Extends Underground Visibility, Fault Detection, and Load Monitoring Further Along Residential Distribution Circuits

Frisco, TX, May 23rd, 2022 – Sentient Energy Inc., a Koch Engineered Solutions company and the leading provider of advanced grid monitoring and analytics for electric utilities, announced today that New Braunfels Utilities (NBU), a public power organization in New Braunfels, Texas, has installed the Sentient Energy UM1 underground line sensors in their rapidly growing Underground Residential Distribution (URD) system. New Braunfels Utilities is nationally recognized for the reliability of its electrical service and uses strategies such as overhead and underground line sensors, distribution analytics, strategic vegetation management techniques, and data-driven planning and maintenance to ensure quality service to its customers. “New Braunfels Utilities has utilized Sentient Energy solutions to help improve grid operations and fault detection practices for several years,” said NBU Systems Control Manager Justin Stroupe. “Our population has nearly doubled in the last 10 years1 . As our economy and population grow, safety, reliability, and efficiency are the primary objectives of NBU. We have had success with Sentient Energy sensors and analytics, which have delivered important measurable results over the years. We are anticipating building on this success with the addition of Sentient Energy’s UM1 to our single phase underground residential distribution systems.”

Extended Visibility, Fault Detection, & Load Monitoring for Underground Distribution Circuits

The first sensor of its kind in the industry, the UM1 allows NBU to extend underground line sensing beyond feeder lines to include laterals or URD. Sentient Energy’s UM1 provides remote visibility, fault detection, and load monitoring in single-phase transformer cabinets. It allows utilities to improve reliability, system visibility and better manage assets all the way out to the grid edge. Leveraging the UM1 for underground line sensing, NBU can now:

• Locate faults more precisely to reduce patrol time and outage durations (and CAIDI/SAIDI metrics).
• Use system load data from more locations to improve load profiling and capacity planning.
• Determine true loading on transformers to identify overloading and improve asset management.

Complete Overhead and Underground Fault Detection, Analytics and Visibility

Sentient Energy’s Grid Analytics System™ consists of the MM3™ and ZM1™ overhead sensors, UM3+ and UM1™ underground sensors, and the Ample^® Analytics Platform. These solutions work in concert to provide utilities with optimal electric distribution system visibility to improve reliability and enable data-driven operational decision making.

Sentient Energy’s intelligent sensing solutions are used globally by utilities of every size and is deployed in over 25 of North America’s largest utilities.

• To learn more about how to improve undergrounding strategies by leveraging Sentient Energy’s UM1 intelligent sensors, read “Enhance Visibility into Your Underground Power Lines with Intelligent Line Sensors” https://www.sentientenergy.com/blog/enhance-visibility-into-your-underground-power-lineswith-intelligent-line-sensors/ on the Sentient Energy blog.
• To learn more about how Sentient Energy solutions reduce outages by 20% or more and increase patrol cost savings by 60%, visit: https://www.sentientenergy.com/solutions/.

About Sentient Energy

Sentient Energy, a Koch Engineered Solutions company, is the premier provider of intelligent sensing, data analytics, optimization, and control technologies for the distribution grid. Sentient Energy’s hardware and software solutions help electric utilities make data-driven decisions to enhance the delivery of reliable, safe, and efficient power. With the industry’s only Grid Analytics System that covers the entire distribution network, Sentient Energy leads the global market with the largest network of line sensor deployments in North America, gathering rich data in real time for predictive insights and strategic grid management. Sentient Energy’s Grid Edge ControlTM solutions enable utilities to reduce energy costs at the grid edge through Volt-VAR optimization, conservation voltage reduction, and peak demand reduction. Sentient Energy partners with leading communications network providers. For more information, visit www.sentientenergy.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About New Braunfels Utilities:

Dedicated to excellence in service, New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) was established in 1942 and is one of 2,000 community-owned, nonprofit public power electric utilities in the nation. The mission of NBU is to enhance the quality of our community by providing innovative, essential services. Governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of residents appointed by the New Braunfels City Council, NBU is committed to being a recognized and trusted community partner, providing essential electric, water, and wastewater services. Utility revenue is invested back into the utility systems, which benefits the community. New Braunfels Utilities makes an annual transfer to the City of New Braunfels, which in turn helps to pay for services such as fire, police, and parks. Additionally, in 2016, NBU repurposed its former 16-acre warehouse site to become the Headwaters at the Comal, to serve as its conservation legacy, which will strengthen the relationship between the community and nature by displaying the significance of the Comal Springs. Follow NBU on Facebook at facebook.com/newbraunfelsutilities, on Twitter at @nbutexas, and learn more, visit nbutexas.com.

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