Sep2021
MEMBER NEWS
Creating Connections - Inspiration for the Digital Grid
As content partner of EM-POWER Europe taking place in Munich, 6-8 October 2021, the OSGP Alliance is organizing the session “Creating Connections – Inspiration for the Digital Grid” taking place at EM-Power Europe Forum, chaired by Mark Ossel, Member of the Board, OSGP Alliance.
Utilities have entered a new era of change and uncertainty. Security threats are growing, regulations are tightening, and new technologies—from smart meters to microgrids—are disrupting longstanding business models. The growing adoption of renewables has also challenged utilities to adapt by integrating these distributed energy resources into the grid. To thrive in the new era, strategy-minded utilities are increasingly planning for a future based on smart grid applications providing system interoperability and enabling a spectrum of new applications that improve grid safety, security and reliability. The challenges for utilities are huge, but so are the opportunities.
This session will provide you with new insights and real-life examples of what's possible for the new digital utility. The session takes place on Thursday 7 October from 12:00 pm - 01:00 pm
"European Governance of the Energy Transition" study from Enel and The European House - Ambrosetti: improve governance to open the way for investments and ensure the achievement of the climate and energy goals by 2030
Cernobbio, September 4th, 2021 - Positive impact on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment, as well as various environmental benefits. Effectively managing the energy transition by improving governance efficiency is an essentialprerequisite not only to ensure the energy system’s sustainability, but also to seize an unmissable opportunity to create value and employment. This is what emerges from the "European Governance of the Energy Transition" study, carried out by the Enel Foundation and The European House - Ambrosetti in collaboration with Enel.
The study was presented today, within the context of The European House - Ambrosetti Forum, in a press conference which saw the participation of Valerio De Molli, Managing Partner & CEO of The European House - Ambrosetti, Francesco Starace, CEO and General Manager of Enel and Stefano Manservisi, Professor and Member of the International Independent Task Force on Creative Climate Action, Sciences Po – Paris School for International Affairs.
NES and Prointer ITSS partner to accelerate smart energy transition in the Balkans
Networked Energy Services (NES) and Prointer ITSS join forces to modernise grids in the Balkans with the latest Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology.
NES, a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), is proud to announce its partnership with Prointer ITSS. NES and Prointer ITSS will bring the latest AMI to the Balkans, leveraging the strengths of NES technology and Prointer ITSS’s delivery expertise.
Schneider Electric prepares Milan grid for electrification of bus network
Technology company Schneider Electric has partnered with French vehicle manufacturer Alstom to help municipal public transport company Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM) to modernise the grid and electrify its bus network in Milan.
ATM plans to convert its fleet of 1,200 diesel buses to electric models by 2030. The transition will be possible if adequate grid infrastructure upgrades are put in place to support the charging infrastructure of the electric buses.
Tauron will replace almost 700 lamps in the Murów commune. The lighting is to operate in SMART technology
There will be nearly 700 new street lamps in the Murów commune. The local government signed an agreement with the company Tauron Nowe Technologie.
Tauron Nowe Technologie will replace nearly 700 street lamps in the municipality of Murów near Poland. The company said that thanks to the investment, the commune will reduce the energy demand for street lighting by 70 percent.
GE energizes Africa’s first ever fully digital high voltage substation
Paris, FRANCE and Dakar, SENEGAL – September 8, 2021 – GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business (NYSE-GE) recently commissioned the first ever fully digital high voltage substation on the African continent in Thiès, 70 km from Dakar in Senegal. This key 225 kV substation project is part of Senegal’s national electricity company Senelec’s transmission and distribution grid expansion, reinforcement and reliability enhancement program to be completed by VINCI Energies West Africa.
“This flagship project was made possible due to the robust synergy among VINCI Energies West Africa teams, the technical support of our team Omexom and the digital expertise of GE’s Grid Solutions. This first ever digital substation on the continent is a great example of how to successfully combine the ongoing energy transition with a needed digital transformation to make the Senegalese electricity network more reliable and efficient,” said Wassel Bouaouda, VINCI Energies.
MARKET NEWS
Visit OSGP Alliance at EM-POWER EUROPE
Efficient distribution and use of renewably generated electricity and heat as well as intelligent energy management within smart grids and microgrids, neighborhoods and buildings – these are the key topics at EM-Power Europe, the international exhibition for energy management and integrated energy solutions.
