Solar power for the generation, storage and re-use of energy is one hot topic at the moment. Along with other renewable technologies the planned move to a clean power economy by countries like the USA and China has to be embraced and applauded.
What will be needed in this drive, though, is new/enhanced infrastructure, new asset investment, projects and programs of work to develop and implement all of the new equipment needed.
Such was the challenge facing Torresol Energy a few years ago.
Torresol, one of the world’s leading developers of concentrated solar power, needed an enterprise application that would cover the full lifecycle from plant design through engineering, procurement, construction plus operation and maintenance.
They chose IFS Applications as Alberto Vazquez, Torresol’s Manager of Planning and Cost Control, explains in an IFS video presentation:
“We spent several months looking at software before deciding that an ERP solution (from IFS) would give us the standardized processes we needed”
Torresol Energy chose IFS Applications because it is a single integrated system, modular from the ground up to make it easy to add new capabilities quickly as they need them. Currently Torresol is using IFS Applications for financial and project management, document control plus asset maintenance and supply chain management.
The solar energy plant that Torresol built and operates was the first commercial facility to generate electricity with solar power technology using a central tower receiver and heliostat field (pictured above), and a molten salt heat storage system. Vazquez further notes:
“That IFS Applications supports operations and maintenance, following project management of development, construction and commissioning, was the big difference for us”
Putting all project data into one system during design and engineering ensures good information management and quality plus makes the transition to operations smoother. Vazquez also notes:
“Anyone needing the information knows where to search for it” in light of the standardization that IFS offers, they examined their business processes and the implementation of the new business application “has brought clarity to their processes and made us more agile”
In the energy and utility industry, optimized asset management plus full project lifecycle management, fulfilling regulatory financial reporting requirements, is the minimum for a solid enterprise foundation. Having all of that functionality within one solution, one version of the truth, will provide enormous benefits to the organization.
An accompanying written case study to the video describes the measurable benefits Torresol has gained from their implementation of IFS Applications:
- More agile operations
- Clearer operational and business processed
- Complete control of all aspects of its projects
- Enhanced information management and quality
- Easy access to documentation
- Greater business transparency
Watch Alberto Vazquez’s story and see how Torresol’s newly-constructed facilities in Spain are helping to build a renewables foundation for the country’s power generation needs.
- Get the complete story: read the Torresol Energy case study (PDF).
kwhenergia
Morocco city’s electricity by 2020 from renewables. It is also hoped that the city will be able to export the spare electricity to Europe.