Polaris Grid Intelligence

Polaris Grid Intelligence is an advanced energy software company specialising in real-time grid observability and predictive risk management for high-voltage transmission networks. Their flagship platform, Polaris Twin™, enables operators to simulate, monitor, and optimise national grid performance using a unified digital twin architecture.

This project focused on modernising operational decision-making across multiple European transmission operators by replacing fragmented legacy systems with a single, real-time situational awareness layer.

Market Context

Transmission grids are becoming more complex due to:

• Rapid electrification of transport and heating
• Increased cross-border energy flows
• Growing dependency on weather-driven renewable generation
• Ageing physical infrastructure

Traditional SCADA systems offer raw telemetry but lack predictive insight, visual clarity, and integrated scenario planning.

Polaris set out to create a new operational standard — combining engineering-grade simulation with modern UX, cloud scalability, and AI-driven forecasting.

Project Objectives

The partnership defined three core goals:

1. Unified Operational Visibility

Create a single source of truth across substations, interconnectors, transformers, and load centres.

2. Predictive Risk Intelligence

Detect grid stress and failure probability before incidents occur.

3. Operator-First Experience Design

Transform complex electrical data into intuitive, actionable decision interfaces.

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Solution Architecture

Polaris Twin™ Platform

A cloud-native grid digital twin built on high-frequency telemetry ingestion, physics-based grid modelling, and machine-learning forecasting layers.

Core Capabilities:

Live Grid State Engine

Synchronises millions of sensor data points per second into a continuously updating digital representation of the transmission network.

Failure Risk Prediction

AI models identify early indicators of transformer overload, thermal line sag risk, and substation congestion — enabling proactive intervention.

Scenario Simulation

Operators can simulate outages, maintenance events, and demand surges in real time — testing grid resilience before changes are deployed.

Command Center Dashboard

A high-performance interface providing:

• Live power flow visualisation
• Geographic grid topology mapping
• Risk heatmaps
• Cross-border interconnection monitoring
• Operator alert prioritisation

Implementation Scope

Deployment Regions:

Nordic & Central European transmission corridors

Scale:

12 national grid operators onboarded

42,000+ km of transmission lines modelled

1.6 million real-time telemetry signals

Technology Stack:

• Cloud-native microservices
• High-frequency streaming pipelines
• Physics-based grid simulation engines
• Secure operator control interfaces
• Enterprise identity and compliance layer

Business Impact

Operational Performance

• 41% reduction in critical grid incident response time
• 33% improvement in fault localisation accuracy
• Significant reduction in operator cognitive load during peak events

Reliability & Resilience

• Early fault detection prevented multiple large-scale outage scenarios
• Improved maintenance scheduling reduced unplanned downtime by 29%

Economic Value

• Deferred infrastructure upgrades through improved utilisation
• Lower operational expenditure via automation and predictive maintenance
• Increased cross-border transmission efficiency

UX & Interface Design

Polaris invested heavily in control-room-grade UX inspired by aviation and mission-critical industrial systems.

Design principles included:

• High-contrast operational clarity
• Minimal cognitive friction
• Rapid information hierarchy scanning
• Dark-mode optimized for 24/7 control centers
• Adaptive layouts for wall displays and operator terminals

The result is a calm, precision-driven interface built for real-world grid operations.

Client Feedback

Head of Grid Operations — Nordic Transmission Authority

“Polaris Twin has fundamentally changed how we operate our network. We no longer react — we anticipate. The platform has become mission-critical to our daily operations.”

Strategic Outcome

Polaris Grid Intelligence has positioned itself as a core infrastructure technology provider for the next generation of European grid modernization programs.

The platform is now being expanded into:

• Hydrogen infrastructure modelling
• Offshore wind transmission planning
• Long-duration storage grid integration
• National energy security monitoring

Looking Forward

Polaris’ roadmap includes:

• AI-driven autonomous grid balancing
• Carbon intensity forecasting
• Integrated market dispatch optimisation
• National-scale digital grid twins

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