Enhancing Sustainability Through Edge Computing
With a global focus on sustainability and environmental impact, the demand for renewable energy continues to grow. But embracing new energy sources requires new capabilities from the systems that govern production, distribution, and consumption.
For example, oil and gas producers are now applying smart oilfield technologies to reduce carbon imprint, improve efficiency, and help ensure safety. Utility companies are deploying smarter grids that help address the increased fluctuation of renewable sources and improve overall decision-making. Energy consumers are using smart building and smart city technologies to increase energy efficiency and mitigate environmental impact.
The common thread between these use cases is edge computing. Each new renewable energy source, oil well pad, or other energy asset is another data source that must be integrated into the overall platform. To capture data and enable intelligent operations, edge computing hardware is being applied to converge IT/OT systems, virtualize and consolidate workloads from fixed-function devices, and deliver the connected visibility and rapid responses that are critical to sustainability success. Because edge computing is done close to where data is collected, data processing and adjustments based on that data can occur in near-real time.
Intel works with energy producers, distributors, and consumers to help deliver the performance, reliability, and security that are required from their edge computing environments. We’re helping unlock new levels of visibility, control, and responsiveness through deep industry partnerships and powerful technological innovations.
Utilities
Utility distributors and service providers are introducing new digital services and incorporating wind, solar, and other renewal sources into the power grid. Providers are creating smart grids through virtualized automation and control technologies that are applied at the edge to digitize substations, wind turbines, microgrids, and other power production assets.
Watch Now: A More Intelligent Utility Grid
Utilities Success Stories
Southern California Edison Deploys Substation Automation and Control Virtualization
Learn how Southern California Edison (SCE) modernized their grid operations through a collaboration with Intel.
Iberdrola Drives a New Digital Platform for Secondary Substations
Iberdrola, one of the world’s largest electricity utilities, joined forces with Intel and other industry partners to develop a new, digital secondary substation platform that uses virtualization and intelligent edge computing to bring greater flexibility and efficiency to existing power grids.
Explore Utilities Solutions
Learn about Intel® IoT technologies and other solutions for transforming your operations, including grid modernization.
Smart Grid Technology
Utilities are creating smart grids that employ digital controls, automated monitoring, and analytics, all running on Intel® architecture.
Microgrid Energy
Microgrids provide access to clean, alternative energy sources while improving the long-term viability of the regional electric grid.
Substation Automation and Control
Upgrading electrical substations with smart technology running on Intel-based ruggedized servers enables automation and control that make power grids reliable and efficient.
Virtual Protection Relay
Learn more about virtual protection relay, a paradigm shift in power system protection.
Oil and Gas
The oil and gas industry is undergoing a rapid transformation. Providers are aggressively reducing their carbon footprints while employing more-sustainable practices. As economies gradually transition from a “petrostate” to an “electrostate”, oil and gas leaders are leveraging edge computing and energy IoT technology to improve operational performance and reduce costs.
Digital oil fields are marrying digital technology with process management to automate workflows and maximize productivity. Providers are also retrofitting other production assets to create “intelligent well pads” and other solutions to optimize production while increasing safety and reducing environmental exposure.
Oil and Gas Industry Case Studies
Transforming Onshore Operations with ExxonMobil
Intel and ExxonMobil collaboratively developed a Universal Wellpad Controller to enable oil and gas organizations to manage and scale their field automation more efficiently and cost-effectively.
Modernizing Oil and Gas IT Infrastructure with Red Hat
Red Hat and Intel combine leading microprocessor and open source technologies to protect the distributed, remote, and virtualized edge systems required for energy transition in oil and gas.
Explore Oil and Gas Industry Solutions
Intel-powered solutions are giving oil and gas companies more flexibility and greater control over operations with fully interoperable and scalable solutions from edge to cloud.
Digital Oil Fields Solutions
Oil and gas operators are combining process management with digital technology to automate workflows, reduce costs, and boost productivity.
