PowerBI in generation - how automated reporting can support power plant employees

In today's world, where efficiency and accuracy are critical to the operation of power plants, data analysis plays a central role. Power engineers are responsible for monitoring and optimising plant performance, which requires thorough and continuous analysis of large amounts of data. This is where PowerBI comes in, a powerful data visualisation and automated reporting tool that can revolutionise the work of these specialists.

Performance engineers and their tasks in the power plant environment

Performance engineers play a central role in power plant operations. Their main task is to continuously monitor and optimise the performance and efficiency of the plants. This includes analysing operating data, identifying performance bottlenecks and inefficiencies and developing strategies to improve performance. They are also responsible for creating and interpreting performance reports that serve as the basis for operational decisions. Performance engineers work closely with other departments to ensure that plants are operated safely and efficiently. Their work requires a deep understanding of the technical aspects of power plant operation as well as the ability to analyse complex data and formulate actionable recommendations.

Integration of different data sources

A key advantage of PowerBI is the ability to integrate data from different sources. In a power plant, this can be sensor data, operating reports, external weather data and dispatch information. PowerBI brings all this information together into a single, coherent view, enabling more comprehensive and accurate analyses. For example, sensor data can include information on temperature, pressure and flow and can come from Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems or Plant Information System (PI) systems. Operational reports can include data on energy production, fuel consumption and emissions and are often retrieved from plant information systems. External weather data, which can influence the performance of the plant, is obtained from meteorological services. Dispatch data from source systems such as energy trading systems (e.g. ETRM systems - Energy Trading and Risk Management) can also be integrated to enable comprehensive planning and analysis. By integrating these different data types and sources, performance engineers can recognise correlations and patterns that would previously have remained hidden.

Analysing large amounts of data efficiently

Power plants generate large amounts of operational data every day that need to be analysed in order to monitor and optimise plant performance. With PowerBI, power engineers can analyse this data efficiently. With the ability to process large amounts of data in real time, engineers can gain immediate insights and make informed decisions. Examples of performance analyses include monitoring turbine efficiency, analysing fuel consumption in relation to energy production and assessing emission levels against regulatory requirements. For this purpose, sensor data on temperature, pressure and flow are linked with operating reports on energy production and emissions. Performance engineers also carry out start-up analyses, which are particularly relevant for gas-fired power plants that have to be started up and shut down frequently. These analyses evaluate the efficiency and safety of plant start-up by examining data such as start-up times, temperature rise and pressure build-up. By linking these data sources, performance engineers can quickly identify which variables affect performance and make targeted improvements.

Benefits of PowerBI for operational efficiency

PowerBI offers numerous benefits that significantly increase efficiency and transparency within the organisation. Some of the most important aspects are listed below:

• Improved decision making: By providing comprehensive and up-to-date data, better and faster decisions can be made.
• Improved visibility of information: PowerBI provides greater transparency and visibility of important information.
• Supported standardisation and comparability: Standardised report formats and metrics improve the comparability of data.
• Time savings through automated reporting: Automated reports significantly reduce manual effort and save time.
• High accessibility and improved usability: PowerBI's user-friendly interface improves accessibility and usability for all user groups.

Conclusion

PowerBI offers performance engineers in power plants a powerful platform for analysing and visualising data. Automated reporting, the integration of various data sources and the user-friendly interface enable more comprehensive and accurate analyses to be carried out. This leads to optimised operating processes, early fault detection and improved decision-making processes. The numerous added values such as time savings through automated reporting, increased transparency and a user-friendly interface help to increase the efficiency and reliability of power plant operations and make the work of performance engineers considerably easier.

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