Industry 4.0 Contribution to Asset Management in the Electrical Industry

Abstract

Industry 4.0 has revolutionized paradigms by leading to major technological developments in several sectors, including the energy sector. Aging equipment fleets and changing demand are challenges facing electricity companies. Forced to limit resources, these organizations must question their method and the current model of asset management (AM). The objective of this article is to detail how industry 4.0 can improve the AM of electrical networks from a global point of view. To do so, the industry 4.0 tools will be presented, as well as a review of the literature on their application and benefits in this area. From the literature review conducted, we observe that once properly structured and managed, big data forms the basis for the implementation of advanced tools and technologies in electrical networks. The data generated by smart grids and data compiled for several years in electrical networks have the characteristics of big data. Therefore, it leaves room for a multitude of possibilities for comprehensive analysis and highly relevant information. Several tools and technologies, such as modeling, simulation as well as the use of algorithms and IoT, combined with big data analysis, leads to innovations that serve a common goal. They facilitate the control of reliability-related risks, maximize the performance of assets, and optimize the intervention frequency. Consequently, they minimize the use of resources by helping decision-making processes.