How NOJA Power’s EcoLink Delivers Annual Savings

Fundamental modelling shows Australian Utilities could save up to $9.6 million AUD annually by deploying NOJA Power's EcoLink technology, according to recent analysis.

The savings stem from 80% reduction in emergency truck rolls, which are typically required to restore power after momentary faults—such as those caused by storms, wildlife, or vegetation contact—trigger traditional fuses.

The Problem: Fuses That Trip on Temporary Faults

In conventional distribution networks, fuses operate during transient faults, cutting power unnecessarily and requiring manual intervention to restore service. These outages often result in costly emergency dispatches, known as truck rolls.

Using averaged public data from rural utilities, a conservative estimate shows an estimated 12,000 emergency truck rolls annually. At an average cost of $1,000 per dispatch, this represents a significant operational burden.

The Solution: EcoLink® Smart Reclosers

NOJA Power's EcoLink is a device that directly replaces medium voltage fuses capable of automatically restoring power after temporary faults—without the need for field crews. This innovation not only improves reliability but also reduces operational costs and environmental impact from fleet travel.

Financial Impact

For simplified modelling, consider a utility with:

1,500 feeders
12,000 emergency truck rolls annually
$1,000 average truck roll cost

For an $18 million AUD to install EcoLink devices across all feeders and based on the projected $9.6 million in annual savings, the investment yields:

Internal Rate of Return (IRR): 52.55%
Payback Period: 2 years

Calculation Summary

Metric	Value
Annual Emergency Truck Rolls	12,000
Cost per Truck Roll	$1,000 AUD
Prevented Truck Rolls (80%)	9,600
Annual Savings	$9.6 million AUD
Total Investment	$18 million AUD
IRR	52.55%
Payback Period	2 years

Further Benefits - STPIS Performance Incentives

Network modelling shows a utility that reduces network outages by 80% would enjoy a further $2,066,450 AUD STPIS performance incentive, offsetting the costs of an EcoLink project Rollout.

Feeder Type	SAIDI Incentive	SAIFI Incentive	Total Incentive
Urban	$51,746.20	$34,387.50	$86,133.70
Short Rural	$824,164.38	$549,457.02	$1,373,621.40
Long Rural	$363,327.91	$243,366.67	$606,694.58

Further Benefits - Fire Risk Mitigation

Conventional medium voltage fuses represent additional fire start risk. The expulsion method causes hot embers to be discharged when the fuse burns, which can initiate fires.

EcoLink provides risk mitigation in multiple ways.

EcoLink causes all operations to be internal to the asset, with no external sparks.
The mechanical interlock greatly mitigates risk of external arcs, as all switching is conducted internal to the asset.
EcoLink has the ability to adjust reclosing sequence according to ambient temperature, facilitating optional automatic reclose disabling in high temperatures
EcoLink can be configured as a sectionaliser, allowing for complete reclose disabling when used with upstream remote control reclosers.

A Strategic Step Toward Smarter Grids

This initiative highlights the growing role of smart grid technologies in modern utility operations. By reducing unnecessary outages and improving response efficiency, EcoLink supports both cost reduction and customer service improvement.

Project Next Steps:

Assumptions in this data modelling can be confirmed through EcoLink equipment trials. Given the low engineering costs of equipment deployment, the cost of assumption testing for EcoLink business cases also are low.

For more information, contact NOJA Power Switchgear or visit www.nojapower.com.au.