Digital Twins Are Reducing Environmental Impact

Though a relatively new technology, digital twins are already being used to improve production, increase operational efficiencies, and reduce environmental impact across energy industries.

Presented by the Digital Twin Consortium's Natural Resources Working Group, the Alternative Energy Information Day will bring together technologists and energy experts in an open, two-and-a-half-hour forum. The event will explore the applicability of digital technologies, including digital twins, to the world of new energy.

Our keynote, presentations, and panels will cover the promise of twins across the energy production life cycle in oil & gas, mining & metals, clean energy, energy renewables, and so on. We will identify the commonality and differences between natural resources industries and look at ways to create sustainability and promote a circular economy with digital twins.

Agenda

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11:00am ETKeynote Address: 5 Technology Trends Needed for Digital Twins in Alternative Energy (Watch Now)

Presenter: Teresa Tung

Alternative energy will need collaboration across companies and even with grid operators, researchers, regulators. To gain a common outcome and insight, the digital twins themselves need to be federated and interoperable. We know that digital twins supported by digital technologies (like AI, IoT, Blockchain) are already helping in demand forecast, optimized market design and operation, and enabling innovative business models. In this talk we'll introduce 5 emerging technology trends -- edge, federated learning, knowledge graphs. data mesh, privacy preserving technology—that further support collaboration and interoperability.

11:20am ETDigital Twins Transform Alternative Energy Production (Watch Now)

Presenter: Bert Van Hoof, Microsoft

Transition to an economy-wide decarbonized future through a modern, equitable and resilient grid will require decentralized generation and storage of electric and thermal power. This presentation will explore the blended virtual and physical controls useful for managing new energy production and active efficiency. We will look at real-time optimization of mixed sources when managing conflicting constraints around safety, operational efficiency, and economic gain. This presentation will cover:

• Clean energy sources
• Energy storage and distribution networks
• Grid-interactive buildings and demand flexibility
• EV2G and EV2H
• Micro- and nano-grids

11:50pmDigital Twins as Remote Operations Centers (ROCs) for Alternative Energy (Watch Now)

Presenter: Pieter van Schalkwyck, XMPRO

Managing generation, storage, distribution, and demand for alternative energy sources is a complex problem that requires an integrated, model-based approach to address effectively. The challenges of alternative energy management is further complicated by the distributed, and often remote nature of the operational assets.

Composable Digital Twins in integrated Remote Operations Centers (ROCs) that focus on delivering capabilities in a model-based approach.

In this presentation Pieter will highlight the challenges of alternative energy management in practice and how ROCs built on a Composable Digital Twins approach reduce complexity, risk, cost and improve alternative energy management effectiveness and efficiency.

12:10pmThe Role of Digital Twins in Performance-Based Simulation (Watch Now)

Todd Lukesh, Gafcon

A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its lifecycle, is updated from real-time data, and uses simulation, machine learning and reasoning to help decision-making. Using physics-based virtual sensors combined with physical sensors provides more accurate predictions of asset performance. Will the performance-based digital twin help displace human intervention and Integrated Facilities Management teams?

This presentation will cover:
• Physics-based digital twin analysis
• Virtual sensors + physical sensors
• Lifecycle performance and data aggregation
• Integration of AI + ML for continuous improvement

12:30pmEnergy Transition Acceleration with Digital Twins (Watch Now)

Achalesh Pandey, GE

Will existing enterprise technology architectures work for digital twins for new energy? The future of new energy will require a high degree of agility while still ensuring interoperability across organizational boundaries. Some Digital Twins use cases may require higher level of transparency and provenance of data without compromising the trustworthiness of the solution. What is the ideal "extraprise" architecture for new energy?

This presentation will cover:
• Composable business architecture
• Solutions across organization boundaries
• Incorporate emerging technologies

12:50pmDigital Twin Transformation for the Built Environment (Watch Now)

Jade Dauser, Ernst & Young

1:10pmDigital Twins in Natural Resources Panel DiscussionModerator: Dan Isaacs, Digital Twin Consortium
1:30pmQ&A