NEWARK — Delmarva Power today hosted more than 85 Delaware regulators, officials, and energy advocates at the company’s New Technology Symposium, “Energizing Our Future.”
The event showcased some of the company’s innovations – from a mobile app that streamlines substation general inspections to the use of drones for reviewing power lines.
“Our industry is becoming flooded with new technology and ways to serve our customers differently,” said Gary Stockbridge, Delmarva Power region president. “At the same time, a lot of the policy makers in our state are new and don’t know our business all that well.”
Stockbridge said helping them understand key advancements will be lay the groundwork for future industry discussions.
The event is a first for Delmarva Power. Employees displayed the latest in the company’s efforts to advance solar energy for customers, develop new technologies for future smart cities, and implement new technologies to enhance safety and support the digital worker.
Delmarva Power engineers Joseph Mauriello and Brett Collacchi developed and launched a mobile app in 2015 that automates substation inspections and streamlines the process for regulatory compliance.
John Beachell shared how use of unmanned aircraft systems for infrastructure inspections can provide insight into outages not apparent from ground inspections. Five demonstration missions have been flown by a drone, and Beachell said its use could reduce employee safety risks and increase efficiency.
Industry and university partners also displayed new technologies at the event, including the University of Delaware and Delaware Department of Natural Resources.
The use of solar technology was also big draw at the symposium. According to Senior Communications Specialist Nick Morici, Delmarva has more than 7,000 solar customers. New applicants for solar power can now track the process from application to construction and delivery.
The New Technology Symposium is part of Delmarva Power’s ongoing efforts to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy service to customers and communities across Delaware, according to Delmarva officials.
Stockbridge said that future symposiums could include targeted invitations to those who benefit from new technologies, including commercial, industrial, and low-income customers.
