The energy transition is putting unprecedented pressure on the electricity grid. Grid congestion, rising demand and the need for rapid digitalisation make the work of grid operators more complex than ever. To deepen our understanding, Valcon recently invited Eaton to organise a knowledge session with Eaton, a leading player in the production of Switchgear.
Switchgear is electrical equipment that controls, protects, and isolates parts of the power grid, enabling grid operators to maintain safe and reliable network operation. The goal is to better understand what really happens under the hood of the grid, so we can support our clients even more effectively.
What we learned about the grid of tomorrow
1. The fundamentals and complexity of medium- and low-voltage networks
Eaton walked us through the anatomy of the modern grid: how medium- and low-voltage networks are structured, which components are critical, and how they interact to ensure stability. This helps us identify technical bottlenecks more quickly and translate them into practical improvements for our clients.
2. Grid congestion isn’t one problem
Eaton explained that congestion is often not only physical but also theoretical and process-driven. This requires solutions beyond “building more capacity”. Think of better insight into load profiles, smarter switching strategies and data-driven forecasting. By applying this insight, we can guide clients towards operational excellence
3. Smart switching equipment plays a pivotal role
Switches and transformers determine the grid’s reliability. Eaton demonstrated what happens when components fail and how this impacts continuity. For our clients, this highlights the growing strategic importance of maintenance, monitoring and system reliability.
4. Sensors and data will become decisive
Much of today’s infrastructure is already in place and will remain operational for years. Retrofitting the existing installed base with sensors allows grid operators to steer their networks more intelligently. It provides real-time insights and offers sustainability benefits by extending asset lifetimes.
How does this help grid operators?
The insights from the session translate directly into opportunities for our clients:
1. Data-driven optimisation
By combining data from smart switching equipment with analytics, grid operators can plan maintenance more efficiently, predict outages and optimise asset utilisation.
2. From strategy to execution
The energy transition requires digital transformation across asset management, capacity planning and operations. Valcon supports organisations in shaping and realising these transformations with a deep understanding of technology and processes.
3. Better decision-making through data
Unlocking and interpreting operational data enables more informed, data-driven decision-making. From dashboards to predictive models and data platforms, we help make the complexity of the grid visible and actionable.
Our session with Eaton was more than a technical deep dive. It gave us new insights that we can apply directly in our work with grid operators. By connecting technology, data and strategy, we help organisations prepare their electricity networks for the future.
If you want to know more about Valcon’s work in the energy sector and how we can help your organisation unlock operational data to enable data-driven decision making, please reach out to Koen Haperhoven at [email protected] or Marco Willems at [email protected].
