SDG&E's Predictive Weather Platforms to Curb Weather Disasters

Founded in 1881, San Diego Gas and Electric is a natural gas and electricity provider to San Diego County and Southern Orange counties in California, United States. SDG&E hold themselves to high standards of ethics, safety, quality and sustainability. 

They are committed to building the cleanest, safest and most reliable energy company in the United States, with a commitment to Net Zero by 2045. They first partnered with Valtech in 2013 to create the Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index, a web application designed to help quantify risks of fire during Santa Ana windstorms. It allows for more efficient responses because it helps more accurately anticipate necessary resources as well as potential challenges.

On the heels of the overwhelmingly positive reception to the Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index, SDG&E contracted Valtech to expand the horizons of that project as well as innovative tools for the future.

With California weather posing new threats and challenges every season, the region is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change as well as unpredictable and often extreme weather conditions, such as prolonged drought, higher temperatures, wildfires, and flooding. Valtech worked with SDG&E on tools to enhance safety through the modernization of information delivery and notifications directed towards company leadership and decision-makers.

A robust weather forecasting system that integrates more than 150 weather data sources. This new system allows SDG&E to make intelligent decisions on resourcing particular parts of their service area during significant weather events like storms, heat waves, and high winds. The system takes the form of a public-facing web interface, curated by SDG&E weather experts depending on the day’s most important weather conditions, as well as an internal emergency weather management application.

• Successful integration of hundreds of weather, fire and emergency API data endpoints into a single system and interface
• Enhanced data visualizations that help SDG&E personnel quickly ascertain potential risks and take the appropriate action

These modern software solutions have already revolutionized the organization, bringing mobile application solutions to the forefront of weather crisis management and more.