Preventing thermal shock blackouts meets innovation with the ASDA-EMIS project by NeMeA Sistemi
Recent years have highlighted a worrying trend: the rise in power cuts, both in terms of frequency and duration, is particularly pronounced during the warmer months. This phenomenon is not only a consequence of the peak in consumption, but is exacerbated by a lesser-known yet crucial factor: thermal shock. Low-voltage electricity networks, which are often buried underground, are in fact unable to dissipate the heat accumulated over consecutive days of high temperatures – an ‘Achilles’ heel’ that compromises the stability of the service.
It is in this context that the ASDA-EMIS project (Advanced Analysis of Spatial Data for Environmental Monitoring and Infrastructure Safety), a pioneering initiative born out of a collaboration between NeMeA Sistemi and AISMA, a Sardinian-Lombard company operating in the field of artificial intelligence. The aim is to create predictive tools which, by taking climate change into account, can prevent these blackouts caused by thermal shocks.
The figures speak for themselves: the causes of a structural problem
When the last mile of the networks fails, emergency measures are not enough. The data confirm the seriousness of the situation. According to ARERA’s findings, in 2023 there were an average of 3.43 outages per user, amounting to an average of 185 minutes without supply. A year later, in 2024, the figure rose to an average of 5.12 outages per user, highlighting greater unpredictability in the service. Often, the root of the problem is not a peak in consumption, but the heat that builds up continuously.
As Michele Boella, CEO of NeMeA Sistemi, explains, the reason lies in a specific part of the network: “The main cause of this phenomenon lies in low-voltage electricity networks, which are often buried underground; these absorb heat and are unable to dissipate it quickly enough, leading to a thermal shock that we therefore refer to as the ‘last-mile’ thermal shock.”
Boella also emphasises the seriousness of this failure: “The problem is that if the grid fails, it is not even possible to intervene using what is known as ‘backfeeding’, that is, feeding energy into the grid from another transformer substation.” He goes on to highlight the impact on essential services: “In the most serious cases, this also renders emergency systems – such as those serving hospitals or airports – ineffective”.
A solution? From satellites to artificial intelligence
The ASDA-EMIS project collects data from a variety of sources, including the Italian Space Agency’s (CSK&CSG) RADAR/SAR satellites, feeding them into a Geographically distributed data lake. Through space-based observation, an artificial intelligence algorithm analyses this data to provide an accurate predictive picture.
NeMeA Sistemi’s CEO explains in detail the value of this innovation: “The data processed by ASDA-EMIS enables us to assess the problem accurately before it arises, so that we can take countermeasures in the short, medium and long term. L‘artificial intelligence’ "It enables near-real-time forecasting of the risks of local power cuts, supports operators in managing emergencies, and provides long-term analysis to underpin investment in the modernisation and adaptation of grids to climate change."
The initiative, co-funded by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, It serves as a shining example of how space and terrestrial technologies can be integrated to address real and increasingly urgent challenges. “In the long run,” Boella concludes, “Data analysis provides essential information for the modernisation and calibration of networks, based on actual risks and taking global warming into account”.
For a more in-depth analysis, please refer to the interview given by the CEO of NeMeA Sistemi on the Radio Roma Capitale podcast, available at the following link:
