On several power lines across the country, there are antennas mounted that are often confused with TV aerials.
Some Kenyans jokingly quipped that it was used by employees from the utility firm to tune in to different TV stations.
"It is used to disconnect and connect back power through signals. For example, when there is a power interruption in a certain area Kenya Power does not need to get their fastest vehicles to go and disconnect it, just press the button, and it is done. It saves time and resources," one explained.
However, the aerial is part of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system installed on several plants to monitor and collect data.
It helps Kenya Power and other power suppliers to monitor electricity distribution to different places across the country.
SCADA system is used for the implementation of monitoring and control systems of equipment or a plant in various industries like power plants, oil and refining, and water and waste controls.
SCADA consists of a central station, field data gathering elements (Remote Terminal Unit RTUs), and both standard and custom software.
It ensures power distribution by offering features like a real-time view into the operation, maintaining desired voltages, currents, and power factors as well as generating alarms.
When an area is hit by power interruptions, the system sends data to the master station for the issue to be addressed.
They also send alerts of any impending power interruption.
Some of the advantages of using the system in power distribution include saving labour costs by eliminating the manual operation of distribution equipment, improving the continuity of service restoring service after the occurrence of temporary faults as well as continuous monitoring and control done from a remote location.
Furthermore, since the system detects equipment damage and faults earlier, they reduce the turnaround time especially when responding to emergencies.
It is one of the many ways technology has eased operations in various sectors to help save resources and boost efficiency.
