How this ‘grid doctor’ maintains the health of Singapore’s electricity network so everything stays on

In 2024, SP customers in Singapore experienced an

average electricity interruption of nine seconds

according to SP Group’s annual report.
 
Maintaining grid reliability is a careful balance of planning, upgrading and repairing ageing electrical assets, and rigorously detecting anomalies in the network. At SP Group, these responsibilities fall on engineers and technical officers, whose skills help keep the network reliable and resilient.

Meet Eric Lee, a technical officer with SP Group, who conducts preventive “health checks” to catch early signs of equipment deterioration, so that faults can be fixed before they escalate. He listens keenly for faint high-pitched crackles or trace elusive electromagnetic signals – signs of trouble in the electrical equipment that impact network reliability.

“When there’s something wrong, you can hear it – a faint, crackling pulse that tells you something’s not right,” says the 45-year-old.

For Mr Lee and his ‘grid doctor’ colleagues, that sound could signal the earliest warning of trouble in a transformer – a critical component in the electrical grid that regulates voltage and ensures network reliability. Just like a health check, it is crucial to detect these issues early and address them before they become serious.

And in this case, a faulty transformer left unchecked could lead to electricity disruptions.

From manual checks to smart sensors

In the past, it was a common sight for officers like Eric to be clad in flame-retardant clothing, safety shoes and a hard hat, trekking from one substation to another, searching for signs of trouble – at times crouching in confined basement spaces, recording readings from switchgear panels, and listening for the telltale hiss of electrical discharge.

Some substations are several storeys high with no elevators and each trip required endurance and careful attention.

“In this hot weather, the task can be very tiring,” says Mr Lee.

The team relied on portable handheld detectors, acoustic sensors, and thermal scanners to inspect equipment deep within electricity substations. These tools required close, hands-on contact and offered only a limited snapshot of data at any given time.

“Each substation houses dozens of panels, all of which had to be inspected individually. Data from these inspections was manually recorded panel by panel, and subsequently keyed in by hand,” says Mr Lee. “ It was a time-consuming process.”

All of this has changed when SP Group adopted smart technologies in 2020, making work safer, easier and more efficient. Smart sensors were installed directly on critical electrical equipment, such as distribution switchgear and cables. This shift has made fault detection faster, data more precise and daily tasks far more efficient.

When anomalies are detected, instant alerts are sent to officers like Mr Lee, enabling them to act quickly. Past data trends also support predictive maintenance, helping to resolve potential faults before they occur.

“Now, we can zero in on actual issues quickly and solve complex problems with data on hand,” says Mr Lee. “We are also pushing ahead with a renewal project to upgrade our physical sensors, so the system gets even smarter.”

According to SP Group, its staff have responded with agility, quickly learning to navigate and apply new digital tools to their daily operations. The new system has also helped the company save over 1,000 man-hours every year. 

As a result, Mr Lee and his team have more time to focus on higher level work such as conducting on-site tests to localise defects within the electrical equipment. Response time has also been shortened significantly, reducing downtime.

Embracing innovation

For Mr Lee, the shift to new technologies has led to growth opportunities. He has learnt how to use the smart sensor systems and interpret their data. The support he received from SP’s in-house technical experts has also been helpful in his job transformation journey, he says.

“Sometimes, external interference like lighting can distort waveforms on the system dashboard, so learning to read them accurately has taken some trial and error,” he shares.

Mr Lee says he is grateful for a collaborative work environment that encourages open dialogue and knowledge-sharing. Being able to tap into the experience of seasoned team members before heading to the substation not only helps him make  more informed decisions but also shortens the learning curve, he adds.

Through hands-on involvement and regular maintenance using smart sensor technology, Mr Lee has also grown more confident in using digital systems, which he finds intuitive and precise. He has honed his sensor operation and data analysis skills through courses and is keen to take on further specialised training.

“Working here is exciting because there is always something to learn. At the end of the day, we have a responsibility to keep the lights on and make sure Singapore has a safe and reliable electricity supply,” he says.

Explore a career with SP Group here.