Sustainability Projects
Innovation Management 2022
Innovation is key to securing a company’s future. It directly correlates to business advancement, contributes to continuous development, and creates sustainability. Beyond just creating new products, the use of innovative methods and technology also maximizes company value and improves operational efficiency.
As EGCO Group looks ahead for new business opportunities and areas of growth, we recognize the importance of creating innovations to drive the organization towards sustainability and stay competitive in today’s dynamic landscape where advances in technology continue to transform the energy sector. As such, in addition to our collaborative efforts with business partners to create and further expand new innovations, we initiated the “EGCO Group INNERGY: Driving Sustainable Innovations from Within,” an open innovation competition to be a platform for inspiration and discover outstanding ideas that generate value for the company.
Photo taken during the Open Innovation Project at EGCO Group (1)
Photo taken during the Open Innovation Project at EGCO Group (2)
Measuring Solar Panel Efficiency through Project Management Information System (PMIS)
A power plant’s solar performance and efficiency is typically determined based on an overall system average, assuming all the plant’s solar panels are operating at the same level of efficiency. However, it is important to note that rates of degradation, and therefore efficiency levels, may differ across solar panels, making it difficult to pinpoint which and how much a panel has actually degraded.
As a solution, EGCO Group’s Power Plant Management Division developed a new method to more accurately measure solar panel efficiency: the solar panels are categorized into either Strings or Inverters, and efficiency is then calculated for each group separately. This method expedites the identification of solar panels with issues and aids in the repairing, cleaning, and testing processes that follow. Each solar panel is also connected to the Project Management Information System (PMIS), which allows for continuous performance monitoring and real-time data analysis.
Currently, SPP 4 Power Plant, which operates under EGCO Group’s umbrella, has implemented this new method in measuring solar panel efficiency.
Benefits of the Project
- Increased the power plant’s solar panel efficiency
- Increased solar energy output, resulting in increased revenue for the power plant
- Reduced solar panel inspection and maintenance times
Implementation Approach
- Categorize solar panels into String or Inverter groups
- Connect Inverter display output to the PMIS to aid in monitoring performance
2022 Performance
Accelerate project development time to market from
5 years to 2 years.
Revenue generated from solar panel maintenance services has witnessed a significant increase from six times higher rate of detecting degraded solar panels, ranging from
1,400,000 to 10,200,2000 THB, depending on the number of services provided.
The time allocated for inspection and maintenance procedures was significantly reduced by
the improvements made in measuring and using PMIS to display real-time data on solar panel efficiency.
Enhance the efficiency of power plants that depend on solar energy by a notable range of
2.5% to 17.5%.
EV Load Demand Management (EV-LDM): A Platform for Managing Electricity Demands from Electric Vehicles
The transition towards a low-carbon society has driven the demand for electric vehicles (EV) in Thailand. The trend is reflected in the National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee’s targets for EV adoption, which are set at 440,000 passenger cars and pickup trucks, 650,000 motorcycles, and 33,000 buses and trucks by 2030. Nonetheless, as more people switch to zero-emission mobility, the rapid surge in EV usage that ensued has led to changes in electricity consumption patterns. Increases in demand for electricity needed to charge these vehicles, in particular, can potentially affect grid reliability and increase costs for consumers during peak load periods.
To address this issue, EGCO Group developed the Electric Vehicle Load Demand Management (EV-LDM) platform. Engineered to manage the timing and quantity of electricity delivered to charging EVs, the platform is able to control costs and maintain the reliability of the electric grid system. The following components make up the EV-LDM Platform:
- EV-LDM Platform
- EV Communication Box
- Transformer Communication Box
- Smart EV Charger
Benefits of the Project
- Improved energy efficiency and grid reliability, especially during peak load periods
- Generated revenue from the installation of EV charging stations and EV-LDM platforms
- Advanced the technology in energy management between power plants and consumers
Implementation Approach
- Install EV charging stations together with EV-LDM to promote cost-effective electricity usage while maintaining grid reliability.
2022 Performance
The innovation process is condensed from
24 months to 6 month by leveraging insights and resources from EGCO as utility producer, which accelerate project development time to market within 1 years.
Generated
100 million THB in revenue from EV charging stations and EV-LDM platforms.
Employees have been trained in the technological application of the
EV-LDM platform as part of their job responsibilities.
Decreased peak electricity demand by
70 megawatts or 20% of the peak demand due to regulated timing and amount of charging to electric vehicle Increase grid reliability by 50%, particularly during peak load periods.
Co-bot Operator: An Artificial Intelligence (AI) Monitoring System
Day-to-day operations and activities within a power plant, whether they are scheduled inspections and maintenance or rare occasions when unusual incidents occur, pose an inherent risk to employees due to possibility of accidents, exposure to hazardous chemicals, or high-pressure steam leakages. In addition, given the time and effort it takes to complete a power plant inspection, a large number of personnel is required to be involved each time. To mitigate such risks and reduce time and manpower spent during normal operations and for certain activities, EGCO Group relies on the use of technology in power plants and industrial factories with higher levels of risk.
Our artificial intelligence technology has functionalities in measuring temperature, pressure, vibrations, and noise levels, as well as thermo-scanning pipes and equipment and subsequently storing the information in a database system. The AI machines can perform data analysis through benchmarking methods and will send an alert, via a monitoring application, to the human operator if the measured value exceeds or falls behind a set threshold. They are also programmed to avoid or stop operations altogether when encountering obstacles.
We plan to develop robot and machine-selling and rental as a business, targeting customers in industries with high-risk working conditions, such as power plants, petrochemicals, and industrial factories. Services including system installation, application development, maintenance, repairs, and other related after-sales support will be provided as part of the business model.
Benefits of the Project
- Drove the business development of artificial intelligence technology usage.
- Lowered worker risks during machinery inspections when abnormal incidents occur.
- Reduced time required for scheduled inspection and maintenance of machinery.
Implementation Approach
- Use artificial intelligence technology to work together with human operators in inspecting machines and equipment during operations, enabling measurements of temperature, pressure, vibrations, and noise levels, to be taken as well as thermo-scanning of pipes and equipment and subsequent storage of the information in a database system
2022 Performance
Generated
11,750,000 THB in revenue from business opportunities in Co-bot Operator sales and/or rentals
Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Platform
As the world moves toward a lower-carbon economy, EGCO Group continues to drive business development towards sustainability and align itself with the evolving dynamics of the power industry. We remain committed to our principles of sustainability, as evident in a number of our initiatives that have always supported opportunities in energy innovation and technology that create utilities for the electricity business.
In line with our philosophy, Solarco Power Plant developed the Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Platform to facilitate the trade of surplus energy between prosumers and consumers through a mobile application, with EGCO Group as the service provider of the electricity trading network.
Aspects of the technology employed in the Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Platform worth highlighting include:
- Blockchain technology is utilized for real-time data storage.
- Smart contracts, as predefined by the service platform provider, with a specific pricing mechanism agreed upon by both buyer and seller.
- Capabilities in invoicing and expense collection from the energy transaction via the platform.
Benefits of the Project
- Drove the development of an emerging business in what will become a decentralized energy center in the future.
- Promoted expansion of the clean energy market within the country.
Implementation Approach
- Prototype and test the trading of excess or surplus energy between prosumers and consumers.
2022 Performance
Generate approximately
102,600,000 THB in revenue for 100 prosumers from electricity trading through the Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Platform