Hydroelectric energy and Big Data together to promote environmental sustainability

In the world of renewable energy, digital transformation is synonymous with increased sustainability. By optimizing management costs of power plants and implementing predictive maintenance tools, operational excellence and sustainability are both guaranteed. In this scenario, data acts as a source of added value for business. Enel Green Power considers Big Data as one of its key assets as it represents a strategic tool that bolsters the productivity of every machine and power plant in its portfolio. Our power plants are in the midst of a profound modernization process, blazing the path of innovation and digitalization which both represent two core values for every facet of EGP’s activities. Big Data: efficiency, innovation and digitalization Each day, our machines bestow us with a wealth of data that craft a rich tapestry depicting our power plant’s health status, acting as a golden fleece that must be sourced, woven and embroidered. The first positive feedback originating from the implementation of predictive management tools on solar and wind technology were deemed worthy to service the hydroelectric industry as well, thanks to the Big Data Hydro project. Although, in a rather new development, innovations are set to move in the opposite directions as cutting-edge technology from the hydro sector is about to find its way in the wind, geothermal and solar sectors. We’re talking about a project that premiered during the first workshop from the “Data model for Hydro power plant” hydroelectric innovation seminar held in Pisa, Italy last December 4, whose goal was to define a new Data model that will debut in the planning stages for prospective power plants or in the refurbishment of existing ones. Improved efficiency, courtesy of EGP’s predictive maintenance There’s a growing number of examples demonstrating how business greatly benefits from high quality Data as the lynchpin for preventively detecting malfunctions. In the Presenzano power plant, located near Caserta, Italy, the predictive analysis carried out during routine tests was instrumental in detecting an anomaly. Higher temperatures in the steel casing of a generator weren’t caused by the machine’s malfunction but rather from the measuring chain. Italy has also seen our successful completion of the BVLOS project. An experimental endeavour carried out in collaboration with the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) that called for using drones in a monitoring campaign of the country’s hydroelectric plants and water works. This promising project will provide Enel Green Power with easy, affordable and stress-free remotely-controlled monitoring activities. The will to innovate and experiment new solutions is always at the core of Enel Green Power’s business predicament. This is testified by a project regarding a tender in Valmalenco, near Sondrio, Italy. This endeavour is a partnership with Norwegian company Powel AS, a leading provider in software solutions for the energy sector, for testing an integrated platform for the management, streamlining and energy production from hydroelectric plants. After a six-month long monitoring period, we’ve recorded an improvement in the timing, reliability and accuracy of gathered Data. This is the ultimate confirmation for Big Data and digitalization as the future pillars of renewable energy and a testament to the soundness of Enel Green Power’s business model!

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Hydroelectric energy and Big Data together to promote environmental sustainability

Hydroelectric energy and Big Data together to promote environmental sustainability

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