Helen Sähköverkko Oy
Helen Sähköverkko Oy improves the reliability of its power grid with AVEVA PI System
Helen Sähköverkko Oy, Finland's third-largest electricity distribution network operator and a subsidiary of the Helen group owned by the City of Helsinki, needed to guarantee an uninterrupted power supply despite often extreme winter conditions. In 2011, the need to enrich information from SCADA became clear, leading the operator to replace an in-house energy management system historian with AVEVA PI System. The platform far exceeded the initial objective: beyond greater visibility into SCADA measurements, it streamlined operations and significantly improved IT integration across the company. Deployment was particularly fast, with software installation completed in three days and operator training wrapped up in one day. Measured data is now readily available and linked to asset components, saving time and money every day.
Testimonials
FAQ
How does AVEVA PI System enrich a grid operator's SCADA data?
SCADA collects real-time measurements but neither contextualizes this data nor retains it over the long term with the granularity needed for analysis. AVEVA PI System complements SCADA by historizing measurements at high resolution, associating them with asset components and making them accessible to IT, planning and operations teams. At Helen Sähköverkko, Finland's third-largest grid operator, this SCADA + PI System combination turned data management into an everyday operational tool that exceeded initial expectations.
What is the typical deployment time for AVEVA PI System at an electricity operator?
Helen Sähköverkko's experience is telling: the software was installed in three days, and operator training was completed in a single day. This rapid deployment contrasts with traditional data integration projects that stretch over months. AVEVA PI System has standardized interfaces to the main SCADA and energy management systems, which significantly speeds up commissioning. For a grid operator, this means an almost immediate return on investment and minimal disruption to operating teams.
Why replace a proprietary EMS historian with AVEVA PI System?
Historians built into energy management systems (EMS) are often limited in capacity, performance and openness to other applications. AVEVA PI System offers a dedicated platform capable of handling very large volumes of data, contextualizing them through an asset structure and exposing them to all business applications. Helen Sähköverkko thus gained not only visibility into SCADA measurements, but also overall IT integration and long-term analysis capabilities, which are essential to an electricity operator's digital transformation.
How can a reliable power supply be ensured in extreme winter conditions?
The reliability of a power grid in a harsh climate depends on early anomaly detection and preventive maintenance. AVEVA PI System continuously collects data from all of Helen Sähköverkko's critical assets and correlates it with outdoor conditions. Teams quickly identify at-risk components, plan interventions and anticipate failures. This data-driven approach is a standard in the Nordic utilities sector, where service continuity is non-negotiable in temperatures that can drop far below zero.
What operational gains does IT/OT integration through PI System deliver?
Helen Sähköverkko found that PI System far exceeded its initial objective: beyond SCADA visibility, the solution streamlined operations and significantly improved IT integration. Measured data is linked to asset components, saving time and expense in planning, development and operations. This IT/OT convergence is now a pillar of industrial performance for electricity operators, turning raw data into value-added business decisions.