It presents businesses and the industry as a whole with products and solutions for a smart, sustainable and future-oriented energy supply and showcases ways to achieve a carbon-neutral future. Together with Intersolar Europe, ees Europe and Power2Drive Europe, it forms The smarter E Europe, the continent’s largest platform for the energy industry. EM-Power Europe will take place at Messe München from October 6–8.
We look forward to welcoming you at booth B5.472
For more information about the event, click here.
India’s smart meter rollout – 250 million meters by 2025
After years of efforts on the massive task of modernising India’s distribution sector to reduce losses and improve operational and financial efficiencies, the government has doubled down on the drive to deploy smart meters to all residential customers by 2025.
Anil Rawal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of IntelliSmart Infrastructure, the JV leading the drive for smart metering initiatives, discusses the rollout with Jonathan Spencer Jones.
EBRD signs EUR 40 million loan for Serbia’s smart metering roll-out
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has signed a EUR 40 million loan with Serbia’s power distribution operator, Elektrodistribucija Srbije, to procure and deploy smart electricity meters, a project that is expected to help improve energy efficiency, cut CO2 emissions, and integrate prosumers into the grid.
The entire project is valued at EUR 80 million, and the agreement with the EBRD covers the first phase – the procurement and installation of software and the new system and the replacement of about 205,000 smart meters in the cities of Kraljevo, Čačak, and Niš. The first stage should be completed by 2025, and the entire project by 2027.
Biden administration expands cybersecurity initiative piloted by electric sector
Private industry owns the vast majority of U.S. critical infrastructure but must partner with the federal government to defend it from increasingly sophisticated attacks, industry leaders said after Biden's summit. "The U.S government should establish a unified and sustainable public-private framework to enhance cyber collaboration," Southern Chairman, President and CEO Tom Fanning said in a statement.
According to Fanning, the private sector owns and operates 87% of U.S. critical infrastructure, making collaboration "imperative to thwart these attacks." The administration announced that the National Institute of Standards and Technology will work with the private sector on a new framework to improve the security and integrity of the technology supply chain.
TNB sees 600,000 new smart-meter users by year-end
KUALA LUMPUR: More than 600,000 Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) customers are expected to become smart meter users by year-end, as the installation project resumed on Aug 1 after being suspended due to the enforcement of the movement control order 3.0.
TNB Advanced Metering Infrastructure project director Mohamed Ghous Ahmad said with the resumption of meter installation works, the number of smart meter users would increase to more than 1.8 million by the end of 2021.
From smart meters to big batteries, co-ops emerge as clean grid laboratories
Minnesota electric cooperatives have quietly emerged as laboratories for clean grid innovation, outpacing investor-owned utilities on smart meter installations, time-based pricing pilots, and experimental storage solutions. “Co-ops have innovation in their DNA,” said David Ranallo, a spokesperson for Great River Energy, a generation and distribution cooperative that supplies power to 28 member utilities — making it one of the state’s largest co-op players.
Minnesota farmers helped pioneer the electric co-op model more than a century ago, pooling resources to build power lines, transformers and other equipment to deliver power to rural parts of the state. Today, 44 member-owned electric co-ops serve about 1.7 million rural and suburban customers and supply almost a quarter of the state’s electricity.
COVID forces a smart buildings rethink
The pandemic is revolutionising office designs with more emphasis on healthier, smarter and more efficient environments The return to offices has started. But while there may be disagreements between companies on how often staff should attend the office, there can be no question that the notion of corporate life has changed irrevocably during the pandemic. The advent of remote working, rush to digitalisation and emphasis on sustainability has consigned pre-pandemic practices to history – and no more so than in the buildings and construction sector.
According to a recent Honeywell report, Rethinking Buildings Post-COVID-19, 75% of surveyed US facility managers say COVID-19 has caused them to permanently rethink how their facility operates. Nearly 60% are more likely to invest in indoor air quality optimisation and other healthy building solutions, rising to 70% who are willing to invest in smart building solutions that help drive efficiency and support sustainability efforts.
