Gestão da qualidade total aplicada ao sector do fornecimento da energia eléctrica

Abstract

O sector eléctrico encontra-se a atravessar um período de profundas transformações. Como principais factores responsáveis por estas podemos referir: 1. a alteração da natureza das cargas; 2. a maior exigência de qualidade dos processos; 3. a postura mais exigente dos clientes; 4. o peso crescente das questões ambientais; 5. a liberalização; 6. a geração distribuída; 7. as elevadas taxas de crescimento da procura. A par com estas causas, devido à globalização, muitos sectores laboram hoje com rentabilidade marginal, levando a que a disponibilidade de energia eléctrica com qualidade constitua um factor crucial para a sua competitividade. Na procura de soluções para os problemas acima referidos tem sido preocupação do sector prestar um serviço cada vez mais adequado às novas realidades. Mas, devido às limitações dos sistemas tradicionais, a qualidade que é possível disponibilizar encontra-se desadequada às exigências. Para mitigar as consequências daí decorrentes têm sido desenvolvidos esforços numa grande diversidade de domínios tecnológicos. Entre esses, a geração distribuída e as tecnologias de armazenamento de energia permitem dotar os equipamentos e instalações com capacidade para operar correctamente em ambientes com elevadas perturbações na energia eléctrica. Esta dissertação apresenta uma abordagem com base na perspectiva delineada nos parágrafos anteriores, sendo nossa convicção que, apesar de o sistema tradicional apresentar algumas limitações, está muito longe de estar esgotado. A sua melhoria contínua, bem como a aplicação de metodologias de Gestão da Qualidade Total, podem trazer uma melhor adequação às exigências actuais. Como ponto de partida, desenvolve-se um estudo prospectivo sobre o panorama da qualidade da energia eléctrica em Portugal, do qual emerge um conjunto de indicadores e uma amostra de clientes para aplicação da ferramenta QFD. Na sequência da aplicação do QFD, chegamos à conclusão de que, com base no sistema tradicional e implementado o conjunto de soluções identificadas, é possível actuar num conjunto de áreas críticas relativas ao produto/serviço energia eléctrica, com os seguintes resultados: 1. melhorar a qualidade da energia eléctrica; 2. aumentar a utilidade que a qualidade actualmente disponível permite alcançar; 3. incrementar o índice de satisfação dos clientes e 4. disponibilizar qualidade diferenciada para os segmentos de elevada criticidade.

During recent decades the electrical sector has undergone profound changes resulting, in the first instance, from attempts to respond to the rapid developments which took place in all of its domains. The main factors which gave rise to these transformations are: 1. the great technological advances and the consequent modification of loads; 2. the need for higher quality imposed by current processes; 3. the emergence of more stringent customers for all types of products and services; 4. the increasing emphasis on the environmental impact of power production technologies; 5. the ongoing privatization in the electrical sector around the world; 6. the proliferation of distributed generation and 7. the high growth rates in the demand for power. In parallel to these causes, due to the emergence of globalization, many sectors operate nowadays with marginal levels of profitability, bringing about a situation where the availability of quality electrical energy constitutes a crucial factor in the competitiveness of most economic activities. In their search for solutions to the above mentioned problems, the organizations involved in the sector sought to provide an increasingly higher level of quality, better suited to the new reality. However, in spite of all the efforts made, and due above all to the intrinsic limitations of the traditional supply systems, the quality which could be achieved is characterized by a significant number of disturbances, unsuitable to the needs of the digital economy, which requires electrical energy with "digital quality". To minimize the consequences of this mismatch between quality supplied and quality required, multiple efforts were made in many technological domains. Among such projects, two deserve special mention because of their efficacy: 1. the generation of electricity near the loads, also designated as distributed generation; and 2. the new technologies of energy storage, which, among other characteristics, deliver to equipment and critical installations the capacity to operate in environments which are hostile from the point of view of disturbances in the quality of electrical energy, without compromising their functionality. This dissertation develops an approach based on the perspective outlined in the previous paragraph and it is our conviction that, in spite of the fact that the traditional supply system (based on centralized production) contains some limitations, it is still a long way from being outmoded. Its continuous improvement, the introduction of new technologies, as well as the application of methodologies and application of Total Quality concepts, centered on the customers and their real needs, can bring great advantages and a better adaptation to current needs. As a starting point, we conducted a deep study of the "Power Quality Panorama in Portugal" from which emerged an important group of indicators and a sample of customers for the application of QFD (an advanced Quality Management tool) to the electrical energy sector in Portugal. The new needs and responsibilities of the interested parties are identified and clarified in relation to the production, distribution and utilization of electrical power consonant with the new developments. Following the application of QFD and the intense interaction among the large number of “actors in the process”, we reached the conclusion that, based on the current traditional supply system, and deploying the emergent group of solutions, it is possible to achieve major advances in a group of critical areas (considered to be highly effective) to deliver the customer's electricity requirements relative to the product and service, emphasizing the following areas: 1. significant improvement in the quality of service provided; 2. implementation of a culture highly focused on the customer; 3. segmentation of the market; 4. provision of technical support in a group of strategic domains. Investing in these items it will be possible to: 1. improve the quality of the electrical energy currently being supplied; 2. increase the usefulness of that quality through a more responsible and better informed utilization; 3. increase the overall index of customer satisfaction; 4. provide quality differentiated according to criticalness of the customer needs.