CAREER

FACT 25: ENGIE conversations involve Python, API, artificial intelligence… with support from the Group’s 2,000 data experts.

By ENGIE - 22 December 2021 - 15:11

Around the world, “data friends” got together in a community of nearly 2,000 ENGIE collaborators. Every day, they talk about their projects, discuss ideas, challenges, joining forces and data so they can offer ever more intelligent solutions. For example, every two weeks, a virtual gathering called “Data4All” is where they discuss tangible applications.

 

Data scientists also have their own community. Since 2018, Data@ENGIE has been organising Data Science Challenges to help departments resolve job-related issues, using existing data. 

 

They follow a simple principle: a team suggests an issue and provides supporting data, and the data scientist community tries to solve the problem as part of a 3-month competition. More importantly, Data@ENGIE communities illustrate a willingness to support the Group’s data transformation.

Because one of the benefits of the emulation around data is that it enables everyone to learn, develop new skills, and be open to new sectors and operating modes. For example, meteorological data specialists can explore the world of experts in robotics and artificial intelligence.

Those who are involved in improving a client’s experience can share with electricity management data experts. Isn’t this the best way of learning?
“Data experts are people who feed each other. To be able to learn, evolve, and share, they must be together. This community needs peer-based facilitation and information. Community gives them a window that goes beyond the scope of their activity,” explains Thierry GRIMA, Group Chief Analytics Officer.

Dozens of business lines that serve data

When ENGIE talks about “DATA,” it means millions of data. This represents countless challenges, as well as numerous business lines. Because behind these four letters lay thousands of profiles with different skills.

 

Data Scientists are the most well known of all. There are about 300 at ENGIE, supported by dozens of other business activities, such as data architects, data engineers, data ops, data
owner, data stewards, business intelligence specialists, chief data officers, data product managers, etc. So many profiles working together, whether occasionally or daily, breathing life into projects. And because they can change or wear several hats depending on the subject at hand, our data specialists are never bored!

 

Data for building a better world

At ENGIE, we are convinced that data will change the world. That is why we have launched into a vast programme aimed at enhancing data, both internal and external.
Because energy is vital, but hard to control. Its production depends on multiple factors that mankind is continually trying to better understand, such as the weather, equipment, or geopolitical contexts. Even choosing a site in which to install a wind farm requires analysing millions of pieces of information, such as the wind, the terrain, or noise levels.
“By decentralising energy, its production, storage, consumption, and even its resale, when there is a surplus, are all increasingly localised. To operate services that are at the most local level, ENGIE must not only have this local data, but also external data such as weather forecasts, in order to be able to plan on consumption levels,” Gérard Guinamand, Chief Data Officer Groupe

 

At every stage of the energy chain, from production to consumption, we believe that data will enable us to better respond to needs and to produce the right amount of energy. In total, some 300 usage scenarios have been identified. An internal platform, called Agora, identifies usage scenarios and shares best practices that help experts share and continually improve their solutions.
Because data has many ways of bringing us closer to our Net Zero Carbon objective. For example, it helps us improve our measuring campaigns for site research surveys, so we can find the most profitable locations in terms of energy. It helps us process data about operating solar parks, wind farms, and hydroelectric dams, to improve their performance. It helps us anticipate maintenance operations to reduce breakdowns. Projects such as OptiNoise aim to improve models for assessing the acoustic impact of wind farms, to optimise their flange plane and maximise production, while fully complying with regulation. Data also quite simply helps us support individuals to better measure their energy consumption, so they can learn how to reduce it, and take advantage of offers and solutions that correspond to their profiles.

In brief, whether it involves improving a tool or customer experiences, data helps us reach our energy transition goals. It is central to the Group’s success, and to everyone’s success.

It is to share this belief and help everyone form their own opinion that we have partnered with the magazine Capital to create a podcast that is 100% devoted to the world of data: “Big Data ENGIE Capital On the agenda, a collection of inspiring meetings and eye-opening interviews, in which data experts share their vision of tackling challenges.

 

How about starting with the 8th episode of the series? Yves le Gélard, ENGIE executive Vice President in charge of Digital Technology and Information Systems, shares his thoughts, “More data… for less energy” Enjoy the show!