There’s no decarbonisation without data
The IPCC report released in August is the latest wake up-call to Australia that it must lift its weight to prevent the looming climate catastrophe. The report concludes that permanent climate change is closer than previously thought, with temperatures expected to rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030, unless urgent action is taken.
The action we must take is clear, and the tools we need are at hand. Decarbonisation demands grid improvements, measurable corporate sustainability transformations and the collective will of energy consumers. The common prerequisite in each of these elements is the sophisticated use of energy data.
PRESS RELEASE
NES Selected as Best Smart Energy Software Company of Silicon Valley 2021
31 Aug 2021 San Jose Award Program Again Honors Networked Energy Services Software Achievements
San Jose, CA, August 31, 2021: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Patagonia Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), announced today that it has been selected for the Silicon Valley 2021 Best Smart Energy Software Company Award by the San Jose Award Program. This is the second straight year that NES has been recognized for its software achievements.
Each year, the San Jose Award Program identifies companies in the Silicon Valley community and business area that they believe have achieved exceptional market success. This includes local companies that enhance the positive image of business through service to their customers and involvement in the community. The Program selects exceptional companies who help make San Jose and the Silicon Valley area a great place to live, work and play.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Solartech Indonesia, Jakarta Indonesia, 30 September – 2 October 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jakarta Indonesia, 30 September – 2 October 2021
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3rd Annual Utility Cyber Security Forum, Chicago, USA, 6-7 October 2021
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EM-Power Europe, Munich, Germany, 6-8 October 2021
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Budapest Climate Summit, Budapest, Hungary, 7-8 October 2021
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9th Power & Energy Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya, 7-9 October 2021
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IEC 61850 Week 2021, Gothenburg, Sweden, 18-22 October 2021
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EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 19-21 October 2021
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Power Engineering for Industry, EcoEnergy, 19-21 October 2021
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Digital Utilities Europe 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 27-28 October 2021
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POWERGEN India, Indian /utility Week and DISTRIBUTECH India, New Delhi, India, 27-29 October 2021
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2nd Virtual Power Plant, Virtual Event, 4-5 November 2021
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Electricity Economics in Changing Electricity Markets, Live Online Course over 4 Sessions, 5-18 November 2021
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Smart City Expo World Congress, Barcelona, Spain, 16-18 November 2021
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Mastering Solar Power, Live Online Course over 5 Sessions, 22 November-3 December 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Power & Water Nigeria Exhibition & Conference, Lagos, Nigeria, 21-23 June 2022
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Aug2021
MEMBER NEWS
OSGP ALLIANCE welcomes PROINTER as new member
The OSGP Alliance is very honored by PROINTER IT SOUTIONS AND SERVICES’ (PROINTER ITSS) decision to join the Alliance as a Silver Member.
PROINTER ITSS was founded in 2015 with the goal of being the carrier of innovations that create a modern and advanced business environment, and it looks like they are on a promising path of achieving just that. Prointer’s main vision when it comes to the energy industry is to become the leader in the field of smart metering in the Balkans and they see serious potential and a large opportunity window for upgrade of old systems still in place in the Balkan region.
With PROINTER ITSS’ wealth of experience in the energy industry, the OSGP Alliance is very pleased to welcome PROINTER ITSS to help promoting the adoption of the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) and infrastructure for smart grid applications towards a future proof modern smart grid in the Balkan region!
Are European Grids Smart Enough for the Future?
Tuesday, September 14, 2021 | 11am–12pm CEST | Webinar Language: English
As content partner of EMPOWER Europe, the OSGP Alliance is organizing the webinar “Are European Grids Smart Enough for the Future?” taking place on Tuesday, September 14, 11am-12pm CEST. The webinar is free to attend.
At the webinar, Kirsten Glennung, Projects Director of E.DSO will focus on “New approaches for managing electricity distribution grids” and you will get insights in the uptake of innovative digital technologies and why and how utilities are focusing on combining flexibility measures, storages and demand response services with smart technologies and automation instruments for a major control of the network and distributed energy resources.
In the second part of the webinar, the OSGP Alliance focuses on smart grid threat detection and cyber security because deployments of smart meters and other smart infrastructure dramatically increase the attack surface exposed to threat actors.
