EEA Electricity Engineers' Association

APEX Summit 2018 - Smarter Solutions

Best APEX Presentation Winner 2018

Vineeth Isidore, Delta

Vineeth Isidore completed his Bachelor of Engineering majoring in Electrical and Electronics at MG University, Kerala, India in 2013 and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the Auckland University of Technology, Auckland. He has been living in New Zealand for the last two years. He currently works as a Distribution Designer for Delta Utility Services Ltd. in Central Otago. He specialises in design and estimation of both overhead and underground distribution networks.

Lighter, Faster, Stronger - Steel, the future

Electricity transmission providers across New Zealand are undergoing dramatic changes in many aspects of their business, one of them being the use of different types of poles. Utility companies in New Zealand have been relying on wooden and concrete poles since distribution began. Even though steel poles are readily available in the market, there is an inclination in the distribution industry to use wooden and concrete poles.

Apart from being strong and reliable, steel poles offer certain environmental advantages over the wood and concrete poles. Steel is non-combustible, non-toxic and 100 percent recyclable. Steel poles have a high strength rating and are easy to install which makes it suitable for installation in difficult locations. Their lightweight enables transportation of the pole to any location using a helicopter. When utility poles need to be replaced or a new distribution line set up, along with cost and reliability, we should also consider the impact of the material on the environment.

In this presentation, Vineeth talked about steel poles; its advantages, disadvantages, environmental impact, how steel poles have a comparative cost advantage in construction where the cost reduction be able to be passed down to end consumer through lower operational fees.

People's Choice Award 2018

Jesse Stuart, Transpower

Jesse Stuart is a Power Systems Engineer at Transpower Operations, where he carries out power system analysis, software development and event investigations.

Jesse completed his degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Canterbury and completed internships with Trustpower and Mercury before joining the Transpower Graduate Program in 2017. His work has included assessing power station electrical systems, project management and electricity market analysis.

Smart tool development for power system operations

As the Transpower Operations Power Systems Group, we carry out power system analysis, software development and event investigations, ensuring the secure, reliable and economical operation of the New Zealand power system.

To assist Transpower's power system operations and planning, we run simulations with detailed computer models, representing various power system components. Our decision making relies heavily on collaboration with asset owners, ensuring our models are updated with the latest test data to help us track the power grid's capabilities.

Our team of power systems engineers are computer analysis experts. We use our engineering and programming skills to determine the grid impact from system failures and from new technologies such as wind generation, solar PV, battery storage and electric vehicles. We also use these skills to develop smart software, improving our ability to analyse historical data and give Transpower better insights into the future.

Presentations