Hydropower reservoir management

The challenge

A hydropower reservoir walks a line between two losses. Release too little before a wet spell and the reservoir spills water that could have been power, or floods the valley below. Release too much before a dry spell and the level falls towards the minimum, and generation has to be cut.

Most release plans still come from rule curves built on past hydrology and from weekly meetings. Inflows are more variable than those curves assume, and on a cascade each plant's release is the next plant's inflow, yet plants often plan alone.

Our solution

KAI-Hydropower couples KAI-Hydro's calibrated basin forecasts with a model of your reservoir: the level–storage curve, turbines, spillways and operating rules. Every day it forecasts the inflow with its uncertainty, projects the reservoir level and energy output for each release plan you want to test, and warns days ahead when a spill or a low level becomes likely.

On a cascade, the plants share one forecast, so each operator sees what the plant upstream will release. Seasonal outlooks support the dry-season energy plan.

Who it is for: Hydropower operators and independent power producers, dam owners, river-basin authorities, energy regulators