System support to make quality assured production data available
The need to digitise systems and organisations is hardly new. Nor is it new that energy companies are one of these organisations. But what the journey looks like in terms of needs, methods and management differs. We have been working with Mälarenergi for some time to transform the entire system. But how have we gone about it?
As a first step, we have focused on a digital transformation for Mälarenergi where we work on creating system support and organisational conditions to make quality-assured production data available. We have started by identifying the organisation's capacity for analysis and learning and continued to prepare Mälarenergi for future integration with more fast-moving markets that will be in constant change.
Rapid changes in the energy system require rapid development
The mission is a transformation mission and a journey that all small and medium-sized energy companies need to familiarize themselves with and implement. Energy companies need to create the conditions to be able to continue to be a player in the market of the future as it will be much more fast-moving than what we are used to. Market signals that previously took several hours or even days to react to, will probably have to be so fast that a person will not have time to act on them. Sigholm's assignment Claudia at Mälarenergi is an example of the journey that all small and medium-sized energy companies need to make.
Three reasons why development is important
1. The future customer with decentralized information flows
The customer of the future will be flexible as well as the need for flexibility in the energy system will increase. Integrating different assets in the system in real time will be a survival issue for anyone who wants to be active in the energy markets, because there will be several.
CHP was born in a world where it was easier to centralize information and decisions. That is not the future. If information between different assets in the energy system is to be shared between market participants, all district heating needs to adapt to the needs of the market. Therefore, a major automation effort is needed where data can be analyzed faster. This is what the work is about.
2. Excel is no longer sufficient
The second reason is that in-house resources do not have a chance to develop services as quickly on their own servers as the rest of the market. Thousands of energy companies around the world now have their data in the cloud and services are being developed for them for everything from AI forecasting to digital twins. If you want to access these services and apply them to your own business, you have to be there. Otherwise, companies will quickly fall behind. Energy engineers should be able to perform multivariable correlation analysis of plant components with powerful tools. Excel is no longer enough.
3. Better safe in the cloud than exposed on the ground
Last but not least, it is a security issue. Maintaining a high level of security on your own hardware has become an increasing challenge, which is why large companies in all sectors are moving to the cloud. Especially companies in the industry that have seen their internal systems exposed to "ransome ware" and "malware" attacks. Better safe in the cloud than exposed on the ground. Moreover, the vast majority of data from a cogeneration plant is not exactly sensitive.
The article was published 21/02 - 2023
