NB/T 11796-2025 in English

Standard Overview and Technical Background

NB/T 11796-2025, "Basic Technical Requirements for Soil and Water Conservation Monitoring Equipment for Hydropower Projects," is an energy industry standard issued by the National Energy Administration and will officially come into effect on December 30, 2025. As the first published technical specification specifically for soil and water conservation monitoring equipment for hydropower projects, this standard fills a technological gap in this field in my country and provides a unified technical basis for the research, development, design, production, and use of soil and water conservation monitoring equipment for hydropower projects.

The background of the standard's development stems from the continuous expansion of hydropower project construction in my country and the increasing demand for ecological and environmental protection. In accordance with the requirements of the "Notice of the General Affairs Department of the National Energy Administration on Issuing the 2019 Plan for the Development (Revision) of Industry Standards in the Energy Sector" (National Energy General Communication Technology [2019] No. 58), this standard was developed after in-depth investigation and research, based on a careful summary of practical experience in soil and water conservation monitoring for hydropower projects, and fully reflecting the differences in different monitoring elements and the adaptability of monitoring equipment.

Analysis of the Standard's Core Content

This standard specifies the performance, functions, and installation requirements for key equipment used in soil and water conservation monitoring for hydropower projects, as well as the corresponding marking, packaging, transportation, and storage. The standard applies to the entire lifecycle management of soil and water conservation monitoring equipment for hydropower projects, from research and development and design to production and use.

Classification system of monitoring equipment

The standard divides soil and water conservation monitoring equipment into two categories: general equipment and special equipment:

Detailed technical specifications of six specialized monitoring devices

Vegetation Cover Meter

As the core equipment for vegetation restoration monitoring, the Vegetation Cover Meter uses photoelectric imaging technology and spectral analysis algorithms to achieve accurate measurement of surface vegetation cover. Technical highlights include:

Automatic runoff and sediment monitoring instrument for runoff plots and runoff stations

This device is a key equipment for quantitative monitoring of soil erosion. It automatically monitors runoff volume and sediment content through electrical, magnetic or radar technologies. Core technological innovations are reflected in:

• Dual-mode operation: supports both self-reporting and compatible working modes to meet different monitoring needs
• Intelligent sampling: when there is runoff, the sampling interval is adjustable from 1s to 1h to achieve refined process monitoring
• Remote operation and maintenance: with remote diagnosis, parameter setting and program upgrade functions
• Long battery life: continuous power supply ≥15 days when the battery is not charged

Soil Erosion Gully Meter

A special device specifically designed to measure the morphological development of slope erosion gullies. Technical features include:

Photoelectric Boring Instrument

Soil erosion thickness monitoring equipment based on the photoelectric sensing principle, with high measurement accuracy and easy installation:

• Ultra-high precision: Surface change measurement accuracy reaches ±0.1mm
• Long-term monitoring: Continuous operation for more than 30 days
• High protection level: IP67 protection, adaptable to harsh soil environments
• Real-time transmission: Wireless data transmission, real-time monitoring of soil loss

Automatic wind and sand flux monitor

Special monitoring equipment designed for wind erosion areas. Technical features include:

Video surveillance equipment for waste dump

Stability monitoring equipment based on artificial intelligence machine vision technology. Core functions include:

• High-definition monitoring: resolution ≥1080P, illumination ≥0.001Lux
• Intelligent identification: AI visual analysis identifies deformation patterns in waste dumps
• All-round coverage: horizontal and vertical multi-directional movement, night vision distance ≥100m
• High reliability: mean time between failures ≥25,000 hours

Standard implementation recommendations and technology development trends

Equipment selection and configuration recommendations

Based on the different construction stages and monitoring needs of hydropower projects, a hierarchical configuration strategy is recommended:

Technology development trends and innovation directions

Based on standard technical requirements, soil and water conservation monitoring equipment will develop in the following directions in the future:

• Intelligent upgrade: Deeply integrate artificial intelligence technology to realize automatic identification and analysis of monitoring data
• IoT integration: Build an IoT platform for monitoring equipment to realize real-time data sharing and remote control
• Multi-source data fusion: Integrate remote sensing, UAV, and ground monitoring data to establish a three-dimensional monitoring network
• Standardized interfaces: Promote the standardization of equipment interfaces to improve system compatibility and scalability

Quality control and maintenance management

The standard emphasizes that monitoring equipment must be verified, calibrated, and checked before use, and should be regularly calibrated and maintained during use. Recommendations include:

• Equipment File Management System: Record equipment technical parameters, calibration dates, and maintenance history
• Regular Calibration Plan: Develop a scientific calibration cycle and process
• Field Protection Measures: Develop a field protection plan based on the equipment's protection level
• Data Quality Control: Establish a data review mechanism to ensure the accuracy of monitoring data

Benefits of Standard Implementation and Industry Impact

The implementation of NB/T 11796-2025 will have significant industry impacts:

Technical Standardization: Standardize the technical requirements for soil and water conservation monitoring equipment for hydropower projects, eliminate equipment quality differences, and improve the comparability and reliability of monitoring data. It is expected that the accuracy of monitoring data will increase by over 15% after implementation.

Industry drive: Promote technological upgrading and product innovation of monitoring equipment manufacturers, and form a professional and serialized soil and water conservation monitoring equipment industry chain. It is estimated that the market size of related equipment can reach tens of billions of yuan.

Management improvement: Provide technical support for soil and water conservation monitoring of hydropower projects, improve the refinement and scientific level of soil and water conservation supervision, and help achieve the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality.

As an important technical specification in the field of soil and water conservation monitoring of hydropower projects in my country, this standard will effectively promote technological progress and standardized development in the industry, and provide solid technical support for the construction of ecological civilization and the development of green hydropower.