Digitalisation in distribution

Digitalisation of distribution to ensure quality of supply

The digitalisation and integration of systems, smart grids and smart meters all help to increase the security of supply and improve the quality of service.

Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable development goals

SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities

Accessible version

The initiatives that we have in place to digitalise the distribution network allow us to continue increasing the level of automation and digitalisation of the network to increase the security of supply, improve the quality of service and respond to future demands from customers. We have invested in modernisation and the development of new infrastructure, such as smart grids and smart cities, which are capable of adapting more effectively to user needs.

Remote management and meter-reading control: sustainability of the electricity system

Throughout 2022, we made a total of 138,919 replacements, encompassing 99.7% of type 5 meters with an active contract and contracted power of up to 15 kW (12.02 million active customers with smart meters). Furthermore, this year, 14,300 type 4 devices have been installed with remote management capacity (for supplies with a contracted power of between 15 and 50 kW), encompassing 97.4% of the target type 4 facilities.

The widespread installation of this type of equipment strengthens our leadership in the development of this type of technological solution, achieving the standards required by the current regulatory framework. In addition, we have played a proactive role by participating in national and European innovation and energy efficiency projects to facilitate the uptake of remote metering technology in Europe.

Remote metering system

Over the course of 2022, the AMMS (Automatic Metering Management System) was migrated to the new TWOBEAT remote metering system. This migration is part of a global strategy to develop Distribution Systems into a more integrated and sustainable system structure (BEAT Systems).

With this development in the Remote Metering system, we have also succeeded in eliminating certain vulnerabilities associated with the maintainability of the base software for the application servers and databases and integration with the CompAC access control platform.

Smart grids: towards a more efficient energy model

Smart grids are capable of offering a simultaneous view of consumption and demand, enabling more efficient management and the adoption of preventive and predictive maintenance strategies. Together with the incorporation of information and communication technologies (ICT), we have configured our networks using the smart grid model to provide an effective response to user needs.

This digitalisation of the networks not only allows us to improve the quality of the electricity supply. It also enables the advancement of the electric vehicle deployment plan and the development of more complete and advanced energy services.

We have integrated the development of smart grid concepts into programmes relating to smart cities. In this way, we can analyse how the current energy model can evolve towards sustainability by implementing innovative technological solutions. Some good examples of this approach are the Growsmarter project, which has led to advances in the digitalisation of transformation centres, and the Network Digital Twin project, which offers a digital replica of physical assets with real-time control.

The smart city: a living laboratory for the development of smart technologies

The Smartcity Malaga project has established itself as a centre for experimentation in and development of electricity distribution technologies. This Living Lab is located in an area of the city with 12,000 domestic, 300 industrial and 900 service customers, and it is where state-of-the-art technologies for energy production and storage are being developed.

The Smartcity Málaga Living Lab is part of the Enel Group's ecosystem for the research and development of electricity distribution solutions.

This commitment to research to contribute to the development of a new model of sustainable energy management has been recognised by the European Union with the approval in 2018 of the implementation of the Coordinet project within the H2020 programme. This is an initiative in which from e-distribución we will coordinate the consortium that encompasses 23 European companies and research centres to study network flexibility.