| Company |
Vaasan Sähkö
|
| Location |
Vaasa, Finland
|
| Timeline | 2023 |
| Project Overview |
Vaasan Sähkö conducted comprehensive field tests to evaluate the performance of Safegrid’s intelligent monitoring solution in detecting and locating high-impedance earth faults and partial discharges. The results confirmed the system’s ability to identify difficult-to-detect faults accurately and without causing service interruptions. |
| Products | Safegrid Intelligent Grid System® |
Detecting high-impedance earth faults is a known challenge in modern distribution networks. Such faults often do not trigger protection devices due to their low fault current, making them difficult to identify and locate with traditional methods.
To validate advanced fault detection capabilities, Vaasan Sähkö conducted controlled field testing across its network. The objective was to assess the accuracy, reliability, and operational safety of Safegrid’s solution under real-world conditions.
The key challenges addressed in the testing included:
Detecting high-resistance earth faults (up to 39 kΩ)
Locating faults that do not trigger protection relays
Ensuring no disruption to customers during testing
Identifying faults caused by vegetation and natural conditions
Validating performance across multiple fault types
These conditions reflect real-world scenarios where faults can remain undetected and pose long-term risks to the network.
Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® was deployed and tested through a series of controlled experiments.
17 earth fault tests using resistors ranging from 3 kΩ to 39 kΩ
Simulated faults using tree branches combined with resistance
Partial discharge (PD) simulations using adjustable air-gap equipment
Real-time detection and classification of faults
Accurate fault localization using advanced analytics
Visualization of faults as “warnings” via the GridGuardian platform
Continuous monitoring without triggering outages
All tests were conducted safely, ensuring no trips or service interruptions occurred.
The testing demonstrated several important advantages:
Reliable detection of high-impedance faults
Ability to locate faults that do not trigger conventional protection systems
Continuous monitoring without impacting customer service continuity
Enhanced visibility of subtle and emerging fault conditions
Improved confidence in data-driven grid management
The Vaasa field tests delivered strong validation results:
100% detection rate for all earth fault tests
Accurate fault localization with an average deviation of 116 meters
Successful detection of faults up to 39 kΩ resistance
All partial discharge simulations correctly identified
Zero outages or unnecessary trips during testing
The Vaasa field tests confirm the effectiveness of Safegrid’s Intelligent Grid System® in detecting and locating even the most challenging fault types, including high-impedance earth faults and partial discharges.
By enabling accurate, real-time monitoring without disrupting service, Safegrid provides utilities with a powerful tool to enhance reliability, improve safety, and proactively manage their networks. This case highlights how advanced grid technology can address limitations of traditional systems and support the transition to smarter, more resilient power distribution.