More information and free registration
Special discount plan for OSGP Alliance Pavilion participation in Enlit Europe 2021, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December
Following up on previous successes, OSGP Alliance will join Enlit Europe 2021 taking place in Milan, from 30 November – 2 December 2021. Enlit Europe brings together thought leaders behind the world’s most successful utilities and solution providers. The exhibition floor is where visitors explore innovations and technologies helping to transform the utility landscape, where they do business and meet fellow utility leaders & professionals showcasing projects, intelligence and insights into future solutions. As one of 1000 exhibitors, you get a great opportunity to showcase your brand and services and position your company as one of the leading companies in the global smart energy market!
If you wish to strengthen your position within the OSGP ecosystem, promote your company, as well as your hardware/software/system solutions, join the OSGP Alliance Pavilion and benefit from exclusive pavilion partnership discounts and great promotion and branding opportunities.
Please contact secretariat@osgp.org for details on the sponsorship package options that best suit your requirements.
OSGP Alliance will join EM-POWER EUROPE as Exhibitor
Efficient distribution and use of renewably generated electricity and heat as well as intelligent energy management within smart grids and microgrids, neighborhoods and buildings – these are the key topics at EM-Power Europe, the international exhibition for energy management and integrated energy solutions.
It presents businesses and the industry as a whole with products and solutions for a smart, sustainable and future-oriented energy supply and showcases ways to achieve a carbon-neutral future. Together with Intersolar Europe, ees Europe and Power2Drive Europe, it forms The smarter E Europe, the continent’s largest platform for the energy industry. EM-Power Europe will take place at Messe München from October 6–8.
We look forward to welcoming you at booth B5.472
For more information about the event, click here.
How a building's energy performance is affected by renewable energy and load shedding
While most people instinctively expect that a building with solar PV plant will have a better EPC rating than a building that does not rely on any form of renewable energy, this is not the case.
According to the SANS 1544 (Energy performance certificates for buildings) all energy carriers into a building must be included in the calculation of a building’s energy performance. An energy carrier is defined in the standard as an “energy form or system, including but not limited to, electricity, gas, fossil fuels, and renewable energy”. While it is obvious that grid supplied electricity consumed in a building should count towards the energy performance, some of the other carriers need closer examination.
Let us start with the way “renewable energy” is treated in the calculation of a building’s energy performance rating. The inclusion of renewable energy in the definition of energy carriers implies that the energy performance and consequently the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of a building will not improve should the property owner invest in, say, a solar PV plant that provides some, or even all, of the electricity consumed in the building. It might be argued that this is incorrect – that a building’s EPC rating should reflect the fact that renewable energy is used in the building, moving the building closer towards the “net zero” ideal. However, the purpose of an EPC is to determine the energy performance of a building, not the carbon emission performance thereof.
Alliander: Shortage on the electricity grid affects everyone
In the first half of 2021, energy network company Alliander invested €465 million, a €60 million increase compared to the same period last year. Despite these substantial investments, it seems difficult to keep up with the current pace of the energy transition.
The chronic shortage of technical personnel and long lead times due to permit procedures are among the main causes of this situation. This means that the capacity shortage on the electricity grid is set to increase even further. The consequences of the limitations of the current grid will affect businesses and consumers in the coming years.
MARKET NEWS
Nigeria enters 2nd phase of National Mass Metering project
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that they will be providing up to four million meters to Nigerians in the second phase of its National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP). The move is expected to drastically reduce estimated billing by the distribution companies (Discos). A statement from the office of the Special Adviser on Infrastructure to the President, Ahmad Zakari, said arrangements to commence the metering process have been completed.
The statement noted that the next phase of the initiative will ensure consumers are billed appropriately for the electricity they consume by installing meters free of charge in households and business premises that are currently not metered.
Atlantic City Electric gets go-ahead for smart energy network
Southern New Jersey utility Atlantic City Electric has received regulatory approval for its service area-wide ‘Smart Energy Network’. The initiative is planned to deliver smart meters to all of the company’s approximately 560,000 customers and to upgrade the network to enhance reliability and resiliency.
With increasingly common severe weather events, a key benefit is expected to be faster and more efficient identification of the cause and location of power outages and their restoration.
