Identifying Non-Technical Losses of the Electricity System

The electricity system, of which Iberdrola’s networks are a part, is subject to energy losses that must be correctly identified, categorized, and accounted for to avoid additional costs for end customers and society at large.

These losses are normally divided into two types, technical losses, caused in the network installations by the operation of the system itself, and non-technical losses, mainly due to fraud, such as illegal connections and meter tampering.

To identify non-technical losses in its areas of influence, Iberdrola has several mechanisms in place based on the Group’s accumulated experience and knowledge. However, there are areas of the network, particularly in Brazil, where the challenge of detecting and reducing network losses is especially troublesome and energy losses raise up to 15% of produced energy.

By installing smart meters, network sensors, and other actions like the regularization of clandestine connections, Iberdrola has succeeded in reducing losses significantly, but it is still on the lookout for additional mechanisms that will allow it to further improve in this area.

In this context, the challenge is to find innovative solutions for identifying and reducing non-technical losses, particularly in Brazil.

Iberdrola is looking for proposals for finding new devices and tools that allow identifying areas with significant non-technical losses, thereby helping the company to reduce overall system energy losses and increasing the success rate of inspection visits.

The Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub is the new global innovation and knowledge center that will be a world reference in smart grids and will enable it to respond to the challenges of the energy transition.

The center will act as a driving platform for innovation, combining the company's technological capacity with that of collaborators: suppliers, universities, technology centers and startups. It will also attract strategic suppliers and international talent, thereby strengthening the business ecosystem.

Iberdrola has already identified more than 120 projects for future development with a value of 110€ million. The lines of work, which are international in scope, will enable the development and deployment of innovative solutions for the activity of Iberdrola Networks throughout the world.

For more information, visit the website.

Iberdrola is no stranger to working with startups and emerging companies - over the last two years, the Group has launched over 10 Startup Challenges.

Moreover, working with Iberdrola presents a unique opportunity:

Iberdrola has over 1.1 million kilometers of electricity transmission and distribution lines spread throughout the United States, Brazil, the UK, and Spain. This network comprises over 4,400 high- to medium-voltage substations and more than 1.5 million medium- to low-voltage distribution transformers built and operated to provide a high-quality and reliable service to a total of 31 million electricity supply points.

Winning this Challenge will award you with signing a collaboration agreement for the development of a Proof-of-Concept (PoC). The PoC will be developed in collaboration with the technical specialists from Iberdrola or PERSEO, Iberdrola’s risk capital vehicle.

Additionally, PERSEO covers the costs and provides you with the necessary technical support, giving access to infrastructures and real data to test your solution.

The challenge is to find innovative solutions for identifying and reducing non-technical losses, particularly in Brazil.

Iberdrola is looking for proposals for finding new devices and tools that allow identifying areas with significant non-technical losses, thereby helping the company to reduce overall system energy losses and increasing the success rate of inspection visits.

As an example, some of the areas to explore could be:

• Identification of Meter Fraud & Anomalies
• Identification of Clandestine Connections
• Assessment of Energy Balances
• Your Innovative Hard- and/or Software Solution

If you win the Challenge, the main prize will consist of you signing a collaboration or Proof of Concept (PoC) agreement with Iberdrola and/or PERSEO.

For the collaboration of the pilot project:

• the costs will be covered for the collaboration and the PoC
• Iberdrola will provide you with the necessary technical support to test your proposed solution
• Iberdrola will give you access to equipment, appliances, infrastructure, high technology sites, and joint work areas
• Iberdrola will provide you with a real environment and real data to test your solution

Additional benefits include:

• scaling your solution by means of commercial agreements directly or indirectly through another Iberdrola Group company
• a possibility for investment in your company through PERSEO
• adding your solution to Iberdrola's service territory if the PoC succeeds

The winner of the challenge will sign a partnership contract with Iberdrola and/or PERSEO and will be able to test their solution in a real environment.

For the collaboration of the pilot project, Iberdrola will:

• assume the costs of the collaboration and the proof of concept
• provide the necessary technical support to test the solution proposed
• give access to equipment, appliances, infrastructure, high technology sites, and joint work areas
• provide a real environment and real data to test the solution

The pilot project will be developed in collaboration with the technical specialists from Iberdrola and/or PERSEO.

You are welcome to submit more than one proposal, just make sure to submit a separate application form for each.

The application period for this challenge ends on 24 November 2021.

The evaluation of these proposals will take into account:

• Reliability and scalability of the solution, whether it is hardware-based, software-based, or the combination of both
• Ease of installation and maintenance
• Total cost (both initial and recurring)

All proposals will be analyzed by experts from Iberdrola's Network Business.