What BIM Can Do To Prevent Power Outages: Lessons From Recent Experiences

January 09, 2024 posted by Amy Carter

Introduction

As an experienced blogger deeply engaged with infrastructure and technology topics, I was struck by the recent power outages experienced by Southern California Edison (SCE) and Kenergy Corp. These incidents revealed serious vulnerabilities in power systems, particularly in hot weather. And it made me ask how we design and operate infrastructure to withstand that. This is where Building Information Modeling (BIM), a disruptive technology with colossal promise to transform power grid resilience, can play a crucial role.

As utility companies work tirelessly to thrash about re-powering and saving the public, new technologies such as BIM will completely change how power grids and associated infrastructure are designed, maintained, and managed. Defending against vulnerabilities before they become serious is how BIM can contribute to a more robust power system.

The Type of Issue: Upcoming Outages Recently Happened

Southern California Edison (SCE)

When 100-mph windstorms in the start of January 2025 hammered Southern California Edison, the utility began to impose Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). These preventative measures, intended to minimize wildfire risks, disconnected thousands of customers. Complicating matters, a Pacific Palisades wildfire fuelled by these winds displaced some 30,000 people, and power was out to more than 28,000 households.

Kenergy Corp

The same goes for Kenergy Corp, whose customer base spans western Kentucky, where winter storms brought snow, ice, and temperatures below zero. Around 8,200 customers lost power by 5 January 2025, illustrating the difficulties of utilities in extreme weather conditions.

These disasters make us all want resilient infrastructure to withstand these disasters. Here is where BIM comes into the picture.

Understanding Building Information Modeling (BIM)

BIM is an electronic model of a building's physical and functional attributes. It assembles a single, big-data model that enables stakeholders to visualize, monitor, and optimize infrastructure design and operations. Though often used for construction projects, BIM's use cases aren't limited to buildings but also utility infrastructure, such as power grids.

How BIM Can Prevent Power Failures?

Designing Resilient Infrastructure

1. Weather Effect Simulation: BIM can simulate adverse weather on power infrastructure. For example, it can calculate the wind on utility poles or ice buildup on power lines and recommend buildings resistant to the elements.
2. Safest and Most Effective Power Line Paths: Based on terrain, vegetation, and weather, BIM provides optimal routes for power lines so they can be located in a way that is safest and most efficient while minimizing the chances of accidents such as tree falls or floodplains.

Predictive Maintenance and Real-Time Monitoring

1. Digital Twins: Combining BIM with IoT hardware will result in digital twins of power grids. These virtual copies allow infrastructure conditions to be monitored in real-time — for example, weak poles or overheating transformers before they fail.
2. Information-Driven Analytics: Previous maintenance history in the BIM model can forecast when and where to do maintenance, preventing unexpected outages.

Enhanced Disaster Response

1. Emergency Simulations: BIM simulations can simulate earthquakes, wildfires, or even ice storms on the grid. This allows utility companies to build good response plans ahead of time.
2. Speedy Repairs: When there is an outage, BIM can send detailed diagrams of the infrastructure involved so crews can quickly pick out affected sections and begin repairing.

Coordination and Collaboration

1. Unified platform: BIM is an information exchange that brings together utilities, engineers, urban planners, and emergency response personnel. This ensures that outages are quickly and systematically addressed.
2. Compliance With Regulations: BIM meets all safety and resilience requirements for new infrastructure, with less risk of non-compliance.

Enabling Renewable Energy and Microgrids

1. Microgrid Architecture: BIM can plan isolated energy systems, like microgrids, which can remain in service independently during a blackout. This provides more energy security for hospitals and shelters.
2. Renewable integration: BIM optimizes renewable energy placement and grid integration (solar panels, wind turbines, etc.) Such renewable energy sources also back up power during grid down times.

Real-World Applications: A MEP BIM Case Study

Project Title: MEP BIM Modeling, BIM Coordination, and Shop Drawings for Battersea Power Station, UK

Client: A well-known MEP contractor based in London, UK

Project Goals:

1. To create a 3D BIM model of the MEP systems for the Battersea Power Station
2. Coordinate the MEP systems with the architectural, structural, and other building systems.
3. To create shop drawings for the MEP systems

Challenges:

1. The Battersea Power Station is a complex and iconic building
2. The MEP systems are complex and interconnected
3. The project required the highest degree of accuracy and coordination

Solutions:

1. Tesla Outsourcing Services used the latest BIM software and technologies to create a detailed 3D model of the MEP systems.
2. Tesla Outsourcing Services worked closely with the client and other stakeholders to coordinate the MEP systems with the other building systems.
3. Tesla Outsourcing Services created accurate and detailed shop drawings for the MEP systems.

Results:

1. The project was completed on time and within budget
2. The 3D BIM model helped to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the project
3. The shop drawings helped to ensure that the MEP systems were installed correctly

The Battersea Power Station project demonstrates how BIM facilitates proactive risk management, crucial for preventing power outages. By identifying clashes, enhancing resilience planning, and improving coordination, BIM helps create robust and reliable power infrastructure, minimizing downtime and ensuring a consistent energy supply. This case study is a valuable example for the power industry, highlighting the importance of adopting BIM to mitigate risks and improve overall system performance.

Source: Battersea Power Station Project - Tesla Outsourcing Services

About Tesla Outsourcing Services:

Tesla Outsourcing Services is a leading provider of BIM services in the USA. We have a team of experienced and skilled professionals who can provide high-quality services to our clients. We are committed to providing our clients the best possible service and value.

Probable Issues With Implementing BIM for Power Infrastructure

Even though BIM can be a game-changer, it's still hard to adopt in utility infrastructure:

1. Expensive to Start: You must invest in BIM software, training, and hardware.
2. Data management: The data generated by BIM models is overwhelming if you don't have systems to keep it organized.
3. Stakeholder Buy-In: Getting everyone on board with BIM workflows is hard when industries are averse to change.

Despite these challenges, the benefits of BIM far outweigh the drawbacks, particularly in an era of increasing climate uncertainty.

Endnote: How BIM Can Help Build a Resilient Future

The recent blackouts at Southern California Edison and Kenergy Corp exemplify how sacrificial our electricity grids are. Utility firms can design more resilient infrastructure, predict and prevent failures, and respond to disasters effectively using Building Information Modeling.

BIM is a revolutionary technology in a world where utility companies and governments search for new ways to bring more reliability to their grid. Activists such as Tesla Outsourcing Services, the leading BIM outsourcing company in the United States, have already been helping organizations leverage BIM to develop more innovative, safer, and more efficient infrastructure.

Using BIM can help mitigate power outages significantly and build a more sustainable and resilient energy future.

BIM . 3D Modeling . USA