Hydropower has long been Brazil’s leading power generation resource, and wind and solar are continuing to grow. Behind-the-meter assets like batteries, paired with intelligent controls, allow for real-time demand shaping and localized support,” said Ince-Cushman. “The most obvious is to add fast-acting energy storage systems to the grid to provide that instant support when a cloud moves over a solar farm or the wind dies down before traditional generation can ramp up. This is complicated as ramp rates and grid congestion are serious factors in the decisions on which unit to ramp.
This includes recognizing flexibility—through load shaping, DERs, and customer participation—as a valuable tool for mitigating risk. We’re also seeing the electrification across buildings (heating and cooling); industrial processes (manufacturing and refining); and transportation (electric forklifts and electric buses). Learn about the results of NLR’s grid impact analysis of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
- With strategic planning and investment in scalable technologies, utilities can overcome these hurdles and unlock the full potential of data-driven operations.
- While DERs and utility-scale renewables are often planned separately, when they’re deployed as part of a coordinated strategy, they offer a powerful tool for decarbonization and system flexibility.
- Caspar Herzberg, CEO of AVEVA, said his group’s work with ONS and other grid operators “is bigger than just AI.
- Historian systems store and replay past events for analysis.
- But, these two entities control massive amounts of resources, and play very important roles in their regions.
- The report provides a detailed definition of the sector, analysis of market development, and profiles of the key vendors in the space.
Building on its success with European grid operators, envelio launched its U.S. subsidiary in Boston in 2024 and began working with Eversource to streamline and automate the interconnection process. In short, smart grids empower utilities to operate more efficiently, plan more strategically, and engage more transparently – building the digital foundation for a resilient, low-carbon power system. Digital grid models allow for precise scenario simulations and investment prioritization. Implementing smart grid solutions delivers measurable benefits across every layer of utility operations – from daily workflows to long-term strategy. These applications aggregate and validate data from multiple systems – GIS, SCADA, MDM, and ERP – to create a computable, always up-to-date grid model. Overcoming them requires integrated, digital solutions that bring together data, automation, and analytics – the foundation of a truly smart grid.
DSO readiness and implementation
“There could be an advantage to combine public with private funding to reduce the risk of major grid projects as they look to reach final investment decision,” said Kadoch. Energy industry analysts, as noted earlier, agree that investment—whether public, private, or a combination of both—is needed to facilitate grid upgrades that could help with the integration of renewable resources. Distributed energy resources are the key to unlocking the full potential of renewable energy by bringing flexibility, resilience, and innovation to the grid.” Kadoch added, “DERs also help relieve congestion on the transmission system by serving local load, especially in areas that would https://www.suscinio.info/3-tips-from-someone-with-experience-2/ otherwise be grid-constrained. At the core is enhanced visibility—if grid operators can’t see what’s happening in real time, they can’t manage it.
The Interconnections
- “The most obvious is to add fast-acting energy storage systems to the grid to provide that instant support when a cloud moves over a solar farm or the wind dies down before traditional generation can ramp up.
- Integrating non-electric sectors like gas, hydrogen, and transportation into grid planning is crucial to ensure coordinated infrastructure development, optimize energy flows, and manage cross-sector dependencies as electrification and sector coupling accelerate.
- The three major grid interconnections describe the physical structure of the grid.
- Herzberg said integrating renewable energy into the power grid includes having the tools to understand what’s happening with transmission and distribution at any given time.
- This article explores how AI is transforming the utility industry and why ERP architecture is essential for building intelligent, future-ready energy operations.
As the energy transition progresses, there are many recommendations and calls for increasing the east-west transmission capacity across Canada and the US to share renewables and other https://www.wtf-film.com/short-course-on-what-you-should-know-9/ generating resources across regions. This means that the operation of all entities within an Interconnection are fully coordinated at all times. The current North American grid contains a blend of traditional vertically integrated utilities, ISOs, and RTOs with coordinated operations across vast geographic areas. Participation in ISOs and RTOs was (somewhat) voluntary and some regions chose to continue as vertically integrated utilities. There were also electric cooperatives which were coordinated groups of utilities, but the same general approach applied. As if the physics of continuously balancing supply and demand in real time isn’t complex enough, the way the North American grid is configured, regulated, planned, and operated adds layers of complexity that even people in the industry struggle to understand.
The Benefits of a Robust Data Management Strategy
These challenges not only delay renewable integration but also drive higher operational costs and limit investment efficiency. By combining data integration, automation, and real-time analysis, they help utilities manage growing complexity while maintaining reliability and cost efficiency. He has advanced through diverse operational and leadership roles, overseeing complex projects, guiding cross‑functional teams, and strengthening organizational performance across multiple service lines. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering, along with professional engineering licensure in multiple states. Utility leaders should prioritize investments in GIS, IoT-enabled asset tracking, and AI-driven analytics to stay ahead of industry shifts.
Key Benefits of AI in Utilities
Reconductoring existing lines with advanced conductors is faster and cheaper than building new transmission line by leveraging existing poles and towers.” “This means splitting cost among various stakeholders including utility companies, developers, ratepayers, and government funding.” Georg Rute, CEO at Gridraven, a company founded in Estonia that has based its U.S. operations in Austin, Texas, said investment for grid upgrades should be rethought when it comes to who pays for improvements.
Building DSO capabilities: Planning for a DER-rich grid
This approach is critical to ensuring efficient and effective planning, optimizing utility investments, and fostering the transparency and trust needed to serve customers and stakeholders responsibly. The industry is realizing the need to evolve today’s modern grid operations to depend on holistic and data-driven long-term planning (see Figure 1) for resources, transmission and distribution grid infrastructure, as well as consumer programs and rates. Some regions in the U.S. https://heplerbroom.com/blog/illinois-proposed-power-act-implications-for-ai-data-centers-developers-and-municipalities/ are expecting to double their peak load capacity within the next 5 years, intensifying the need to procure additional capacity and requiring significantly higher capital allocation to expand and modernize grid infrastructure. Rapid load growth is resulting in new resource planning requirements, and it increases pressure on existing transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Home and Building Energy Management Systems
The report provides profiles of the various vendors, including aspects most relevant to this Application Group, such as product offerings, pricing, financial results, and technology. This section begins with the benefits of gas smart grids (like remote surveillance of installations to detect any malfunctions in the distribution network) and explains why their deployment is limited on a global scale (especially in many Asian and African countries like India, Pakistan, and many parts of China). This section of the report discusses the benefits of smart water grids (such as enabling greater control of the distribution network) and the issues that conventional water systems often face, like low operating efficiency.