Cherokee County Electric Cooperative Partners with FiberRise for Grid Modernization and Broadband Initiative
Cherokee County Electric Cooperative Association (CCECA) has initiated a fiber-based grid modernization project throughout its service area, including Cherokee, Smith, Rusk, and Nacogdoches counties. Construction is expected to begin in November 2021 and will provide connectivity for six substations initially in support of its Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS). The Utility Grade Broadband architecture enables the service area for gigabit broadband services as well.
“A fiber network design that supports DERMS, SCADA and outage management is essential to improving the reliability of electricity to our members,” said Bart Bauer, engineering supervisor for CCECA. “Lack of access to quality broadband is also a big problem for our community. FiberRise’s Utility Grade Broadband serves our electric and broadband needs with a flexible and efficient architecture that provides additional revenue opportunities and capabilities that benefit our cooperative membership. CCECA will soon offer lightning-fast speeds for work-at-home, telehealth, and educational applications.”
IoT Is Changing The Grid’s Landscape
Remember when the internet of things (IoT) was the new kid on the block? It’s only been about 20 years ago since the term was coined. That can be stretched by another 20 years if the students who wired a campus Coke machine to a network are considered. They wanted to know the number of Coke cans in the machine and how cold they were without walking to the machine, but that’s another story.
What started me thinking about IoT technology was a report I had stumbled upon the other day. According to Statista, “The total installed base of IoT connected devices worldwide is projected to amount to 30.9 billion units by 2025, a sharp jump from the 13.8 billion units that are expected in 2021.” That’s a lot of connectivity in a relatively short period of time, but the technology has become an important component of today’s digitalization. IoT has also undergone a great deal of specialization in the process became consumer IoT, commercial IoT, industrial IoT, utility IoT, and the list grows.
Better energy efficiency policy with digital tools
The digitalisation of energy systems is transforming energy efficiency, introducing technologies and creating new sources of detailed data which are supporting new business models and revenue streams. As the market and technology landscape transform, policy makers are also increasingly taking advantage of digital tools for energy efficiency policy to deliver more secure, clean, and flexible energy systems. At the same time, the digital transformation also introduces important new risks in terms of cybersecurity and privacy that governments must navigate to ensure that the digital transition has the confidence of citizens and market participants.
This article describes how governments are turning to digital tools to strengthen the policy cycle of designing, implementing and monitoring energy efficiency policies. It highlights case studies of the main tools that are currently being used and identifies the main risks and constraints to their greater adoption.
SADC and COMESA receive AfDB grant to advance electricity regulations
SADC and COMESA will receive $2.5 million in combined grants from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to advance intra-regional harmonisation of electricity regulations and drive cross-border power trading.
The grants, $1.5 million for COMESA and $1 million for SADC, will be sourced from the African Development Fund, the bank group’s concessional financing window. The projects will be implemented through the Regional Association of Energy Regulators for Eastern and Southern Africa (RAERESA) and the Regional Energy Regulators Association of Southern Africa (RERA) respectively.
PRESS RELEASE
Networked Energy Services Partners with Prointer ITSS to Accelerate the Smart Energy Transition in the Balkans
NES and Prointer ITSS Join Forces to Modernise Grids in Balkans with the Latest Advanced Metering Infrastructure Technology
San Jose, CA, August 24, 2021: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), is proud to announce its partnership with Prointer ITSS. NES and Prointer ITSS will bring the latest AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) to the Balkans, leveraging the strengths of NES technology and Prointer ITSS’s delivery expertise.
