7 Predictive Maintenance Pointers for Electric Utility Asset Management

Embracing predictive maintenance can increase customer satisfaction through the provision of safe, reliable, and affordable electric utilities. Diagnostic sensors, smart meters, and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are used to accomplish this, as well as continuous asset performance monitoring.

Predictive maintenance should not be confused with preventive maintenance, in which parts that have a history of breaking down at a certain time are scheduled for routine checks. A drawback of this approach is that it can take assets out of service for longer periods than planned.

The following seven advantages stand out among the multitude of benefits that can be gained through the utilization of predictive maintenance:

Receive early warnings.
Predictive maintenance uses real-time data to address a failure before it happens, preventing breakdowns before they occur, leading to greater efficiency.

Make informed decisions.
With early warnings, operators are able to make responsible decisions regarding the most effective way to correct a problem involving utility systems.

Extend asset life cycles.
Assets that are not properly maintained are more likely to experience significant wear and tear, which can significantly cut their lifespan. Utilizing a predictive strategy will allow you to avoid replacing equipment unnecessarily.

Lower costs.
In most cases, it is more cost-effective to make repairs to equipment before it breaks down. Failure of equipment results in expensive unplanned downtime.

Maintain productivity.
Customers want to be informed in advance about any disruptions to their service. Outages can be avoided with the help of predictive maintenance. Analytics can assist in spotting potential issues several days, weeks, or even months in advance.

Capture institutional insights.
Many service providers of utilities are witnessing the retirement of an aging workforce. Predictive maintenance enables the capture of knowledge which helps ensure that maintenance decisions are well-informed and procedures are repeatable. When knowledgeable employees leave an organisation, their braintrust can be passed on to remaining staff.

Obtain safety certifications.
Utility companies can reduce potential safety hazards more effectively with the help of predictive maintenance.

Take the LIME assessment found on this page if you are interested in learning how to implement this in your utility, and a member of our team will get in touch with you to discuss your results and provide ideas to assist you.