phone.

The system will also enable much faster identification of areas experiencing faults and outages during potential disasters. Furthermore, since monthly on-site meter readings for energy consumption data will be conducted via satellite, vehicle usage will be reduced. For each point where OEDAŞ uses the system, it will prevent approximately 1 ton of carbon emissions annually.

Osmangazi Electricity Distribution Inc. (OEDAŞ), which operates in Afyonkarahisar, Bilecik, Eskişehir, Kütahya, and Uşak, is implementing another first by starting to use a system that can track potential faults in electrical grids and lighting via satellite. The system, developed in cooperation with satellite and space technology company Plan-S, will be used in regions with weak GSM signal strength.

How does the system work?

For the pilot application of the new system, OEDAŞ identified a neighborhood in a rural area of Afyonkarahisar with a total of 120 subscribers. Since the GSM signal strength in the area is weak, consumers had difficulty reporting power outages or lighting faults to OEDAŞ. With the newly implemented system, the electrical grid and lighting are continuously monitored via information from satellites. Thus, OEDAŞ detects faults and carries out the necessary work without the region’s consumers needing to make reports.

Rapid Response Possible in Potential Disasters

One of the most important advantages of the new system is that the information coming via satellite is not interrupted during disasters such as earthquakes. In such a situation, OEDAŞ officials will be able to easily identify faults in all areas where the satellite system is used and intervene in a more coordinated manner.

Approximately 1 Ton Less Carbon Emitted Per Area

The satellite-based monitoring system will be used not only for grid and lighting monitoring but also for measuring the region’s energy consumption data. Under normal circumstances, the area is visited regularly every month to perform meter measurements to gauge energy consumption. OEDAŞ, which serves five provinces spread over an area of approximately 50,000 square kilometers, will prevent excessive vehicle use by performing these measurements remotely via satellite. This will result in around 1 ton less carbon emissions annually for each region where the system is used.

Satellite Monitoring Service to Be Expanded Throughout the Service Area

OEDAŞ, which started the pilot application in a rural neighborhood, has identified all residential areas with weak GSM signal strength within its service region. Furthermore, since all operational processes of Plan-S satellites occur within the country, a fully domestic solution is provided without data leaving the national borders.

Fuat Celepci: “We will provide continuous monitoring and rapid intervention with satellite technology”

OEDAŞ General Manager Fuat Celepci stated that electricity distribution services are strengthened not only by infrastructure investments but also by advanced monitoring and intervention systems. “Thanks to satellite-based monitoring technology, we will provide much faster and more effective solutions in areas with low GSM signal quality. Without waiting for our consumers to contact us, we will instantly detect potential faults and take action. On the other hand, thanks to this system, in the event of a major disaster, without being affected by disruptions in communication lines, we can continuously receive data flow via satellite, quickly identify areas experiencing faults and outages, direct our teams to the right points swiftly, and manage the post-disaster response process most efficiently. Additionally, with this system, we will optimize our field operations, reduce carbon emissions, and fulfill our environmental responsibility. We thank Plan-S for cooperating with us on this project and demonstrating their expertise at every stage. As OEDAŞ, we will continue to take pioneering steps in the sector with our deep-rooted experience and commitment to innovation,” he said.

Tugay Güzel: “We are detecting faults in electrical grids from space”

Plan-S CEO Tugay Güzel highlighted the innovative applications of satellite technology in the energy sector, stating, “Satellite-based solutions provide a significant transformation for the effective monitoring of electricity distribution networks and contributing to fault detection. Thanks to our satellite-based IoT communication technology, we can detect faults occurring in electrical grids and lighting, providing information without consumers needing to report outages. This technology allows for data on disruptions and faults in critical infrastructure, especially during disaster scenarios, to reach data centers via satellites without the need for terrestrial internet connectivity.”