Electrical substations are critical infrastructure facilities and are subject to various threats. Perimeter security, where hostile actors can be stopped at the outset, is thus crucial for power substations. In this regard, LiDAR can play a key role.
Substation security threats and consequences
Electrical substations, which change electricity’s voltage and route it to where it needs to go, are important elements in power grids. Often targeted by hostile actors, electrical substations can face dire consequences if breached.
“The main threats include unauthorized entry, vandalism, copper and equipment theft, deliberate sabotage, and people inadvertently entering hazardous energized areas. A successful intrusion can mean equipment damage, service interruption, costly repairs, safety incidents, and in some cases wide-area outages depending on the assets affected,” said Gerald Becker, VP of Market Development and Alliances at Quanergy Solutions.
Limitations with conventional PIDS
To stop criminals at the outset, perimeter security is vital for electrical substations. Conventional perimeter intrusion detection systems (PIDS) typically consist of fence-mounted sensors, microwave barriers, passive infrared, radar, optical cameras, and buried sensors. While these sensors and devices can be quite effective, they also have certain shortfalls and limitations. Radar can be affected by electrical interferences, while cameras may not work effectively in poor lighting conditions. Certain sensors struggle with distinguishing genuine threats from ordinary activities, such as animals passing or wind-driven vibration, and general false alarms on a regular basis.
“The operational cost is alarm fatigue. When operators keep chasing events that turn out to be nothing, they burn resources and lose confidence in the system. The goal should not be simply to raise an alarm. It should be to give operators actionable information about what is happening and where,” Becker said.
Benefits of LiDAR
This is where LiDAR comes in. LiDAR stands for light detection and ranging. It is a sensing technology that uses laser light to measure distances and create a detailed 3D representation of an environment.
LiDAR can be an effective perimeter security solution for power substations. Citing Q-TRACK platform. Quanergy’s own LiDAR solution, Becker said it offers three primary benefits for electrical substation perimeter security.
“First, it does not rely on ambient light, so it performs the same in full daylight or total darkness. Second, it provides continuous three-dimensional coverage across the designed detection area, tracking multiple intruders at once and following each one's movement rather than registering a single crossing along a fence line or detection plane. Third, it delivers precise location data that enables automated slew-to-cue of PTZ cameras and can cue other integrated security systems to respond to an event,” Becker said.
He adds: “Performance backs this up: Quanergy's Q-TRACK platform achieves 99 percent detection accuracy while reducing false and nuisance alarms by up to 95 percent, helping security teams focus on genuine events rather than environmental triggers.”
LiDAR and radar: Complementing each other
It should be noted that radar is also an effective perimeter detection technology. But as aforementioned, radar may be less ideal in power substation environments as well as certain use cases where electric interferences are strong.
“Certain environments can degrade radar performance depending on the frequency, placement, and site layout. Sites with heavy electrical infrastructure, dense metallic structures, RF-sensitive equipment, or complex reflective surroundings are the usual candidates. Examples include power generation and distribution facilities, industrial and manufacturing plants, transportation infrastructure, telecommunications sites, and some data center and critical infrastructure environments,” Becker said.
On the other hand, there are certain perimeter security use cases where radar can work wonders. “Radar can be a strong choice when very long-range detection across large, open areas is the primary requirement. This can include expansive perimeters or remote sites where broad-area detection is more important than precise object classification and location. Radar can also offer advantages under certain environmental conditions,” Becker said.
He stresses that radar and LiDAR are complementary technologies, not competing solutions working against each other.
“In practice, it is often not a question of radar versus LiDAR. Layered security designs can use radar for broad-area detection, LiDAR for precise 3D location, classification, and continuous tracking, and cameras for visual verification. The technologies can complement each other when the application calls for it,” Becker said.
Integration with other security systems
Also as mentioned earlier, integration with other security systems is key in a LiDAR deployment. Especially, integration with video surveillance can be beneficial as alarms generated by LiDAR can activate security cameras, which can then verify the veracity of the alarm.
Again, Becker cites Q-TRACK which is built to fit into the customer's existing physical security ecosystem.
“We support integrations with leading video management and physical security platforms, including Genetec Security Center, Motorola Avigilon Unity, Milestone XProtect, and other third-party systems. A typical workflow is for Q-TRACK to detect and track an object, generate an event, and pass precise location data to the VMS to drive camera verification or an automated response,” he said.
When asked whether the cameras need to be ONVIF-based to work seamlessly in the solution, Becker said that’s not necessarily the case.
“The right integration method depends on the VMS, the camera manufacturer, and the available APIs. If a customer's cameras are not ONVIF-compatible, we work through the interfaces the VMS or camera platform exposes to determine the appropriate approach. That flexibility matters at existing substations and other critical infrastructure sites, where customers often have significant investment in legacy systems. Our aim is to enhance that infrastructure, not force a rip-and-replace,” he said.
Case study
In a
case study, Quanergy demonstrates how 3D LiDAR can improve perimeter security at electrical substations while significantly reducing false alarms. A utility provider faced frequent nuisance alerts caused by nearby vehicles, pedestrians, and environmental activity. Quanergy deployed Q-TRACK LR 3D LiDAR sensors, providing continuous 360-degree monitoring, real-time object detection, classification, and tracking. The system integrates with Genetec Security Center and ONVIF PTZ cameras, automatically directing cameras toward detected events for verification. Following deployment, nuisance alarms fell to fewer than three per day, reducing alarm fatigue and enabling operators to focus on genuine security threats.