BSEE ENERGY MANAGEMENT
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SUCCESSFUL ENERGY STRATEGY PLANNING Transforming distribution utilities with digitisation
By Jean‐Yves Bodin, Marketing Director Energy Digital Solutions, Energy Business at Schneider Electric. Internet of Things
uJean‐Yves Bodin
t is estimated that 3 million energy users in Europe are already generating at least some of their own power. They’re maximising self- consumption of this energy and gaining more control over when to use it. These prosumers are taking energy consumption and management into their own hands. The growth of these disparate, distributed energy resources (DER), like rooftop solar, affects distribution utilities more than other players in the industry, especially in terms of grid complexity. With this consumer-led approach to energy consumption becoming an integral part of the energy revolution, utilities have to keep pace. Managing these new levels of complexity requires that distribution grids achieve the highest levels of efficiency and intelligence. The way utilities achieve that is through digital transformation of their own.
I
But how exactly are distribution utilities reaching these new levels of grid efficiency?
The Internet of Things (IoT) underpins the growth of connected devices. Distribution utilities now find an increasing number of vendor offers that include new, connected technologies. Automated grid devices and new sensors change the face of the future grid and transform grid operators’ jobs. It offers distribution utilities greater insight into their systems and new levels of field operations efficiency, but also comes with a lot more data to contend with. Distribution utilities realise that it’s one thing to collect data and quite another to make it useful through management and analysis. They must invest in and develop their abilities to make this data work for them. By expanding capabilities in scheduling, planning, simulation, asset management and operations, advanced analytics deliver greater insights and better decision making.
IT/OT convergence
Utilities are experiencing an increase in both IT systems and OT systems. The integration of information and operational technologies is critical for the evolution toward digitally enabled networks.
Data is the future of distribution utility business. It’s the core component of digitised mechanisms for asset management and grid operations, as well as future grid orchestration. Fine granularity and timely data integration between substations, distribution feeders, smart meters, and key applications like SCADA, DMS, OMS, GIS, and asset management, complemented by external sources, greatly improves operational efficiency, service levels, decision making processes.
And, more than ever, relying on international standards in terms of data models, data integration, and
data management is essential to enable a sustainable evolution of not only IT/OT systems but also their interoperability with external players within an increasingly open power ecosystem. It applies to grid-edge technologies enabling distribution- level awareness, control and optimisation of DER (like DERMS, DG, microgrid, and VPP).
Cybersecurity
While interoperability standards continue to develop about data that is accurate and analytically useful, cyber security is still a significant concern. When viewed through the lens of risk mitigation, utilities can devise a targeted approach that considers their network in the most practical way, as well as its people, processes, and organisation. Companies should look to build security into the design of their IT and OT systems via retrofit, upgrades, or bolt-on approaches. Integrated cyber security strategies should also define the organisation’s policies for patch management, data ownership, data privacy, and identity management compliance. As utilities create more data, end-to-end security from the sensor to application level is more critical than ever.
Take away
Distribution utilities face new challenges that demand unprecedented levels of grid efficiency and intelligence. The largest of those is the need to cope with greater penetration of DER on the grid and the increased network complexity it brings. Digital transformation through the adoption of IoT capabilities, data analytics, and cyber security is central to any successful strategy for distribution utilities in today’s evolving energy landscape.
‘ While
interoperability standards continue to develop about data that is accurate and analytically useful, cyber security is still a significant
concern. When viewed through the lens of risk mitigation, utilities can devise a targeted approach that considers their network in the most practical way, as well as its people, processes, and organisation.
’
www.schneider-electric.co.uk/en/work/campaign/innovation/energy.jsp 34 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER SEPTEMBER 2017 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
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