From Reactive to Proactive – How Digital Monitoring is Transforming Summer Maintenance

Traditionally, summer maintenance of electrical grid substations has often been characterized by reactive measures: wait for problems to arise, go out when temperatures become critical, handle disruptions after thunderstorms. But with today's digital capabilities, a fundamental shift is occurring toward proactive maintenance strategy – particularly important during summer when conditions can change rapidly.

Summer's challenges are well-known: heat stress on transformers, intense thunderstorms, and high loads from air conditioning systems. The difference lies not in the problems themselves, but in how we choose to meet them. Instead of reacting to warning signals, digital asset monitoring can identify risk trends before they become acute.

When sensor data shows oil temperature gradually rising during a week of high load, maintenance teams can plan preventive cooling measures. When weather forecasts show risk of thunderstorms, vulnerable assets can be inspected in advance. This is the difference between chasing problems and staying one step ahead.

Summer vacations traditionally mean reduced staffing and increased stress on available personnel. Here, the proactive approach becomes especially valuable. Instead of sending staff to substations based on routine schedules, maintenance resources can be allocated where data indicates real need.

Predictive analytics can identify which substation assets will likely need servicing within the coming weeks, enabling smart maintenance scheduling that accounts for both vacation plans and technical priorities. The result: fewer emergency callouts and more well-planned maintenance work.

The real change lies in moving from intuition and experience to data-driven decision-making. Naturally, electrical grid personnel have always had deep expertise, but now this can be enhanced with continuous, objective information about the actual condition of substation assets.

When the year's first heat wave approaches, historical data can be combined with real-time monitoring to predict which transformers will be stressed the hardest. When summer storms threaten, sensor data can identify which substations already show signs of stress and are therefore most vulnerable.

The transition from reactive to proactive summer maintenance means not just technical improvement – it changes the entire way of working. Maintenance teams can work systematically instead of in crisis mode, resources are used more efficiently, and personnel safety improves when dangerous emergency interventions decrease.

The result is summer maintenance characterized by control rather than surprises, where technical expertise is enhanced by digital intelligence to meet summer with confidence and efficiency.