Utilities provider Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) recently announced that its nanosatellite technology, DEWA-SAT 1, has transmitted 2,690 megabytes (MB) of data related to DEWA’s work to the ground station since its launch in January 2022, the emirate’s news agency reported.
The 3U nanosatellite provides direct communication via its onboard Internet of Things (IoT) system, utilizing LoRa (long-range), low-power wireless connection technology. The spacecraft relays data security using DEWA’s encryption standards.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, said that DEWA continues to leverage the latest technologies to develop smart and sustainable infrastructure. He noted that the Space-D program aims to make nanosatellites a critical infrastructure to support the ground-based IoT communications network for remote asset monitoring.
Adopting digitalization
The technology strengthens the digitalization of power and water networks and enhances planning, operations and preventative maintenance for the generation, distribution and transmission divisions. The program will also help to reduce costs, maximizing the return on investment from DEWA’s assets. In addition, the technology will contribute to knowledge sharing and training of DEWA’s Emirati workforce.
Al Tayer explained that DEWA’s Space-D program aims to enhance the efficiency of electricity and water networks using nanosatellite and remote-sensing technologies.
Read: DEWA’s Green Hydrogen Project cuts CO2 emissions by over 40 tons in transportation sector
First in the industry
Notably, DEWA is the first utilities provider in the world to use nanosatellites to improve the operations, maintenance and planning of electricity and water networks, enhancing operational efficiency and improving the efficiency of DEWA’s operations. The nanosatellites provide the agency with complete control over data via the ground station at DEWA’s Research and Development (R&D) Center at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, with operations managed by highly trained UAE nationals.
As part of its Space-D program, DEWA launched two nanosatellites: The DEWA SAT-1 in January 2022 and the DEWA SAT-2 in April 2023.
The nanosatellite monitors DEWA’s critical assets, such as tracking power factor and frequency in low-voltage rooms; monitoring water pipelines for temperature, pressure and flow to detect and solve any anomalies; measuring weather conditions such as air temperature, humidity and air quality; and collecting power quality data from remote substations.
Seven research papers have been published in cooperation with DEWA’s partners, highlighting use cases for DEWA SAT-1 and advancing the knowledge of direct-to-satellite communications using LoRa protocols. Over the years, DEWA has invested in advanced infrastructure to accelerate digital transformation, providing state-of-the-art services that support sustainability while helping reduce the emirate’s carbon footprint.
