| Title | Eyes Inside Geothermal Plants with Internet of Things |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elizabeth Gakunga |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | Geothermal, Internet of Things (IoT), Predictive maintenance, Operational efficiency, |
| Abstract | Incorporating the Internet of Things (IoT) into geothermal energy production presents an ingenious step toward enhancing operational excellence, heightened environmental safety, and predictive maintenance. Through intelligent embedded sensors and robust connectivity solutions like LoRaWANs, IoT platforms automate critical data acquisition to enable real-time, centralized remote monitoring, diagnostics, and control of geothermal assets. Thereby expanding operational visibility, slashing operating expenses (OPEX), and reducing human exposure to hazardous elements like hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This abstract showcases the transformative power of IoT through impactful global case studies: •KenGen in Kenya has implemented Yokogawa’s ExaPilot and ExaQuantum technology to leverage historical data for automated root cause analysis, performance deviation identification, and optimized equipment monitoring. This initiative significantly boosts operational efficiency, sustainability, and maintenance practices. A feat that culminated to a prestigious digital innovation award. •Toshiba’s EtaPRO monitoring software delivered a remarkable 20% reduction in system faults at Indonesia’s Patuha plant by intelligently identifying thermal inversions and surging geothermal wells. •Enel Green Power realized substantial operational gains through sophisticated preventive failure diagnostics after successfully integrating IoT into three North American facilities utilizing Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESPs). As such, IoT’s inherent capability for continuous feedback loops is critical for optimizing all geothermal systems to provide invaluable insights into the whole geothermal chain operations. These demonstrated successes affirm that by distributing advanced computing power across geothermal infrastructure and deploying targeted analytics, IoT is unequivocally shaping a smarter, more resilient future for clean energy generation, directly propelling the sector towards its ambitious five-fold growth objectives. |