Most electric utilities are operating with a fundamental data problem: the authoritative record for millions of physical assets - transformers, relays, breakers, protection panels, transmission structures, distribution equipment - exists in paper drawings, scanned PDFs, and legacy CAD files that no modern system can read. OpenDrawing converts that archive into structured, machine-readable data that feeds the systems utilities are building: digital twins, AI-driven maintenance platforms, GIS, and enterprise asset management.
Power Plant Diagram Digitization
Power plant electrical drawings document the complete one-line from generator terminals through step-up transformers, GSU configurations, unit auxiliary transformers, and plant auxiliary switchgear. These drawings carry the asset data foundation for plant life extension programs, protection system upgrades, and digital twin initiatives - but they typically exist only as original OEM paper prints or first-generation PDF scans from the 1980s and 1990s.
OpenDrawing extracts component records from power plant electrical drawings: every transformer with its kVA rating and impedance, every breaker with its interrupting capacity and control voltage, every relay with its device number and associated CT ratios. The structured output populates asset management systems and provides the equipment layer for plant digital twin programs without a full re-engineering exercise.
Substation Schematic Digitization
Transmission and distribution substation drawings - relay panel schematics, protection one-lines, AC/DC control schematics - are the most common digitization scope for utilities. A medium-sized utility managing a protection upgrade program may have 2,000–8,000 relay panel drawings covering substations built across five decades. Manual extraction of that archive at 4–8 hours per drawing represents years of engineering labor.
OpenDrawing processes substation drawings using models trained on IEEE C37.2 device numbering, utility-specific relay symbols, and the CT/PT configurations common in transmission protection. Component records load directly into Maximo, SAP PM, or utility-specific ADMS and SCADA platforms through configurable export schemas.
Transmission and Distribution Line Diagrams
Transmission one-line diagrams and distribution circuit maps document the conductor configurations, switching equipment, and protection devices across the network. Digitizing these drawings produces structured connectivity data: which equipment connects to which, what the ratings are at each node, and where the protection boundaries fall. This data feeds GIS enrichment (adding electrical attributes to spatial records in Esri ArcGIS), load flow analysis tools, and outage management system configurations.
Structured Data Outputs
The primary output from utility drawing digitization is structured component data - not a cleaner drawing, but a database. The key downstream applications are:
- Digital twins - AVEVA, Bentley iTwin, Siemens Xcelerator, and similar platforms require structured equipment data as the foundation layer. Digitized drawing output provides that foundation without a full re-engineering program.
- AI and machine learning models - Predictive maintenance and anomaly detection models require clean asset attribute data as features. Drawing digitization produces that data at scale from the archive that already contains it.
- Asset management systems - IBM Maximo, SAP Plant Maintenance, Infor EAM, and utility-specific platforms receive structured equipment records ready for import, eliminating the manual data entry that currently creates the largest lag in asset data programs.
- CAD conversion (coming soon) - Direct conversion of legacy drawings to editable CAD format (DWG/DXF) is on the OpenDrawing roadmap for utilities that need drafting-editable files in addition to structured data.
Secure Deployment for Sensitive Infrastructure
Utility infrastructure drawings contain sensitive operational data. OpenDrawing supports deployment models designed for critical infrastructure security requirements:
GovCloud and dedicated VPC deployments are available for utilities requiring data residency controls or separation from shared cloud infrastructure. Drawing data never transits or resides in OpenDrawing's standard multi-tenant environment.
On-premises deployment is available for utilities with strict air-gap requirements or regulatory constraints that preclude any external data transfer. The OpenDrawing platform runs entirely within the utility's own infrastructure, with no internet connectivity required during processing.
See also Converting Historical Schematics to Digital Twins and Electrical Schematic Digitization for Asset Management.