Energy - Vodena

Hydropower production optimization

In light of the changing energy landscape, hydropower plants as controllable energy sources become crucial for the reliable functioning of energy systems. However, successful management of a hydropower system is challenging in many aspects, since its operational plans strongly depend on numerous factors such as hydrology, environmental constraints, prices on the energy market, and flooding risks.

Our software solutions for the optimization of hydropower production help decision makers to fully utilize the existing hydropower systems and their hydropower potential. Based on the data collected from a powerplant monitoring system, hydrological forecast, and the expected energy prices, our solution optimizes power production under the given physical, ecological, and legal constraints. Accurate prediction and optimization of the hydropower system operations relies on tightly coupled hydraulic model of water flow through the riverbed and the hydropower production model.

This comprehensive data analysis and optimization solution is employed at the Iron Gate, one of the largest European hydropower plants.

Smarticity

A modern way of living, requiring more electrical energy for everyday activities, puts extra pressure on energy systems. Additionally, a global necessity for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions switches focus from fossil to renewable energy sources. However, the introduction of renewable energy sources (RES) in the grid has posed several challenges to energy producers and consumers, such as the intermittency effect, “duck curve”, the growing complexity of stimuli regulations, and the calculation of energy consumption. All these challenges change the role of distribution network operators from energy transmitters from producers to consumers, into “orchestrators” of a large number of prosumers, which differ in size, type, and patterns of consumption and production. It is imperative for these challenges to be approached in an intelligent way.

To tackle these challenges, Vodena has developed Smarticity, a comprehensive energy management tool that completely automates finding an optimal pattern in energy consumption and production in the case of facilities with RES and energy storage capabilities.

Based on the data acquired during the microgrid exploitation, Smarticity automatically creates the most adequate predictive models of internal energy production and consumption, which enables simulation of the data chain for any hypothetical operation plan. The results obtained from the simulations, along with all other grid features and external factors, are subjected to an optimization process in order to find the energy management pattern that will result in the most economical usage of electricity under given conditions. This solution is offered to end users in the form of SaaS, thus enabling them to optimize energy usage without investment in scarcely available data science and optimization experts, or in the necessary computing infrastructure.

Hydropower production optimization

Smarticity

So What’s Next?

Are you Ready? Let’s Work!

So What’s Next?

Are you Ready? Let’s Work!