DEWA reports 2,690MB of space data on its networks

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has reported receiving 2,690MB of data from its DEWA SAT-1 satellite.

Since its launch in January 2022, the DEWA SAT-1 3U nanosatellite has been applied to monitor DEWA’s assets in various ways.

These include tracking power factor and frequency in low voltage rooms, monitoring water pipelines for temperature, pressure and flow to detect anomalies, measuring weather conditions like air temperature, humidity and air quality, and collecting power quality data from remote substations.

In a statement, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, highlighted that the Space-D programme, of which the DEWA SAT-1 is a part along with the DEWA SAT-2 launched in April 2023, aims to make nanosatellites a complementary technology to the ground-based IoT communications network for remote asset monitoring.

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“This supports the digitalisation of power and water networks and enhances planning, operations and preventative maintenance for the generation, distribution and transmission divisions.”

Additionally, the programme helps to reduce costs, maximising the return of investment from DEWA’s assets, and it contributes to knowledge sharing and in the training of DEWA’s Emirati workforce.

DEWA is the first utility globally to launch its own fleet of nanosatellites and among the first, if not the first, to use the nanosatellites to improve the operations, maintenance and planning of both the electricity and water networks.

DEWA has its own ground station at its Research and Development Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is managed by skilled Emirati operators with advanced training.

Direct communication with the nanosatellites is enabled via the onboard Internet of Things system, utilising LoRa low power wireless connection technology, with data security through DEWA’s encryption standards.

In addition to DEWA’s networks, the nanosatellites have led to advancing the knowledge of direct-to-satellite communications using LoRa protocols.