NES, with its implementation of the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP), has an established position as an industry leader in secure smart grid solutions. Through its OSGP implementation, NES AMI offers industry leading communications, with deployments typically exceeding 99% reliability. Resilience to noise is a key consideration in any AMI rollout. NES’s proven performance is a unique qualification for the Balkans, and an essential enabler for DSO digitization. Together with its AMI solution, NES brings proven O&M (Operations and Maintenance) solutions to help DSOs achieve the full business benefit of their infrastructure investment, and innovative threat detection solutions to augment its already industry leading cyber-security.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Electric Vehicles & the Grid, Live online course, 31 August – 2 September 2021
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The Future Energy Show Philippines, Virtual Event, 2-3 September 2021
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2nd Annual Africa Solar Energy Forum, Virtual Event, 7-8 September 2021
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MOVE ASIA, Online Event, 7-9 September 2021
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Are European Grids Smart Enough for the Future? Webinar, free to attend, 14 September 2021, 11am-12pm
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Energy Storage, Live online course, 13-16 September,
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EMPOWER EUROPE - Are European Grids Smart Enough for the Future? Free Webinar, 14 September 2021
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SPARK-Energy Reimagined, Online Event, 14-15 September 2021
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Future of Utilities Summit, London, UK, 15-16 September 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 28-30 September 2021
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Renewable Energy & Smart Grid Conference & Trade Show, Virtual Event, 29-30 September, 2021
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Solartech Indonesia, Jakarta Indonesia, 30 September – 2 October 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jakarta Indonesia, 30 September – 2 October 2021
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Utility Cyber Security Forum, Chicago, USA, 6-7 October 2021
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EM-Power Europe, Munich, Germany, 6-8 October 2021
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Budapest Climate Summit, Budapest, Hungary, 7-8 October 2021
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9th Power & Energy Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya, 7-9 October 2021
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IEC 61850 Week 2021, Gothenburg, Sweden, 18-22 October 2021
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EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 19-21 October 2021
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Power Engineering for Industry, EcoEnergy, 19-21 October 2021
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Digital Utilities Europe 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 27-28 October 2021
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POWERGEN India, Indian /utility Week and DISTRIBUTECH India, New Delhi, India, 27-29 October 2021
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2nd Virtual Power Plant, Virtual Event, 4-5 November 2021
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Electricity Economics in Changing Electricity Markets, Live Online Course over 4 Sessions, 5-18 November 2021
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Mastering Solar Power, Live Online Course over 5 Sessions, 22 November-3 December 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Jul2021
MEMBER NEWS
Special discount plan for OSGP Alliance Pavilion participation in Enlit Europe 2021, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December
Following up on previous successes, OSGP Alliance will join Enlit Europe 2021 taking place in Milan, from 30 November – 2 December 2021.
Enlit Europe brings together thought leaders behind the world’s most successful utilities and solution providers. The exhibition floor is where visitors explore innovations and technologies helping to transform the utility landscape, where they do business and meet fellow utility leaders & professionals showcasing projects, intelligence and insights into future solutions. As one of 1000 exhibitors, you get a great opportunity to showcase your brand and services and position your company as one of the leading companies in the global smart energy market!
If you wish to strengthen your position within the OSGP ecosystem, promote your company, as well as your hardware/software/system solutions, join the OSGP Alliance Pavilion and benefit from exclusive pavilion partnership discounts and great promotion and branding opportunities.
Please contact secretariat@osgp.org for details on the sponsorship package options that best suit your requirements.
Visit OSGP Alliance at EM-POWER EUROPE RESTART– The International Exhibition for Energy Management and Integrated Energy Solutions
Efficient distribution and use of renewably generated electricity and heat as well as intelligent energy management within smart grids and microgrids, neighborhoods and buildings – these are the key topics at EM-Power Europe, the international exhibition for energy management and integrated energy solutions.
This year, due to the pandemic, The smarter E Europe and its four concurrent energy exhibitions Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe will be staged at Messe München from October 6–8.
The OSGP Alliance will be present as exhibitor and will play an active role at the exhibition forum “Creating Connections - Inspiration for the Digital Grid”.
Schneider Electric completes investment in Operation Technology, Inc. (“ETAP”) to spearhead smart and green electrification
Further to the announcement made on 16th November 2020, Schneider Electric, the global leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, announces that it has successfully completed the transaction to purchase a controlling stake in Operation Technology Inc. (“ETAP”). ETAP will be consolidated within the Energy Management business.
ETAP is an energy management & engineering solutions company specializing in modelling, simulation, design, planning, monitoring, control, operator training, optimization, and automation of power systems. ETAP's integrated digital-twin platform offers the best comprehensive suite of enterprise solutions. As the only high-impact software in its class, ETAP has been a market and technology leader for over 35 years, providing the most comprehensive and widely-used enterprise solutions trusted by 10,000+ companies ranging from, generation, transmission, distribution, industrial, transportation, data centers to low-voltage power systems.
