Nuclear Reactor Analysis - Power BI

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Introduction

🌄 Background

• This nuclear reactor analysis is part of a 4-part learning journey so I can effectively learn top programs used by data analysts. This section mainly focuses on visualization and presentation of data through graphs and statistics. I pinpoint certain metrics to get a good picture of the nuclear reactor landscape by using Power BI as a tool for storytelling and insights.
• I chose nuclear power as a subject because it's extremely intriguing and I believe that it's the future of energy that most countries will adopt.

🎯 Goals

1. Understand the nuclear reactor types and occurrence.
2. Uncover common reactor models.
3. Find out where these reactors are located.
4. Understand the past nuclear energy to look forward to the future.

🗓️ Plan

• I will import all the data from the IAEA from my postgreSQL server database.
• Use various visualizations from Power BI to see the data.
• Interpret the data based on the tools used in Power BI and draw conclusions.

Analysis

Introduction Page

📊 Graphs and Data

• Slicers that allow multiple variables to be manipulated giving options such as 'all', 'operational', and 'shutdown' reactors; desired year(s) or country(s)

  

• Quick facts about the whole nuclear reactor landscape or desired changes as listed in the slicers above. Shows how many total reactors, the count of unique reactor types, net and median energy output in Mega Watts Electrical (MWE).

  

• More general facts about where the majority of nuclear reactors are distributed by country, the count by each reactor type, how much energy each country outputs currently, and how much energy each reactor type outputs on average.

  

• Two line graphs to visualize the energy added each year and the reactor types added each year since 1954 for all reactors or 1969 for current operational reactors.

  

🔍 Interpretation

• There are 412 active nuclear reactors and 209 deactivated reactors.
• Currently 7 unique operational reactor types and 11 accounting for the shutdown reactors.
• 370K MWE of energy output and 105k MWE equivalent energy shutdown.
• Median energy output for all operational reactors is 950MWE per reactor.
• The USA, France and China have the most current nuclear reactors and total energy output.
• Though Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) are the most common type, boiling Water Reactors seem to be the most efficient type of reactor.
• In 1985, we saw the most energy added in nuclear energy along with PWR addition.

Nuclear Reactor Types

📊 Graphs and Data

• Slicers that give options for operational, shutdown, or all reactors. Tile section also allows the user to breakdown each reactor type and see multiple or individual statistics.

• This section breaks down the selected reactor type into countries involved, total reactors, total and median output for selected reactor types.

• The final section breaks down the distribution for reactor types into a bar and pie chart.

🔍 Interpretation

If we use operational PWRs as an example, we can see that:

• 28 countries are involved
• 303 are currently operational
• They produce 290K MWE and on average produce 986 MWE per reactor

Nuclear Reactor Models

📊 Graphs and Data

• This section follows similar slicers from the previous section but the only difference is the model type for selection.

Intrepretation

If the VVER V-320 is selected, we can see that:

• 4 Countries use this model
• There are 25 total reactors
• It produces 24k MWE and averages about 950 MWE per reactor

Nuclear Energy Countries

📊 Graphs and Data

• This section follows similar slicers from the previous section but the only difference is the countries are now selectable.

🔍 Interpretation

If operational USA reactors is selected, we can see that:

• They have 92 total nuclear reactors, leading all the countries.
• Output 95k MWE and average 1125 MWE per reactor.

Nuclear Reactor History

📊 Graphs and Data

• This section follows similar slicers from the previous section but the only difference is the years are now selectable.

🔍Interpretation

If 1985 is selected without changing the status, we see that:

• 18 countries were involved.
• There were 40 total reactors built, which was the highest in history. If we switch over to operational, we can see that 6 were taken offline when they were built in 1985.
• An output of 40K MWE and 981 MWE per reactor.

Conclusion

💡 Reflection

• The USA leads the global nuclear reactor landscape with total reactors in operation and total output.
• 1985 was the most popular year in history for nuclear reactors.
• PWRs are the most adopted type of reactor adopted in the current age.
• The VVER V-320 has the most models currently in operation.

💪 Skills Learned

• Power BI visualization
• DAX editing
• Power Query editing
• Data control and insertion
• Git repositories
• Github presentations

💻 Sources

• IAEA 2023 Nuclear Energy Data