Top 2019 Electric Utility Trends
The utility industry is clearly evolving, and as such, there are some clear 2019 electric utility trends that must be incorporated into strategic planning and emergency preparedness efforts. Many of these trends began in 2018, and have progressed to the point where they are just about ready for “prime time” in 2019.
Summary of 2019 Electric Utility Trends
What follows is a summary of the top 2019 electric utility trends that were outlined in a recent Energy Central article (click here to read the full article).
Internet of things
IoT is one of the most critical 2019 electric utility trends because it serves as the foundation for all other trends. Simply stated, the internet of things is a huge network of connected appliances & devices that can interact and transmit and digest data in real time.
IoT is increasingly critical for emergency preparedness because the improved connectivity and data analysis capabilities of things like GIS & mapping tools, OMS, and mobile apps can streamline functions such as damage assessment and outage restoration.
Wearables
Wearables that field crews can utilize during emergency situations include “smart” devices such as watches, body sensors, helmets and goggles that typically incorporate augmented reality to increase workers’ abilities to conduct on-the-fly analysis and assessment activities. Wearables can also be used for training situations by incorporating virtual reality to add to the realism.
Drones
Ever since Jeff Bezos announced on 60 Minutes that future Amazon deliveries would be made via drone, awareness of the benefits of drone technology has exploded across a wide range of industries including the utility industry. Drones can help identify infrastructure maintenance needs, accelerate damage assessment activities, and improve restoration efficiency.
Smart grids
Smart grids use meters and appliances to gather real time usage data, and are necessary to accommodate the growing amount of renewable energy flowing through the grid. Smart grids can also help optimize usage ebbs and flows.
A key component of smart grids is advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), which can be defined as a network of connected smart meters that enables bi-directional flow of communication from the utility to the customer and vice versa. AMI can improve operational efficiency, and can provide the data necessary to increase the speed of outage restoration.
Conclusion
The top 2019 electric utility trends look like they are here to stay, so now is the time to consider how to capitalize on them.
