Supporting the adoption of state-of-the-art solutions

Replacing generating sets

Spanning the production of green hydrogen-based fuels and their use in our off-grid systems, the ACHE²TE project aims to replace the generating sets used in these systems with more efficient electrical systems that are powered by a variety of carbon-neutral fuels. As part of the project, we delivered a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) prototype that runs on liquid fuel and has less than 1 kW of power. We plan to operate a demo device before deploying the technology in off-grid systems.

Fostering power system flexibility

The major shift underway in the energy sector is affecting our customers’ consumption habits—and our project on Québec’s energy culture seeks to pinpoint just what determines energy use. So far, we’ve surveyed energy use by young families, the factors that promote or hinder efficiency routines, and energy flexibility in Québec households. We also studied the energy maturity of Québec’s SMEs, specifically their ability to factor energy efficiency into their operations management and strategic planning practices.

Developing a decarbonization ’compass’

To support efficient electrification, we come up with solutions that encourage customers to adopt technologies with the lowest possible impact on electricity demand and the grid. A true “energy compass,” the decarbonization modeling tool currently being developed maps out possible pathways to decarbonization and uses technical-economic analysis to point to the best solution. In 2022, our teams focused on identifying the decarbonization pathways of major GHG emitters in Québec’s industrial sector.

Optimizing generating equipment performance and service life

Researchers in the THAUR project, which studies the real-world use of hydraulic turbines, are developing operations and output-planning tools and practices that take turbine wear and tear into account. A further goal is adapting supply and maintenance specifications to the characteristics of each turbine. In 2022, their work led to the design of a tool for detecting manufacturing defects in turbines.

Recommendations were issued on the operation and maintenance of new turbines at Robert-Bourassa generating station following the team’s probabilistic technical and economic analysis, which was based on the findings accrued to date. The impact of changes to the operating strategy for the plant’s new generating units were qualified using the ATHENA simulator, another THAUR project offshoot.

Assessing the impact of mass adoption of new technologies

The energy system of the future will combine artificial intelligence, connectivity, advanced features and distributed energy resources. To fully understand these changes, we are developing a simulation and decision-support tool known as SCENARIO. The tool can assess how phenomena like the mass adoption of new technologies or changes that could impact energy consumption behaviors affect the grid. In 2022, calculation models to predict the impact on the distribution system of dynamic rates, such as Rate Flex D, were integrated into the prototype.

Inspecting underground lines safely

The APPRANTI project applies real-time thermographic diagnostics to underground work on the distribution system. The project helps field crews safely and efficiently inspect underground lines by using thermal imaging to automatically detect characterize or categorize heat patterns based on the electrical component in question. Almost the whole vehicle fleet is now equipped with this technology.

The project made an impact at the Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD) Conference, a major international event where leading universities and companies showcase their advances in artificial intelligence. In 2022, just 254 of the 1,695 articles submitted were selected—and the APPRANTI project presentation was one of them!