P10
Today, leak detection is done using drone overflights when an abnormal increase in water loss is detected in a certain area. In addition to being a cost-intensive solution, drone overflights also require cold weather to be able to locate bursts, which presents obvious challenges during the summer months. AVA usually experiences many bursts during this period, because the entire distribution network is cooled down for summer operations. The objective is therefore to find out if the same bursts can be detected using smart meter data and Heat Intelligence – maybe even faster. The potential results would primarily be savings in terms of costs for drone overflights and of course less water loss. Additionally, AVA would avoid the costly mending of consequential damage from district heating water leaking in both private homes and in the distribution network, including digging and restoration of roads, urban areas etc. Also, increased knowledge about the actual condition of the network could prove extremely valuable when used strategically in maintenance planning and to ensure full utilisation of the lifetime of the pipes in the existing network. “We have already seen significant benefits in the areas of billing and meter administration, but operations optimisation is another key area for us. We believe there is value to be found here, but this project allows us to get really specific about exactly what it is that we can do differently and, most importantly, clarify the savings it will deliver” – Lasse Sørensen, Department Manager, Business Development, AVA.
Digitalisation can deliver significant value by creating transparency in a system that is only becoming increasingly complex on the way to 4th generation district heating.
INDISPUTABLE POTENTIAL Market analytics company Ennova recently performed a study demonstrating the value of the potential in digitalised district heating. Based on in-depth interviews with 10 Danish utilities about their experiences with remote reading of meters, the study revealed potential savings in first and foremost operational efficiency, but also in infrastructure investments, administration, customer service and energy consumption. In total, this amounted to an efficiency potential of 30 times the cost of going from basic meter reading to frequent and intelligent meter reading estimated at an additional cost of EUR 8 per year per connected customer. A PROVEN BUSINESS CASE There is no shortage of digital tools promising to enable utilities to exploit the potential of data-driven operations optimisation. However, these tools often end up requiring lots of time and resources without generating real value. Actual value only comes when digitalisation produces concrete changes in a utility’s daily operations. The challenge is to quantify the value of making those changes, so utilities know their investment is worth not just their money but also their time. Consequently, going from acknowledging the potential to actually doing something differently than today calls for a proven business case. This requires technology providers to work more closely with utility experts who possess the detailed knowledge about their network and operational challenges to verify the value of a potential change. That is exactly what Kamstrup is doing together with the heating utility of Denmark’s second largest city AffaldVarme Aarhus (AVA), who completed the implementation of their 57,000 hourly-read smart meters in 2017. LEAK DETECTION IN NUMBERS In connection with the launch and further development of the analytics tool Heat Intelligence, a collaboration with AVA aims to establish detailed business cases for specific areas expected to hold financial value that could be unlocked using this tool. The first area is analysis of service pipes and mains for the purpose of detecting bursts and leaks.
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