SSE Renewables launches digital ventures team

Digital Innovation Studios

Energy

Mobile Applications

Power Platform

Utilities

Digital Core

Creating Trust

Hyper Connected World

Future of Work

Analytics, Data and AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Read the full case study

Business Situation

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing our planet, and the need for more renewable, sustainable sources of energy has never been greater. As a leading producer and operator of renewable energy – including wind and hydroelectric – in the UK and Ireland, SSE Renewables (SSER) is helping lead the way toward a greener future. The company understands that innovation is the key to success in a competitive industry like energy.

SSER began exploring how Microsoft technologies can be used to realise its goal of creating a world where net-zero carbon emissions can be a reality. To accelerate innovation, the company launched a digital ventures team and partnered with Avanade and Microsoft with a goal to deliver solutions at speed through an exciting blend of ambition and diverse thinking.

“

I’ve not seen technology tested or deployed that quickly before. It honestly does feel as though it’s one single business, working with Avanade.

John Downes, Director of Engineering and Innovation, SSE Renewables

Solution

The first phase of our team’s engagement included multiple design-led discovery workshops to understand SSER’s various business challenges and identify pathways forward. Four use cases were selected to investigate further, and together the team built proof-of-concept (PoC) prototypes for each:

Field service health and safety application
Species and environmental monitoring tool
Hydro catchment dashboard
Hydro dashboard

Results

By putting the new solutions into practise across multiple areas of the business, SSER is poised to realise several significant benefits for its employees, the environment and its operations:

Increased safety and an improved workplace experience for SSER employees and third-party contractors
Improved insights and species monitoring efficiency will decrease the time to approval for wind farms and ensure local wildlife isn’t negatively impacted
Recovered lost hydro catchment revenue expected to total more than £10 million per year within the next five years
Additional insight into performance and efficiency of hydroelectric facilities will help increase revenue

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