Intelligent Wellpad Control
Developed in collaboration with ExxonMobil, the Universal Wellpad Controller (UWC) is a powerful edge control device for the oil and gas industry. It automates the monitoring and control of onshore production wells and production fields, driving flexibility and cost savings.
Energy Transition to Renewability and Carbon Neutrality
From green data centers and carbon-aware energy systems to electronic vehicle charging infrastructure and Sustainability as a Service offerings, energy consumers are seeking to increase efficiency, improve visibility into usage, and manage their overall environmental impact.
Smart buildings and smart cities employ edge systems to better understand their emissions, control their energy usage, and reduce costs. Transportation is becoming increasingly reliant on electricity as opposed to fossil fuels, and demand for flexible, reliable, and connected charging stations is emerging alongside the switch. And as many individuals and businesses begin to offset their energy consumption by becoming energy producers through adoption of technologies such as solar panels, they’re finding opportunities to provide excess energy back to the grid.
In collaboration with our partners, Intel applies edge computing expertise to help meet the wide-ranging demand for renewable energy sources and carbon neutrality. We’re helping drive both the hardware- and software-based renewable energy technologies that make energy transition possible.
Customer Spotlight: Goldwind SE Uses Data to Improve Efficiency
Goldwind SE combined deep learning and machine learning with data from turbine-level weather forecasting and wind trajectory simulation to develop an innovative, ultrarefined smart power prediction solution with high performance and accuracy.
Intel’s Commitment to Sustainability
Intel® IoT and smart energy solutions are helping energy providers transform their environments. Integrated energy providers are collaborating with Intel and our partners to build carbon-neutral data centers, optimize operations, and enable new services. Oil and gas producers are using Intel® technology to reduce their carbon footprints while maximizing production.
Intel is committed to working with its partners and customers to create a more responsible, inclusive, and sustainable world. From championing emissions reductions in the semiconductor industry to pursuing carbon-neutral computing, Intel continues to raise the bar for itself and other industry leaders.
Intel Partner Solutions
Intel collaborates with a vibrant ecosystem of leading technology partners to develop secure, integrated, deployment-ready solutions.
Intel® IoT RFP Ready Kits
Accelerate time to market and reduce complexity of energy loT solutions with field-tested and integrated technology bundles that address common energy IoT use cases.
Intel® IoT Market Ready Solutions
Reduce the time to value of your smart energy projects with end-to-end IoT solutions optimized for data-intensive workloads and a range of smart energy applications.
Intel® Solutions and Technologies for Energy
Intel is helping energy providers adapt and innovate as they adopt data-driven practices and processes.
Industrial PCs
Meet demanding requirements with industrial PCs (IPCs) built on Intel® architecture. IPCs can withstand harsh environments while delivering high performance and compatibility.
Intel® Edge Software Hub
Fast-track edge computing applications that increase visibility and enhance energy management with our preconfigured reference implementations.
Ready to Collaborate?
Let’s work together to develop the next innovative, transformative, energy solution.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
What is smart energy in IoT?
IoT smart energy refers to energy production and delivery that employ IoT-enabled sensors, devices, and analytics to enable operational insights, dynamically manage assets, and reduce maintenance and transmission costs.
What is a microgrid?
A microgrid is a decentralized energy system that typically serves a discrete community (e.g., a campus, hospital, or neighborhood) and also connects to the traditional power grid. Microgrids often incorporate disparate power sources like solar panels, wind turbines, and generators.
What is a smart grid?
A smart grid is an electrical power network that incorporates data and analytics to reduce costs and improve performance and reliability. Smart grids allow consumers to access their usage data to reduce power consumption and costs.
What is renewable energy?
Sometimes referred to as clean energy, renewable energy is power derived from natural, replenishable sources. Common carbon-neutral sources include sunlight, wind power, and geothermal heat. Intel® technologies help enable renewable energy solutions for business and home use.
What are smart utilities?
Smart utilities are utility providers that use IoT-connected sensors and analytics to deliver services more efficiently and cost-effectively. Smart utilities leverage digital capabilities to dynamically optimize multiple power sources and provide a broader range of customer services.