Reykjavik – 28 February 2024 – Today at the Distributech conference, Laki Power, a leading manufacturer of power line monitoring solutions, launched the LKX MULTI monitoring station. The LKX MULTI is a compact line monitoring unit with optical cameras, a meteorological station, and line sensors. LKX MULTI will assist utility companies in protecting their power lines amidst ever-changing extreme weather conditions and help them optimize capacity as renewables become ever more integrated into the grid.
Between 2011 and 2021, the average annual number of weather-related power outages increased by roughly 78% compared to 2000-2010 (source: Climate Central). With utility companies in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world experiencing the dire consequences of climate change, notably heavier storms, and more extreme temperatures, there is an increased need for utilities to protect and monitor their power lines.
Utility companies do not only find themselves confronted with adverse weather events, but also growing demand for more power, which leads to grid congestion as renewables grow. Upgrading or constructing new lines is an expensive and lengthy process. Laki Power’s Dynamic Line Rating solution, integrated with the LKX-MULTI, addresses these issues. It can enhance transmission capacity by an average of 40% by leveraging accurate wind measurements along the power line, ensuring improved performance even during adverse weather conditions.
In total, the monitoring station has been developed to be a reliable grid-enhancing technology that can be used for Dynamic Line Rating, weather change related events (the monitoring for galloping and vibration, ice load monitoring, and smoke and fire detection), and surveillance of critical infrastructure.
The LKX MULTI is equipped with Laki Power’s patented power harvesting technology which ensures a stable power supply to cameras, on-board computers, sensors, and more, making solar panels or batteries unnecessary. The station is completely autonomous, requiring zero on-site maintenance, at minimal cost.
Finally, the LKX MULTI runs with Laki Power’s proprietary Laki Analytics Studio. This software suite allows users to access critical information in real time and generate events based on data from multiple sensors and cameras.
