Heimdall Power Increases Transmission Capacity of High-Voltage Power Lines by 25% on Average Using Weather Data from Meteomatics

Weather is one of the strongest factors influencing the capacity of power lines. Therefore, it is of utmost relevance for grid operators to know the current and future weather factors in detail, so that bottlenecks can be prevented, and a dynamic and efficient grid operation is possible. Using senso data from power lines in combination with data from Meteomatics, Heimdall Power can deliver an average increase of 25% in transmission capacity of high-voltage power lines. In this article you will learn how Heimdall was able to realize this improvement.

Weather is more than just important for grid operators

The electric grid is the largest man-made machine. It spans the globe, providing structure, balance and life to the energy system of our planet. It’s an essential infrastructure to enable a sustainable, green energy future. Heimdall Power is a young Norwegian technology company, providing the tools and insights needed to effectively maintain grid operations. Their state-of-the-art artificial intelligence systems ensures optimized grid performance.

“Weather data is quite important to what we do in Heimdall Power, as it really plays a big role in both contextualizing our models and as input to the models themselves” said Magnus Helgeby, Software Product Manager at Heimdall Power.

Heimdall delivers an innovative approach to tackle current grid operational challenges

Weather data is not only an important input into Heimdall’s energy models, to ensure optimized grid performance. It is also used to develop their own sensors for dynamic powerline rating. The Heimdall Power sensors are assembled in a robust sphere called the neuron. Data from the neurons are presented together with contextual data (such as weather data) through Heimdall Cloud, the user-friendly cloud and software solution from Heimdall. The software uses advanced modelling and machine learning to increase line capacity through dynamic line rating and thermal management. It also provides operators with information about dangerous events like icing – preventing faults before they happen. With better control, grid operators can optimize the distribution of energy and integrate more renewable energy in the grid.

With Meteomatics, Heimdall realized on average 25% increase in transmission capacity

“Heimdall Power uses data from Meteomatics to predict both future capacity and destructive events like icing on high-voltage power lines. Using high quality data from Meteomatics Weather API, Heimdall Power is delivering on average 25 % increase in transmission capacity for high-voltage power lines. Consequently, Meteomatics was the natural choice of weather data provider for Heimdall Power’s mission critical software” said Magnus Helgeby, Software Product Manager at Heimdall Power.

The results are impressive. And the benefits are tangible and measurable. For a sustainable energy future and a successful transmission to renewable energies in particular, digital tools, such as Heimdall Cloud, are becoming of great relevance, as it allows to increase grid capacity and operate national grids at the optimal level, which makes power distribution and consumption much more efficient, resulting in smarter integration of renewable energies into the existing grid and less investments to build new or additional grids.

Powerful solutions for transmission and distribution system operators

We at Meteomatics offer tailored solutions based on our powerful Weather API. Meteomatics' weather and climate database contains a wealth of global weather information (>7 petabytes) across all timescales, at incredible detail (90-meter resolution). Our weather API offers everything you need from one source, through just one interface. The data can be retrieved within milliseconds, allowing real-time retrieval. Meteomatics improves the operations of >100 customers from the energy sector, resulting in strong industry expertise that allows us to tailor our solutions to specific industry needs.