{"id":35244,"date":"2022-11-03T17:37:27","date_gmt":"2022-11-03T21:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=35244"},"modified":"2022-11-03T17:37:27","modified_gmt":"2022-11-03T21:37:27","slug":"solar-powered-iot-detection-system-wildfires-utilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=35244","title":{"rendered":"How this solar IoT detection system prevents wildfires caused by utilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the United States,\u00a0utilities cause around 74% of wildfires. And, since 2015, utilities have been responsible for six of California\u2019s most-destructive wildfires, killing hundreds of people and causing billions of dollars in damage.\u00a0Dryad Networks\u2019 solar-powered sensor can detect a fire within 60 minutes, and its IoT network provides accurate location data. Electrek<\/em> spoke to Carsten Brinkschulte, cofounder and CEO of\u00a0Dryad Networks<\/a>, about how utilities can strengthen their wildfire mitigation strategies and how solar is playing a part in forest protection.<\/p>\n

Electrek:<\/strong> How does Dryad Networks\u2019 solar-powered wildfire detection\u00a0system work, and what is its purpose?<\/p>\n

Carsten Brinkschulte:<\/strong> As humans, we are responsible for about 80% of wildfires. That means it\u2019s our responsibility to stop them.<\/p>\n

Wildfires cause up to 20% of global CO2 emissions \u2013 the same amount that all traffic (cars, airplanes, and ships combined) puts into the air. Wildfires cause more than $140 billion of economic losses each year and have a devastating impact on biodiversity, with more than 3 billion animals killed annually.<\/p>\n

Within a forest, you can\u2019t confidently rely on a mobile network operator\u2019s coverage, so we\u2019re installing our own wireless network infrastructure. A key innovation of our system is a solar-powered \u201cmesh network architecture\u201d that enables large-scale, off-grid deployments and overcomes problems with limited network coverage.<\/p>\n

By taking advantage of the latest Internet of Things (IoT) developments, solar-powered sensors, and \u201cmesh gateways,\u201d Dryad can build a network across even the most remote forest. With inbuilt artificial intelligence, our sensors are placed directly into forests to monitor air composition and can \u201csmell\u201d a fire at its smoldering phase.<\/p>\n

The sensors then send an alert signal over our large-scale IoT mesh network architecture. Data is collected and monitored at our cloud monitoring platform, carrying ultra-early alerts of wildfires to the authorities and pinpointing the location within 60 minutes \u2013 after which it is more likely to get out of control.<\/p>\n

Electrek: <\/strong>You\u2019re currently working with US utilities such as California\u2019s PG&E. Why are utilities deploying your product?<\/p>\n

Carsten Brinkschulte:<\/strong> In the US,\u00a0extreme weather can sometimes create wildfires by blowing trees into power lines. With wildfires, a utility must weather a disaster through coordinated emergency response and prevent the disaster from occurring in the first place. Therefore, the stakes are high, and a utility\u2019s responsibilities for safety and damage control are complex and far-reaching.<\/p>\n

Carefully overseeing infrastructure in rural areas and over hundreds of thousands of kilometers is a monumental task. If a utility starts a wildfire, it faces potential regulatory action, enormous settlements, and even criminal prosecution. The rise of extreme wildfires therefore creates a whole host of legal, regulatory, financial, business, and reputational risks for utilities.<\/p>\n

To overcome this existential threat, utilities are prioritizing investments in emerging technologies that help them monitor these threats and control them before they get out of control. Utilities are deploying Dryad\u2019s \u201cultra-early\u201d wildfire detection technology to do so.<\/p>\n

Dryad is working with PG&E<\/a> to demonstrate its Silvanet<\/a> large-scale IoT network solution for early wildfire detection in Northern California. The Silvanet network includes asset-mounted sensors, a mesh network utilizing LoRaWAN \u2013 the leading open standard for long-range radio IoT networks \u2013 for
communications, and a cloud-based data analysis dashboard.<\/p>\n

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