4 May 2022

ONYX Insight and Pattern Energy roll out AI Hub across 4.2GW North American wind fleet

ONYX Insight, a digital and engineering solutions provider driving the future of renewable energy, has partnered with Pattern Energy to take advantage of the latest advances in digital technology to boost operational efficiency across its 4.2 GW North American wind portfolio.

Building on their long-standing relationship, the partnership sees ONYX Insight provide its new AI HUB advanced analytics platform. The new software provides Pattern Energy with a comprehensive solution that brings its component health monitoring data into one place under an efficient, scalable case management system, and provides access to drivetrain and blade inspection analytics, as well as SCADA-based lost energy analytics.

A key benefit of AI HUB is enabling a consolidation of disparate historical data from multiple sources in a single centralised software. Pattern Energy has used AI HUB to bring together and standardise all of its drone inspection data – having previously needed to use four separate portals for its blade drone photos – empowering Pattern Energy engineers to identify fleet-wide trends and optimise repair plans.

The wind sector can improve productivity by helping engineering and site teams to collaborate more easily and effectively. As part of its digital transformation, Pattern Energy expands its capabilities with AI HUB’s case management system, which centralises O&M issue management for easier tracking, planning, and communication, while automating labor-intensive, unproductive case tracking functions to free up resources.

Zhiwei zhang — Zhiwei Zhang, Chief Commercial Officer, ONYX Insight.

Ben Rice, Director of Operations Engineering, Pattern Energy, explains:

“Managing a large portfolio efficiently to deliver value for our customers requires us to use the latest advances in digital technology. Whether quickly identifying and resolving emerging issues, maintaining clear lines of communication across the business, or removing data silos, AI HUB enables us to view this disparate data in one place, and prioritise cases effectively with our sites, optimising workflow significantly.”

Existing predictive maintenance software platforms are increasingly unable to keep pace with complex, hybrid approaches to O&M since they require focusing on datasets of similar natures – requiring operators to rely on multiple software platforms simultaneously, and placing the most powerful insights out of reach.

“To drive down the cost of energy production, the wind industry needs integrated and automated tools to enable them to efficiently manage and maintain a multi-GW fleet with minimum expert intervention.

This partnership with Pattern Energy has shown what a strategic programme of digital transformation can deliver: cost-efficiency, analytical depth, and maintenance foresight. We look forward to continuing to support Pattern on its digital transformation journey, and to rolling out the technology across the wind industry to support the sector’s growth at this critical period for renewable energy.”

said Zhiwei Zhang, Chief Commercial Officer, ONYX Insight.