At Unison, we know how important it is to keep your lights on, your devices running, and your daily routines uninterrupted. We’re proud to provide our communities with reliable electricity, and a resilient network. With more than 9,000km of power lines to manage, it’s a big job, but we’re using cutting-edge technology to keep things running smoothly while controlling costs. 

When power goes out, it’s not just inconvenient – it disrupts your home, your work, and your plans.

Power outages can happen for many reasons, storms knocking branches onto power lines, equipment failures or accidents like cars hitting poles. While we can’t prevent every outage, we can respond to them quickly and use smart tools to spot problems before they happen, so we can fix them before they affect you.

By taking a proactive approach to maintenance, we aim to prevent small issues from becoming bigger, more costly problems. To complete essential work on the network, planned outages are sometimes necessary. We work hard to keep these to a minimum, but they are a necessary part of the process, ensuring our crews can complete their critical work safely. Proactive maintenance ensures a safer, more reliable network with fewer disruptions, so you can count on consistent power at your home or business.

How Smart Technology Powers Efficiency 

A key part of our approach is maximising efficiency, both in managing our network and reducing maintenance costs. By leveraging smart technologies, we can streamline maintenance, prevent unnecessary repairs, minimise wastage, and respond faster to potential issues. This ensures that we not only save time and resources but also provide you with a more secure and stable power supply.

Using these advanced tools, we can monitor the condition of our power lines, poles, and equipment closely, allowing us to target repairs where they’re needed most. Here are a few of the key technologies that help us make informed, efficient decisions about maintaining our infrastructure:

• Acoustic Ultrasonic Detection: Imagine being able to “hear” potential problems before they become visible. Using powerful microphones, this technology lets us listen for electrical faults that the human ear can’t detect. Crews can inspect power lines and equipment from a distance, even while driving past, allowing us to quickly find problems early and plan repairs before they become serious. This clever solution cuts down on maintenance costs, improves safety, and reduces power disruptions. 
  
• LiDAR and Satellite Imagery: LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and satellites help us identify trees that need our attention before they become a hazard. Using lasers, LiDAR creates 3D maps by measuring the distance between objects, like trees and power lines. It quickly gives us a full picture of vegetation risks across our network, allowing us to manage tree trimming proactively. Planes or helicopters can scan large areas from the air for mapping, making the process faster, more consistent, and less labour-intensive than traditional inspections. 
  We’re currently trialling the use of advanced satellite imagery that can help us identify trees near our network that are in bad health, so we can intervene before they fall. This helps us meet our regulatory requirements, avoid outages, and reduce costs.
  
• Monitoring our Network: Our network includes clever technology that continuously monitors the condition of the power grid, allowing us to detect issues in real time. If a problem arises, we can quickly divert power to ensure that fewer customers are affected by outages and get on with repairs. This smart monitoring enhances reliability and helps us respond swiftly to the unexpected.
  
• Conductor Condition Recognition (CCR): Using drones equipped with cameras, we fly above the power lines (aka conductor) to capture detailed images. Our smart technology (using artificial intelligence) then analyses these images to tell us which lines are still in good shape, and which need to be replaced. This means we can focus on fixing only the lines that are at risk, rather than replacing equipment unnecessarily, saving a lot of money in maintenance costs – savings that ultimately benefit you.

These are just some of the innovative tools Unison uses to provide you with a more reliable and resilient power supply while keeping costs as low as possible. Our approach helps prevent outages, minimises disruption, and ensures that the network investments we make are truly necessary. In doing so, we’re not just keeping the lights on – we’re powering thriving regions, where energy supports homes, businesses, and communities.

By using technology to work smarter, we’re ensuring that your power stays affordable, safe, and dependable, all while fuelling growth and prosperity in the regions we serve.