From manual to automated: How Power Apps improves Aneo’s landowner payment system
With a tool created in Microsoft Power Apps, Cegal has helped the renewable energy company Aneo to digitize payments to landowners. The tool ensures that landowners are automatically paid the right amount at the right time, helping to reduce manual work.
In 2022, TrønderEnergi and HitecVision entered into a partnership and established the renewable energy company Aneo. In its first full year of operation (2023), Aneo generated sales of almost NOK 1 billion as a total supplier of sustainable energy services.Aneo's activities cover a number of areas where the common denominator is energy, including:
- Production of solar, wind and hydropower
- Electric car charging
- Batteries for construction sites
- Solutions for energy saving and efficient energy use
- Management and operation of power plants
Read more about how a municipality saves millions with an energy monitoring system here >
Automated payment processes
Part of the business around the management and operation of power plants revolves around financial compensation to landowners, so-called landowner payments, and ensuring that the properties are properly managed, for example that fences, buildings or roads are built and maintained. Landowner payments are given to those who own the land where different types of power plants are located, as well as waterfall rights.
- The agreements we have with landowners and power producers are very formal. They are legally based and have no time limit. The agreements last as long as the licenses exist. Our obligations are to comply with the agreements in the best possible way. We cannot take this lightly. If we do, we lose the good relationship we have with the landowners," says Nina Hedel, head of administration at Aneo.
- A key part of the agreements revolves around landowner payments. These are processes with many parameters, where the payment to the individual landowner is calculated independently. Lien, project manager in Aneo's digitization department.
When Aneo had to phase out the business system that previously handled landowner payments, the renewable energy company needed a new system. At the same time, Aneo wanted to use the system change to further digitize and standardize this process with the goal of halving the number of manual processes. The result was the "Property Payment" application developed in collaboration with Cegal, using Microsoft Power Apps. Power Apps is Microsoft's low code platform.
Less manual work
With the new application, payments to the individual landowner are calculated automatically. At the same time, price adjustments are also made automatically. The tool collects all data in one platform and is used across Aneo's business areas. After a short period of use, Aneo has achieved the following results:
We have reduced the manual processes and thus saved time in the administration. The tool also means that we are less dependent on key people who know the processes. We also have a better overview of what is to be paid.
Eva B. Lien
- Aneo is a young company that develops very quickly - and what develops fastest is our contracts. In the tool, we have made it possible for us to add and change processes as the market develops and changes," says Nina Hedel.
Hedel is also the project owner of the "Eiendomsutbetaling" app. She adds that it is very important that the agreements with the landowners are managed correctly and well, so that Aneo maintains the good relationship with the landowners.
