Virtual team will ensure stable power supply for the upcoming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou

HANGZHOU, China, June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 15 at 10:27 AM, the intelligent monitor in the distribution network control hall at the power supply service command center of State Grid Hangzhou Power Supply Company ( "SGHPSC") issued a power outage alert. The alert signaled that the Gudang Substation 10 kV Zhaori 9674 line switch had tripped. Swiftly responding to the situation, the emergency repair expert promptly identified the affected area, and directed the repair crew to the location. Within one minute, Mr. Cai, a resident in the affected area, received a text message from the company notifying him about the outage. Simultaneously, the automated distribution system isolated the fault, restoring power to surrounding areas within three minutes. Approximately 20 minutes later, the company's emergency repair personnel arrived on-site. Notably, this was the first time where the power supplier utilized the virtual office platform, summoning digital workers to resolve a power outage. The virtual dispatcher, nicknamed Patch, granted permission for the crew to commence their work, ensuring swift resolution of the issue. Coinciding with these events, SGHPSC organized a mobilization meeting to mark the 100-day countdown to the Hangzhou Asian Games. During the meeting the company reaffirmed its commitment to do its part to assure that the classic event would take place without a hitch by ensuring a stable power supply.

In March 2022, SGHPSC set in motion a plan to implement a six-module virtual digital employee platform, including virtual dispatching, intelligent monitoring, intelligent emergency repair, virtual office, and intelligent customer service. Each module corresponds to one dedicated digital worker, among them Patch and the emergency repair expert. By seamlessly integrating these six "employees" into the power supply service command system, SGHPSC achieved a remarkable synergy between human expertise and digital capabilities.

In 2018, SGHPSC embarked on a transformative journey by incorporating AI technology into its power grid command service, embedding into the distribution network an innovative "power brain" consisting of a grid knowledge graph, a multi-round human-robot dialogue engine, and a business decision engine. The first of these digital employees, the virtual dispatcher Patch, emerged as a remarkable outcome of this technological integration. Since then, a series of new AI-based members modeled on Patch have joined the team, including an intelligent monitor, virtual commissioner, office assistant, intelligent customer service employee, and emergency repair expert.

"The virtual digital employee team has integrated data from 17 distinct production management systems while utilizing AI and robotic process automation to handle simple repetitive tasks, significantly enhancing our productivity," explained Jiang Jian, head of SGHPSC's power supply command center. "The six virtual employees worked together seamlessly to streamline 27 business applications across six key functions within the power supply service command center, achieving a task replacement rate of over 50%."

In addition to automated filtering and analysis of alerts from power grid operations, the intelligent monitor, working hand-in-hand with Patch and the emergency repair expert, proactively issue abnormal notifications that trigger the incident response process. This reduces the time required for fault investigation and reporting from 5 minutes to 1 minute. Furthermore, the virtual office assistant efficiently manages 10 common application scenarios, including automated work order dispatch (customer service hotline: 95598), work order review assistance, and customer briefing generation, completing an average of 7 reports per day and showcasing its remarkable efficiency in handling these tasks.

As the Hangzhou Asian Games approach, the AI-powered service team is set to enhance its collaborative mechanism, optimizing it for real-time monitoring of distribution network equipment and swift deployment of on-site emergency repair services through the utilization of digital tools. This strategic approach ensures the team's ability to provide a secure and stable power supply while delivering optimized and efficient power services throughout the event. With these measures in place, the AI-powered service team is fully prepared to meet the power demands and expectations of the Games, ensuring a seamless and successful event.

Source: State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Company