TL;DR

• Digital twins are evolving beyond operator training.
• Modern simulation platforms support engineering, testing, and grid integration.
• Renewable energy projects benefit from improved system-level validation.
• Hybrid-fidelity modeling helps reduce simulation cost and complexity.
• Automated synchronization keeps digital twins aligned with live systems.

Why this matters now

The power industry has relied on simulation technology, and the Ovation™ digital twin in particular, for many years. Traditionally, digital twins have been used to improve operator training by providing realistic environments where personnel can build skills without risking safety, reliability, or system integrity.

Today, however, the role of the digital twin is expanding significantly.

As power industry expert Rick Kephart explains in a recent article in Power magazine:

“What has changed is not the concept of simulation technology, but the capability, accessibility, and scope of digital twins. Modern digital twins are no longer niche training tools, but instead are becoming foundational platforms for operations, engineering, and grid integration.”

This evolution is transforming digital twins from specialized training tools into broader operational assets.

Takeaway: Modern digital twins are becoming strategic platforms that support operations, engineering, and grid integration.

Today’s digital twin technologies are more powerful and easier to deploy, making advanced simulation capabilities accessible across a wider range of facilities.

More than training

Digital twin software remains an essential tool for training, but forward-thinking organizations are increasingly using it to support activities that extend well beyond workforce development.

Kephart explains:

“An increasing number of teams are leveraging their digital twin for engineering design, control strategy development, project testing, patch and update testing, pre-startup validation, operator training, engineer training, and ongoing scenario analysis across the facility’s lifecycle.”

This broader use of simulation allows organizations to reduce risk while improving decision-making across multiple disciplines.

Takeaway: Digital twins create value throughout the operational lifecycle, not just during training.

One area where this trend is particularly visible is renewable energy. Renewable facilities often involve equipment from multiple suppliers, each operating with different systems and communication requirements.

As a result, engineering complexity can increase significantly.

“In the most advanced modern digital twins, smart grid extensions incorporate actual network communications into the simulation. Using smart grid extensions, engineers can simulate Ethernet, networked I/O, and messaging, not just analog signals. This empowers teams to test register maps, protocol changes, and communication paths offline.”

By testing these interactions offline, teams can identify issues that might otherwise remain hidden until startup.

Takeaway: Advanced digital twins help organizations validate communications and integration before systems go live.

The value of hybrid fidelity

Another important advantage of purpose-built digital twin software is the ability to model systems at different levels of fidelity.

Not every component requires the highest level of detail, and organizations can reduce cost and implementation effort by matching fidelity to business need.

Kephart provides an example from renewable energy operations:

“For example, in a model for a renewables system, the digital twin might contain both solar assets and a BESS so the team can run different weather conditions through the model and see the impact on output. The battery chemistries in the BESS would likely be modeled at a lower fidelity, perhaps simply illustrating the representative dynamics of charging and discharging. In contrast, the battery controls and irradiance in the same digital twin would likely be modeled at a higher level of fidelity.”

This approach allows organizations to focus simulation resources where precision creates the most value.

Takeaway: Hybrid-fidelity modeling balances accuracy, implementation effort, and overall project cost.

Keeping it up to date

One of the historical challenges associated with digital twin technology has been maintaining synchronization between the simulation and the live operating environment.

Over time, operational changes, equipment updates, and control modifications can cause the two systems to drift apart.

Modern tools are helping solve this challenge.

Solutions such as the Ovation Curation Tool automatically track changes, maintain audit trails, and simplify synchronization between production systems and digital twin environments.

This significantly reduces the burden of maintaining simulation accuracy over time.

Takeaway: Automated synchronization helps ensure digital twins remain accurate and useful throughout the lifecycle of the facility.

Expanding value across the lifecycle

Digital twin simulation is one of the fastest-evolving technologies in the power industry today. Its value now extends far beyond operator development to support engineering, testing, validation, optimization, and ongoing operational improvement.

As organizations continue modernizing their operations and integrating increasingly complex technologies, digital twins are becoming an essential component of a long-term operational excellence strategy.

Takeaway: Digital twins are evolving into lifecycle platforms that help organizations continuously improve performance and reduce risk.