Net Zero Beat: Smoothing the energy transition

Renewable electricity capacity has seen record growth in recent years. However, transitioning to cleaner energy systems or scaling up existing ones is a complex undertaking for power producers. So, what’s the secret to success? Process automation, of course.

But implementation won’t be a cinch for the power generation sector.

Wind turbines, solar arrays, lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen electrolyzers and hydroelectric power all use a wide variety of automation software and technologies. As renewable portfolios grow, the number of applied technologies will multiply, increasing learning curves and adding complexity to operations as solutions from different vendors require additional integration.

Emerson is aiming to smooth the transition through a single set of purpose-built software and solutions that supports different technologies in one standardized, intuitive system. The Ovation Green portfolio is designed to help power generation companies meet the needs of customers navigating the transition to green energy generation and storage.

By uniting the recently acquired Mita-Teknik software and technology with its own Ovation automation platform, renewable energy knowledge base, cybersecurity solutions and remote management capabilities, Emerson has created a new extension of its power-based control architecture, the company said in an announcement. The resulting portfolio focuses on the emerging clean energy market to provide simplified renewables automation to help power producers build and scale sustainable operations.

“Countries around the globe are focused on transitioning to a clean energy economy in the coming decades, and while green energy is a simple concept everyone understands, the road to implementation is not always clear,” said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson’s power and water solutions. “With the Ovation Green portfolio, our software, support and solutions are unified in one system from a single trusted provider to help power producers more quickly, easily and reliably manage their renewable electricity operations.”

Full access to real-time and historical operations information empowers owners and operators with greater visibility and control of all renewable assets across the enterprise. Through an integrated portfolio of data-driven asset control and management solutions, Ovation Green technologies are designed to provide secure, standardized access to data, independent of equipment manufacturer or system type, across a single or multiple sites.

By gathering, collating and contextualizing vast amounts of data created by renewable generation and storage assets, Emerson’s Ovation Green portfolio provides a clear view of renewable operations in a seamless space. The company said the portfolio “will empower actionable intelligence from a unified platform to drive faster, more informed decisions to increase availability and production while reducing operations and maintenance costs.”