Massachusetts-based grid edge intelligence firm Sense has announced an edge-powered fault detector that can be embedded directly into smart meters.

The software gives utilities real-time visibility into faults throughout the distribution grid all the way to the service and secondary lines feeding homes, areas where most failures originate but monitoring has historically been limited.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, more than 90 per cent of US outages occur on the distribution grid, yet most fault detection technologies focus upstream on transmission or substations. Sense uses Waveform AI, its on-meter signal disaggregation and insight technology, to detect arcing, downed lines and equipment degradation in real time, helping utilities reduce wildfire risk, protect crews and accelerate restoration.

“Utilities need fast, accurate visibility into what’s happening on the distribution grid,” said Sense CEO Mike Phillips. “By moving intelligence to the edge, we’re giving operators actionable insight the moment something goes wrong, without requiring new hardware or specialised field equipment.”

Built for AMI 2.0, Sense runs as software inside modern smart meters, increasing the investment in meter deployments and avoiding the additional cost and complexity of pole-top sensors or radio-based localisation. Utilities can detect and localise faults faster, shorten outages, reduce truck rolls, and prioritise asset replacements based on real-world conditions. Early fault detection on the distribution grid can also help improve safety for utility line workers, as arcing events can be fatal for line workers who encounter them in the field.

The software has already demonstrated value in utility pilots, identifying incipient faults caused by emerging vegetation issues and uncovering previously unseen faults in field infrastructure.

Sense (sense.com) is making the energy transition accessible to everyone. Its embedded intelligence redefines how utilities and consumers interact with homes and the grid. By partnering with meter manufacturers, Sense delivers software driven by high-resolution data that’s vital for utilities to engage with customers, detect devices, balance load, forecast demand and identify anomalies. Its consumer-facing app makes homes smarter, empowering home dwellers to make better use of their energy, lower electricity bills and reduce their carbon footprint.