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QX - 12 Case of Study

Calculate the Impact of Spanish Network Managers' Instructions to Assess their Effect on Projects

Network Management
Loss Estimates
Capacity Limitation

This case study highlights the successful implementation of an automated solution to calculate daily hourly production and revenue losses caused by power limitation setpoints reported by the power system operator. The system uses data such as plant peak power, set power limitation, solar irradiance, market prices, and contract prices to calculate and report losses in an accurate and timely manner. The solution has improved operational efficiency, reduced the risk of errors and enabled better communications with the network operator, as well as more accurate updating of asset financial models.

CONTEXT

The client, a company with a portfolio of 40 PV assets in Spain, faced challenges in the management and manual calculation of production and revenue losses, due to the numerous power limitation instructions issued by the network operator.

CHALLENGES

The client faced the following challenges:

  • Complex Manual Processes: Downloading data from multiple sources and performing hourly manual calculations in MS Excel to 
    assess production and revenue losses was highly laborious and prone to error.
  • Limited Visibility: The lack of an automated system limited the visibility of the actual effects of power limitations until a month after they had occurred.
  • Effective Communication: The ability to communicate with the network operator to mitigate the effect of appropriations and update asset financial models in a timely manner was hampered by lack of visibility.

SOLUTION

Quintas Analytics developed and deployed a comprehensive automated solution to address the challenges mentioned above:

  • Automatic Data Collection:  A system was designed to automatically collect power limitations, solar irradiation data, market and contract prices.
  • Automatic Loss Calculation: The solution calculates hourly production and revenue losses based on collected data and defined parameters.
  • Daily Notification and Updates: The management team receive a daily report detailing losses and revenue variances, allowing for more effective communication with the network operator and the updating of financial models.
QX 12 Case of use - Report

RESULTS AND BENEFITS

Implementing the solution had a significant positive impact on operational efficiency and financial management:

1. Improved Efficiency: Automation significantly reduced the need for manual work and calculations in MS Excel.
2. Daily Visibility: Making calculations on a daily basis gave an up-to-date and accurate view of the effect of power limiting setpoints at asset and portfolio level.
3. Effective Communication: The management team could promptly communicate with the network operator to 
mitigate the impact of the setpoints, based on their actual effect.
4. Accurate Financial Updates: The financial models could be updated more accurately, reflecting the impact of each project.
5. Error Reduction: The solution minimised the risk of human error with the calculations.

CONCLUSIONS

The solution that was introduced for the automatic calculation of production losses and revenue from power limitation setpoints in a PV portfolio in Spain proved a success story in improving operational efficiency, communication with the grid operator and financial management. Process automation, data collection and automatic calculations provided essential tools for effective management visibility and more accurate financial optimisation. This solution sets a valuable example for the management of similar projects in the solar energy sector and the optimisation of active management processes.

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