Standardizing Data-Based Decision-Making

Mexico has proven to be an attractive hub for the development of utility-scale renewable energy projects. As several of these are scheduled to start operations throughout 2018, there will be a growing need for reliable measurement data and information focused on keeping these facilities up and running efficiently over the lifetime of the project. According to Ralph Wagner, CEO of Mexión Corporation, good groundwork and a long-term vision is required to maintain optimal power output levels over the lifetime period. “Corrective maintenance due to sustained systematical failures is primarily a result of lack of knowledge or lack of specialization,” he says. “Much of this corrective maintenance is easy to anticipate, prepare for and avoid with adequate metering solutions and insightful critical data. These can produce significant savings in unnecessary operational costs and can apply to both solar and wind technologies.”
Climatik is a commercial brand belonging to Mexican investment holding Mexion Corporation. It specializes in wind and solar resources data and information, measurement products, services and consultancy. With 10 years under its belt operating in Latin America, the company is well-versed in Mexico’s intricacies. “We distinguish ourselves through the synergy of high-end technological solutions, international quality standards, the most experienced local labor force and our profound market knowledge,” says Wagner. He adds that Mexico’s renewable energy utility-scale projects are experiencing new issues related to performance, power output and maintenance as they reach operational phase. “These can be mitigated with the appropriate metering technology in the early stages of the project,” he says. “Climatik can prepare its clients to face these potential issues and provide them much more effective results for more accurate decision-making.”
Julio Ochoa, Commercial Director of Climatik, says the company’s primary contribution lies in introducing new metering and meteorological technologies to the Mexican market and the correspondent data management and analysis to ground a solid base for tailor made decisions making. “We continuously monitor new trends and changes in the industry to offer our clients the newest products and technologies, making the energy transition easier to manage for these companies. Our solutions are designed to offer a 360-degree data and information service, from the commissioning of met masts and their equipment with the latest hard and software and their maintenance service to 24/7 monitoring, reporting and interpreting of wind and solar data.” He adds that the company assures data availability to its clients due to the professionalism and coordination between its monitoring and maintenance teams that are prepared for prevention as well as corrective interventions.
The measurement of wind and solar sources is important in the integration phase of a renewable energy project but gathered data is increasingly necessary further down the line. “We observe that more and more of our data is generated for operating projects, whose decision-makers rely on our information to optimize and protect their installations. In particular, the effects of climate change can be seen as renewable energy’s Achilles’ heel due to its uncertainty and variability,” says Wagner. “But wind and solar parks are getting smarter thanks to the design of our met mast circuits and the sensor and IoT solutions we offer in alliance with our international providers and developers.” He adds: “We are a strong ally when it comes to experience, know-how and high-end technological solutions that maximize production and minimize downtimes in the O&M phase. On one hand, Climatik provides data for real-time reaction and protects the blades by pitching them out of the gusts, increasing their lifetime significantly. On the other hand, Mexión, another Mexión Corporation company, provides inspection, rehabilitation and maintenance of wind energy blades and other composite components with the highest quality and safety standards and the most experiences blade technicians in the Mexican market.”
Reliable data turned into critical information can make working with a nonpredictable resource less challenging and it is therefore the key to success in the increasingly price-driven market, Wagner says. He points out that projections fed by historical data provide more certainty for financial or maintenance models and Climatik can deliver historic, mesoscale data of up to 30 years for some sites.