pwr_february-2024 - 21

REMOTE MONITORING
generation equipment can help operators
avoid problems that lead to the most
common generator failures:
■ Low batteries.
■ Battery charger failures.
■ Block heater failures.
■ Shut-down alarms due to low coolant
levels, leaks, etc.
■ Low fuel supply.
■ Operator error.
■ Automatic transfer switch failure.
Those problems are just a snapshot;
add to the list the variables of issues that
can arise at renewable energy sites, and
also along the power grid. Then there's
the need for more visibility of assets
such as microgrids and other decentralized
electricity generation equipment.
" Generator
performance-whether
measured by availability, efficiency, or
emissions-necessitates monitoring of
a wide array of operating parameters
to ensure optimal performance, " said
Schurr. " Distributed energy generated
from microgrids is no different. By having
continuous surveillance and analysis
of incoming data, early indicators of deviation
from standard operations can be
detected and corrected before becoming
a widespread issue. "
Schurr continued: " Distributed energy
has two unique features that make
remote monitoring even more valuable.
They are typically unattended sites and
are generally standardized; both features
make comparing performance
data and observed conditions even
more insightful. "
Microgrids, as with other distributed
energy assets, have their own management
and control systems that also are
evolving
as
decentralized
generation
grows. " Enchanted Rock monitors and
manages over 300 operating sites including
nearly 1,500 generating units and associated
electrical equipment using our
Granite Ecosystem microgrid platform
from our Network Operations Center, "
said Schurr. " We provide remote monitoring
as a service to the asset owners,
and also monitor and/or manage related
on-site equipment and conditions that
may include rooftop solar installations,
weather and grid conditions, site security,
market prices, EV [electric vehicle]
charging circuits, and battery storage. "
Schurr continued, " Due to the nature
of distributed energy resources, all microgrids
require active remote monitoring
to ensure high performance. Failure
to detect anomalous conditions can
February 2024 | POWER
compromise reliable operations, which
will suboptimize maintenance dispatch
and reduce operational and financial benefits
from the microgrid. "
McConnell said there are situations
not suitable for remote monitoring.
" Complex physical processes or anything
that could require complex physical
inspections may be situations that may
not always be suitable for remote monitoring.
Additionally, anything that's in a
high-security area may also not always
be suitable for remote monitoring. "
McConnell noted, though, that some
instances almost always call for remote
monitoring. " Remote monitoring
becomes indispensable for equipment
situated in remote or hard-to-reach areas,
where physical access is challenging
or poses safety risks, " he said. " For
example, we've worked with renewable
generation asset owners operating very
remote facilities. Remote monitoring is
key in these cases to ensure that on-site
support is sent out only when necessary.
" Another example is for supporting
large-scale operations. At scale, it's going
to be difficult to have enough boots on the
ground to physically monitor everything.
Remote monitoring becomes a necessity
in these cases, " McConnell said.
Current Conditions and Future
Needs
Power producers and grid operators
know that technology advancements
should help as they navigate an everevolving
electric power landscape.
" When evaluating the benefits of
remote monitoring, the key factors are
less about suitable situations and more
about delivering insights, actionable intelligence,
and results to the right personas, "
said Kephart. " For issues that
might be sudden or catastrophic, teams
need somebody nearby who can intervene.
That can mean a control operator
who is stationed onsite, but it can also
mean prioritizing data delivery so that
an operator in a remote control center
has the information they need when
they need it.
" Ultimately, the important factor is
which persona the information goes to
and what medium is used to deliver it.
Short-term concerns must be delivered
directly to an operator who can act quickly, "
said Kephart. " Whether that can be
done effectively in a remote operation
is less about the response capability
and more about the logistics of getting
the data where it needs to go. Is there
enough bandwidth to deliver that data on
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time? Is using that bandwidth cost-effective?
These are the concerns that need
to be answered on a case-by-case basis. "
The use of artificial intelligence (AI)
also promises to further transform the
electric power sector and its associated
systems. " The rise of generative
AI will likely have a dramatic impact on
the future-and popularity-of remote
monitoring, " said Kephart. " When organizations
have a centralized operator
watching many sites, that operator is
responsible for sifting through and understanding
large amounts of data. That
typically takes expert personnel, which
is why centralizing experts is one of the
key drivers behind the growing popularity
of remote monitoring centers.
" However, industry isn't far from AI engines
that will be able to work in tandem
with these operators, ultimately acting
as autonomous sentinels, " said Kephart.
" Not only will such AI systems be able to
point an operator's attention to something
they may have missed, but they will also
provide prescriptive guidance to help with
information processing and decision support.
This future will open remote monitoring
capabilities to personnel from a
wider range of experience levels, essentially
democratizing remote monitoring
and, potentially, operation. "
McConnell agreed, saying that " AI
and ML in conjunction with remote
monitoring can provide greater insight
in a variety of ways. In time, we'll also
see more integration of remote monitoring
of generation assets with emerging
technologies such as digital twins.
Technology such as this is being deployed
to enhance the way utilities and
power generation asset owners monitor,
manage, and interact with their assets.
Emerging technology is going to
need to be foundationally supported by
remote monitoring, and data aggregation
and cybersecurity will remain key
to this ongoing transformation. "
" While remote monitoring offers
broad benefits, situations requiring realtime
intervention may necessitate local
setups as a backup, as remote monitoring
is more observational than operational, "
said Hermans. " However, virtually all
scenarios can benefit from remote monitoring
for enhanced safety, efficiency,
and cost-effectiveness. The focus should
be on how remote monitoring can complement
existing systems rather than it
being a binary choice between suitability
and necessity. " ■
-Darrell Proctor is a senior associate
editor for POWER.
21
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