AUTOMATED COST ESTIMATION FOR NEW UNDERGROUND MV CABLE ROUTES THROUGH GEOANALYSIS

One of the main inputs required for any automated network planning process is the estimated cost of new underground cable routes. The traditional approach of calculating these costs based on rough average cost assumptions fails to consider the specific geographical and geological conditions of each individual case and can therefore compromise the quality of network planning, especially when applied to heterogeneous supply areas. BKW has implemented an automated algorithm that enables an individualized cost estimation for each possible new underground cable route, by using a least cost path algorithm on a calculated cost raster, covering the whole supply area and including all relevant geological and geographical information. The developed algorithm enables an individualized estimation for any arbitrary route in the whole BKW supply area, taking into consideration all relevant geographical und geological conditions. The first test results show that in the majority of cases, the model accuracy exceeds +/- 25%, providing not only a reliable input for the automated planning of the medium voltage network but also a useful tool for the daily business of the teams responsible for operative asset management and engineering.