Among the most important energy industry trends reshaping operations today, none is more consequential than the convergence of the energy transition and digitalization. As renewable capacity scales rapidly, the best software for automation in the energy industry has become the critical enabler — determining how effectively renewable energy operations can be managed, optimised, and monetised. Green Eagle Solutions’ CEO, Alejandro Cabrera joined industry experts on the Spanish radio programme Ondas del Viento to examine where these forces meet, and what that means for operators building the grid of tomorrow.

 

 

Prefer to read? The key insights from the episode are summarised below.

 The Shift Already Underway in Data-Driven Operations

Wind park automation has moved far beyond mechanical control. Turbines now carry sensors feeding continuous streams of electrical, meteorological, and grid data to centralised platforms — and the challenge is no longer collecting that data, but extracting value from it at speed. Álvaro Romero, Technical Director at the Institute of Engineering Knowledge (IIC), described the shift: the industry is moving from simple generation forecasting to actively managing uncertainty and variability across an increasingly complex electrical system.

Data Quality: The Foundation the Best Software for Automation in the Energy Industry Must Get Right

Before any wind park automation platform can deliver results, the underlying data must be trustworthy. As Cabrera explained, connecting to all the systems installed across a modern wind park remains far from straightforward:

"Electrical sensors, meteorological sensors, substation data, network analysers — each device gives us different information about the same plant. And then there are the market data feeds that in most cases are also not yet connected."

That last point is consistently underestimated: market data is as operationally critical as sensor data, yet it sits outside most connected systems today. As Romero put it, the machine learning principle applies without exception — garbage in, garbage out. The best software for automation in the energy industry addresses data capture, integration and market connectivity as a first priority, not an afterthought.

Two Pillars of Effective Wind Park Automation

Green Eagle structures its approach to renewable energy operations around two distinct areas, each addressing a different dimension of plant performance.

1. Real-Time Deterministic Control

This is the operational control layer: continuously identifying what is happening across a plant and responding automatically, without waiting for human intervention. Cabrera described this as the area of deepest investment, because the impact on renewable energy operations is immediate and measurable. Today Green Eagle's platform is connected to 60 GW of assets across more than 18 countries, enabling large utilities and independent power producers to automate decisions that previously demanded constant manual attention.

2. Market Integration and Revenue Optimisation

The second pillar reflects a deliberate shift in philosophy. Cabrera was direct: "During many years, we put too much focus on reducing costs and OPEX optimisation. I believe that all of that has a limit. I prefer to focus on how we can make plants more profitable — producing more, producing when it makes sense, and participating more effectively in balancing and adjustment markets."

Green Eagle currently represents 24 GW of assets in Spanish balancing and adjustment markets through its software — a share that will grow as renewable capacity expands across Europe.

Why the Energy Transition and Digitalization Must Happen Together

Juan de Dios López, Technical Director at the Spanish Wind Energy Association (AEE), framed the structural challenge clearly: "We are talking about systems within systems within systems. Every time you move up a level, the volume of information and the degree of interaction multiplies. That is precisely where AI, algorithms and processing capacity can help us operate more efficiently and consistently."

Research by IIC, conducted with Repsol, Naturgy, REE and Iberdrola, confirmed it: the energy transition will not succeed without digital transformation, and digital investment in energy will not reach its potential without a functioning renewable energy system. The two transformations are simultaneous and mutually dependent.

From Dashboards to Dialogue: How AI Is Reshaping Renewable Energy Operations

One of the most practical shifts in daily operations is the move away from static dashboards toward natural language interfaces. No pre-built report can capture every variable affecting performance across a large, varied portfolio. Cabrera described the problem directly:

"Some clients may have parks with bird curtailment issues. Others may have availability problems, or market curtailments, or a combination of all of them. What AI allows you to do is access the data in natural language without having to pre-structure how the information is presented. Today you can ask about curtailments. Tomorrow about availability. You are no longer locked into a pre-defined structure."

Cabrera's outlook was unambiguous: within five years, current monitoring tools will be obsolete. Any control centre without meaningful automation will feel like driving without GPS — technically possible, but something no operator will choose.

Cybersecurity and Talent: Challenges the Industry Cannot Ignore

Greater connectivity brings greater exposure. Renewable energy installations are now recognised across EU frameworks as critical infrastructure. For Cabrera, the cybersecurity priority goes beyond data: "It is the security of the control layer. That is where the real operational risk lies." Green Eagle's platform complies with international cybersecurity standards, including the demanding requirements of the US market.

This rapid transformation also demands new skills. Romero was candid: the pace of change is outrunning most professionals in the sector. Cabrera offered a counterpoint — modern AI tools carry a far lower learning curve than previous technology waves, and new hybrid profiles combining energy operations expertise with data literacy will be among the most valuable roles in the industry over the next decade.

What to Look for in the Best Software for Automation in the Energy Industry

As these energy industry trends accelerate, the gap between platforms that genuinely support digital operations and those that do not is widening. Choosing the best software for automation in the energy industry means looking for platforms that deliver across all of these areas:

  • End-to-end data integration — connecting electrical, meteorological, substation and market data into a single operational picture.
  • Real-time deterministic control that automates responses to plant events without manual intervention.
  • Natural language querying that replaces static dashboards with dynamic, on-demand access to performance data.
  • Market participation tools for flexible positioning in balancing, adjustment and intraday markets.
  • Cybersecurity architecture protecting both data flows and the operational control layer, compliant with international standards.
  • A scalable upgrade path — because the platforms operating in five years will look nothing like those in use today.

The energy transition and digitalization are not parallel trends — they are converging forces that each require the other to succeed. Choosing the best software for automation in the energy industry is no longer a back-office technology decision. It is a strategic one, and the organisations that get it right now will be the ones defining how renewable energy operations work in the decade ahead.