Heilongjiang Junhe Building Materials Technology Co., Ltd , https://www.junhejiancai.com
In the power information industry, big data has emerged as one of the most frequently discussed topics in recent years. In 2013, media outlets even labeled it as one of the hottest fields in the electricity sector. With the continuous growth of total power data and the rapid expansion of digital systems, the era of power big data has officially arrived. Sub-sectors such as power grids, generation, transmission, distribution, and supply have all begun to explore the potential of big data. However, the industry is still in its early development stage. The key challenge for power companies is how to efficiently extract valuable insights from massive data, process it effectively, and turn it into actionable intelligence.
Over the past few years, the State Grid Corporation and China Southern Power Grid have significantly increased their investments in infrastructure, including power lines and substations. These investments have focused on building regional and provincial backbone grids, as well as improving distribution and rural power networks. As a result, informatization has become a crucial driver, leading to the emergence of a large and growing power information market.
During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, China's investment in power informatization steadily increased. According to a report titled "2011-2015 China Power Informatization Industry Market Situation and Analysis of Upstream and Downstream Industry Relationships," the 2013 investment reached 28.801 billion yuan, representing a 15.3% year-on-year increase. It is expected that this year’s investment will reach 33.611 billion yuan. As power construction continues to be supported by informatization, the scale of data carried by the power system is growing rapidly, creating new opportunities and challenges.
Today, the power industry faces more than just data collection and storage. The real challenge lies in leveraging quantitative and statistical information around the data to uncover deeper insights. Big data can analyze business operations, convert raw data into useful information, and enable better control over business processes.
Compared to other industries, the power sector possesses richer big data resources, but processing these massive datasets is also more complex. According to Liu Jianming, General Manager of State Grid Information and Communications Co., Ltd., power big data can be categorized into three main types: production data (such as power generation and voltage stability), operational data (including transaction prices, electricity sales, and customer information), and management data (such as ERP systems, integrated platforms, and office collaboration tools). Additionally, smart grid-related services are generating even more data, posing significant challenges for the security and maintenance capabilities of power enterprises.
By fully utilizing actual data from the power grid and conducting in-depth analysis, power companies can offer high-value-added services. These services can enhance grid security, support disaster early warning and response, improve power dispatching decisions, enable more accurate demand forecasting, conduct customer behavior analysis, and promote fine-tuned operational management. This leads to more scientific demand-side management.
For example, Danish wind energy giant VESTAS combines global weather data with its own generator data. By analyzing factors such as temperature, pressure, humidity, wind direction, and speed, along with historical data, the company uses supercomputers and big data models to optimize turbine placement, maximizing energy output and reducing costs.
At the China State Grid ICT data center in Yizhuang, Beijing, there are 10,200 sensors collecting real-time data, storing it in the cloud, and using it for analysis and decision-making. Experts suggest that every 10% increase in the utilization of power big data could lead to a 20% to 49% increase in grid profitability.