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| Company |
Hidroeléctrica El Carmen
|
| Location |
Guadalajara Region, Central Spain
|
| Timeline | 2023 |
| Project Overview |
Hidroeléctrica El Carmen partnered with Safegrid and GEDLux to improve fault detection, increase visibility into its distribution network, and accelerate service restoration. By implementing Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System™, the utility gained a more accurate and independent fault location solution, enabling faster isolation of faulted areas and reducing outage durations for customers. |
| Products | Safegrid Intelligent Grid System® |
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This is a Safegrid Case Study.
Background
With more than 100 years of experience in the electricity sector, Hidroeléctrica El Carmen is a well-established utility serving the region near Guadalajara in central Spain.
The company provides electricity to more than 8,000 customers through:
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Approximately 200 km of medium-voltage lines
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More than 100 km of low-voltage lines
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Over 50 transformer substations
In addition to electricity distribution, the company is involved in hydroelectric generation, energy production from waste materials, and energy sales.
As customer expectations for reliability continued to grow, Hidroeléctrica El Carmen sought a better way to detect and locate faults across its network.
Challenge
The utility's primary challenge was the fast and accurate location of faults that triggered protection devices and interrupted electricity service.
The existing remote-control system could indicate where a fault had passed, but it could not accurately pinpoint the fault location. This created several issues:
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Longer fault investigation times
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Delayed restoration of service
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Increased operational effort for field teams
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Greater dependence on the primary remote-control system
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Difficulty isolating faulted areas quickly
The company evaluated alternative solutions, including additional fault passage indicators, but these options did not fully meet its requirements.
Solution
Through its partnership with GEDLux, Hidroeléctrica El Carmen deployed Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System™.
Key capabilities included:
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Accurate fault location across the medium-voltage network
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Independent operation from the primary remote-control system
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Fast installation and simple operation
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Improved visibility into network events and disturbances
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Faster fault isolation and restoration processes
A major advantage was the ability to continue locating faults even if the primary remote-control system was unavailable, allowing field teams to isolate and repair faults manually when necessary.
Benefits
Following implementation, Hidroeléctrica El Carmen experienced several operational improvements:
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Faster fault localization
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Reduced response times
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Quicker isolation of faulted sections
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Shorter service interruptions
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Greater operational independence
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Improved network visibility
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More efficient field operations
The system also provided valuable support for identifying recurring equipment issues before they caused prolonged disruptions.
Results
Safegrid delivered measurable operational benefits for Hidroeléctrica El Carmen:
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Faster restoration of power following network faults
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Reduced service interruption times for customers
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Improved speed of fault isolation
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Enhanced fault location accuracy compared to existing systems
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Successful identification and replacement of a faulty circuit breaker that had been causing repeated interruptions
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Significant time savings for maintenance teams
According to the utility, the ability to quickly locate faulted areas has become one of the system's most valuable benefits.
"It is beneficial when we have to quickly isolate areas of our network due to a fault. The reaction times to isolate the affected area and to be able to return to providing electrical service have been reduced, and service interruptions are shorter than before."
— Santiago Machacón, Technical Director, Hidroeléctrica El Carmen
Another notable success involved identifying and replacing a faulty circuit breaker that repeatedly tripped and caused interruptions.
"We were able to locate and replace a faulty circuit breaker that kept tripping and causing interruptions. Finding this fault saved us a lot of time!"
— Santiago Machacón, Technical Director, Hidroeléctrica El Carmen
Conclusion
By implementing Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System™, Hidroeléctrica El Carmen significantly improved its ability to locate faults, isolate affected areas, and restore service more quickly. The solution has delivered greater network visibility, reduced outage durations, and increased operational efficiency.
The success of the deployment demonstrates how intelligent fault location technology can help utilities modernize operations, improve customer service, and strengthen grid reliability—while providing the confidence and flexibility needed to manage increasingly complex distribution networks.