For several years now, a fruitful partnership has been developing between Swissgrid and the start-up Gilytics, a spin-off from the ETH Zurich to meet a major challenge in the Swiss energy sector.

Both the energy system and the transmission system are changing. Swissgrid is addressing the increasing complexity by taking strategic measures to modernise the grid and create a digitalised company.

A large part of the extra-high-voltage grid operated by Swissgrid consists of overhead lines. Electricity pylons ensure the necessary stability and safety for power transmission. The grid comprises around 12,000 pylons and 6,700 kilometres of lines. As the regular monitoring of exposed infrastructure is very time-consuming, Swissgrid launched a feasibility study called «Pylonian» in 2021. The objective was to monitor selected electricity pylons around the clock using sensors based on Internet of Things technology.

Lines are switched off for safety reasons during construction or renovation work. The planning of these outages is highly complex and would be unthinkable without a software solution. Swissgrid is applying user-centred design for the further development of its software to ensure that the employees responsible for planning work can be given even better support in the future.

Swissgrid is testing the use of augmented reality glasses for substation inspections in a pilot project with Rimon Technologies GmbH, an ETH spin-off. The initial results and feedback from employees and service providers are promising.

When it comes to Jamie Paik’s robots, size doesn’t matter. The miniature devices make the most of their abilities by working together. The researcher wants her work to inspire others, but she has also had to answer some critical questions.

How laser scanning data helps to ensure that trees under power lines are felled in time.

Data science enables vast quantities of data to be processed, patterns and connections to be identified, and thus reliable forecasts to be made

Electricity is the lifeblood of our modern society; it drives us silently and invisibly. It always takes the path of least resistance; to make it tangible and depict it seems impossible. Not so for Nadieh Bremer.

The transition towards sustainable energy sources requires the extra-high-voltage grid to be upgraded and expanded to comply with the amount of electricity that will need to be transmitted in the future.