problem
Early detection of fires and flooding in Secondary Substations (SSs) is critical to ensure continuity of supply and the safety of the Low-Voltage (LV) distribution network.
Detecting overheating, or insulation failure enables operators to isolate feeders and mobilise field crews before an incident escalates to open flame, cutting SAIDI/SAIFI and preventing structural damage. In addition, current regulatory momentum in Spain and the EU is pushing for greater LV observability and remote control.solution
FIREX, preventive fire and flooding protection for secondary substations.
FIREX is a novel analytics method that prevents fires and flooding in SSs. It ingests advanced supervision data and issues seven alarms with distinct priority and urgency, characterising what is happening inside the SS—from a loose termination or corroded conductor to a thermal hotspot or water ingress. How does FIREX work?- Ingestion & modelling. Combines measurements from Advanced LV Supervision devices and SS operating state to model the enclosure’s thermal and moisture behaviour.
- Pattern detection. Identifies anomalous thermal patterns and the presence of water, distinguishing gradual degradation from signs of imminent failure. Detects issues early that would otherwise lead to asset end-of-life in days, weeks or months.
- Prioritisation & notification. Assigns a severity class (e.g., “early degradation” vs “imminent failure”) and issues prioritised alarms, integrated with SCADA and email dispatch.
- Continuous assessment. Daily risk trending per SS to decide what to act on, when and where with minimal OPEX.
- Early identification of thermal hotspots in the substation.
- Early identification of flooding/water ingress.
- Urgency-based event classification.
results
- Field-proven results: More than 100 confirmed early detections.
- Material savings in the millions of euros, per direct customer testimony.
- Seamless integration of LV alarms and measurements into existing SCADAs.
- Operational impact: fewer reactive call-outs and emergency visits thanks to risk-based prioritisation.
- Faster response to critical events.
- Improved personnel and asset safety by reducing fire scenarios.
