RGE, a distributor of the CPFL Energia group in Rio Grande do Sul, announced that it has invested R$6,5 million in R&D (Research and Development) projects at UFSM (Federal University of Santa Maria). According to the company, the goal is to ensure better energy management at the university and also in the daily lives of customers. In total, three of the five programs that were being developed in partnership since 2016 have already been completed.
One of the completed initiatives was a management system for managing electricity generated and consumed at UFSM, creating the concept of “Smart Campus”. With a contribution of R$1 million, it will be able to have real-time monitoring of its consumption and will control public lighting via remote control.
Furthermore, you will be able to make better use of the photovoltaic solar plant installed in 2018 and have more efficient management of internal air conditioning and lighting systems. With this, the estimate is that there will be savings of R$150 thousand per year in electricity costs.
“We always look ahead, seeking the best technological and innovative solutions for business development, focused on the customer. And having this in partnership with the academic and research field is a source of pride for CPFL Energia”, stated Rafael Moya, Innovation and Transformation manager at CPFL Energia.
According to the company, another completed project was a computational intelligence platform for real-time operation of power grids, with a focus on rural regions. This technology, which received an investment of R$2,97 million, allows for faster detection and restoration of power outages, reducing loss rates, improving the quality of supply to consumers and ensuring more efficient operations.
According to the distributor, this program contributed to the setting up of a laboratory to test the solutions developed, on the UFSM campus, adding smart energy meters, reclosers and capacitor banks.
The other completed project, called “Dynamic Operations Planning”, was designed to optimize the dispatches of the distributor's field teams and included an investment of R$1 million.
The use of technology allows for better planning of the services to be performed, making work more agile, considering criticality, travel time and activity and number of customers affected.
Investments in R&D and sustainability
CPFL Energia invested R$236,9 million in 2020 in R&D and energy efficiency programs regulated by ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency). In Research and Development, the investment was R$72,9 million in 48 projects that develop technologies and innovations. These investments are part of CPFL Energia's sustainability plan, which foresees the application, by 2024, of more than R$1,8 billion to drive the transition to a cleaner and more renewable form of energy.
