Smart Climate Hydropower Tool (SCHT)

SCHT supports hydropower suitability and production assessment. Using newly available C3S data, it will be enhanced to include seasonal forecasts of hydroelectricity production.

Engage end-users

From Design to deployment users have driven the development. 360 ° feedbacks collected through the MUF provided the framework on the service more general expectations. Enel Green Power was designed as the pilot user of the service throughout the past two years. The beta version counted on the support of two recognized scientific partners: Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) and Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI). EGP actively contributed through in person and web hosted meetings, guiding service development with specific technical and functional requirements all through the service creations phases.

Development

A technology-driven service tackling the needs of energy producers and traders with enhanced seasonal forecasts for energy production. The service combines Artificial Intelligence algorithms and cutting-edge seasonal forecasts (by Copernicus C3S) to deliver timely river discharge and subsequent producible energy. Tailored to user requirements and scalable virtually anywhere in the world, the service can offer different lead times (1 to 6 months currently) and time scales (months to days). An annual subscription mechanism with an initial setup disbursement is the setup business model, with ad-hoc packages to multinational companies, based on the number of plants covered (usage-based) to lower unit costs per plant. An initial equity injection will complement CLARA’s funding brings the starting capital invested, used to cover full-time technical professional, launch a marketing plan, and expand data-related aspects.

Value

The tool targets energy companies and supports both their day-to-day management (operations) and their market (trading) activities. The client is supported in two distinct but complementary phases: i) by optimizing energy production reducing the risks and costs associated with inefficient production; ii) by forecasting reservoir discharge and energy production/incomings in the next season. When and if applied to multiple reservoirs, SCHT also provides information about the regional and global production of a given firm.

Market

The Tool provides a value driven service, based on forecast accuracy, improvement over existing benchmark, and worldwide applicability.

What if past years decisions would have been taken with service accurate forecast Vs. actual day to day alternative (if any)? Answering this question triggers user’s willingness to pay for initial setup and annual maintenance and performance check of the forecast system.