Voith — Digitalization of Hydropower Production

In close collaboration with Voith, a globally operating technology conglomerate, we have developed and brought to market Hydro Pocket – a comprehensive IoT application for the digitalization of small hydroelectric power plants. With this all-in-one solution, power plant operators can leverage the benefits of digitalization while simultaneously enhancing their role as a renewable energy source. The system-agnostic approach of Hydro Pocket marks a groundbreaking milestone in Voith's digitalization strategy, allowing the company to introduce, scale, and operate the application worldwide independently of manufacturers.

The Challenge: Expand Existing Hardware with Digital Functions

Small and medium-sized hydropower plants have been integral to the renewable energy mix for decades, providing consistent energy production for stable local power supplies. However, to fully integrate these smaller plants into the future smart grids and unlock their maximum potential in terms of availability and power generation, a digital transformation is essential. The challenge is to upgrade existing hardware with digital functionalities, enabling the more efficient operation of numerous smaller, previously non-digitalized power plants.

 

The Results: A Scalable IoT Solution

Hydro Pocket enables small and medium-sized power plant operators to benefit from digitalization and enhance the efficiency of their facilities. The solution not only addresses the growing need for data storage and processing but also optimizes plant efficiency while simultaneously reducing operational and maintenance costs.

A Scalable Hydropower Monitoring System

The system serves not only users of Voith turbines but also those operating turbines from other manufacturers. This system-agnostic approach was key to effectively scaling the solution.

Live Data Access - Secure by Design

Hydro Pocket empowers users to swiftly gain operational insights - anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Our certified development process ensures the highest level of security, eliminating the weaknesses and vulnerabilities commonly associated with remote access software.

Customer-Centric Dashboard

This dashboard represents the essence of user-centric design, carefully tailored to address unique requirements. It monitors performance, analyses data in real-time, and transforms data into actionable insights.

Our Approach

  1. Explore & Understand
    Through discovery research, UI/UX development, prototype development and testing, business modeling, and extensive market research, we address all aspects of product creation and market fit.
  2. Design & Build
    Setup of an integrated and agile Experience and Tech Development team, which has organized and implemented operations, research, and further development in the early phase of product development.
  3. Implement & Scale
    Development and implementation of a go-to-market strategy, including a multi-channel B2B marketing approach. Iterative advancement of the product to higher version numbers through a parallel 'Design & Build' stream.

Drives For Success

  • Comprehensive view for aligning business and market perspectives
  • Harmonizing strategies with organizational objectives
  • Continual refinement and adaptation through iterative methods
  • Collaborative problem-solving via integrated teams 

This project really highlights Ray Sono's greatest strengths: the interplay of market research, digital consulting, customer experience, technical implementation, and operational management.

Sebastian Krüger, Member of the Executive Board, Ray Sono

Project Facts

You want to learn more about Ray Sono? Get in touch!

You want to learn more about Ray Sono? Get in touch!

Florian von Fraunberg
Division Lead Business Development & Account Management
Munich
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