Smart metering and power line communications
Smart metering with two-way communications provides the critical foundation for establishing a smart grid. Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems employ a wide range of communications technologies, including radio frequency (RF) mesh, power line communications (PLC), and cellular. Utilities should look for solutions that support a variety of applications that fully integrate into future operational plans, but what type of communication solution is best?
Utilities own and manage a vast network: the electricity grid that delivers power to their customers. Through decades of investment and operations, distribution system operators (DSOs) or distribution companies (Discoms) have become experts at managing their electricity distribution networks that reach 100 percent of their customers. By using the electricity distribution network for communications, discoms can leverage their extensive experience and also reuse maintenance tools and resources, thereby avoiding the maintenance costs of a dedicated communication network. With every extension of the electricity distribution network, the communication network grows accordingly.
Duke Energy Florida urges customers to prepare for Tropical Storm Elsa
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Duke Energy Florida is preparing for Tropical Storm Elsa and is urging customers to prepare as well. Company meteorologists are tracking the storm and crews are preparing to safely and quickly respond if the storm impacts Duke Energy Florida’s service area.
Tropical Storm Elsa could potentially strengthen and bring heavy rainfall, strong winds and localized flooding to portions of the company’s service area. Placing crews near areas that will likely be affected by this system will allow for the most rapid response after a storm passes through.
New prepaid electricity meter enters the private property market
Conlog announced the launch of a new prepaid electricity meter, the BEC 21 targeted for the private property segment. With the release of this new product, the focus for Conlog is to promote fit-for-purpose solutions for metering.
The new smart meter is rated 60A, is internationally certified and provides its users with advanced protection, multiple tamper detection features – while being simple and intuitive to use.
MARKET NEWS
India revises net metering arrangements
India’s Ministry of Power has issued an order setting net metering for rooftop solar installations up to 500kW capacity. The order issued as an amendment to the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules 2020 revises an earlier rule from December 2020 when those rules were released capping net metering for systems up to 10kW. For systems greater than 10kW gross metering would be required.
The new rule states that where regulations made by the state commission do not provide for net metering, net billing or net feed-in, net metering may be allowed for loads up to 500kW or the sanctioned load, whichever is the lower.
Flexibility solutions could allow German industry to relieve power grid
German companies could make a significant contribution to stabilising the electricity grid by flexibly adapting their demand to available supply, according to a new study conducted by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s (BMBF) SynErgie project. SynErgie is one of the ministry’s Copernicus Projects, an energy transition research initiative that aims to make it possible for Germany to become climate-neutral by 2045.
Specifically, SynErgie studies has calculated the extent to which industry can help to offset fluctuations caused by the intermittent supply of wind and solar-generated electricity and relieve the power grid. In addition, an international comparison shows that flexibility solutions from Germany could become an international export hit.
Tata Power Initiates Smart Metering for Mumbai Consumers
Tata Power is the first distribution utility in Mumbai, India, to initiate smart metering for its consumers. More than 7000 smart meters have been installed so far. With the installation of smart meters, Tata Power has also provided its customers with valuable data analytics tools. Customers can now view and optimize their electricity consumption in near real time through a customer portal and mobile app.
Smart meters are a smart choice, both for customers as well as energy providers, offering complete transparency regarding energy consumption patterns and billing. The smart meter rollout has witnessed a positive support from customers, allowing them easy access to monitor their consumption in just a few clicks on an hourly, daily, or monthly basis.
The Advanced Metering Infrastructure Market was valued at USD 10.47 billion in 2020, and it is expected to reach USD 22.98 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 13.9%, during the forecast period of 2021-2026
Smart Meters represent a transformative technology for the utility industry. These technologically advanced meters provide greater insight into the usage of energy. Smart Meters have been employed as a part of Advanced Metering Infrastructure development initiatives around the world.
New York, July 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Advanced Metering Infrastructure Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06106029/?utm_source=GNW
The development of an integrated and IT-enabled power grid and other support software to analyze the patterns provides significant benefits to the user. Such a grid, known as a ‘smart grid,’ supports the expansion of distributed production, lowers costs, promotes energy efficiency, and improves both the reliability and security of the entire production, transmission, and distribution system. AMI is a vital part of any smart grid initiative. Government agencies and utilities are turning toward AMI systems as part of larger "smart grid" initiatives. For instance, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the global electricity demand is anticipated to increase by nearly 80% between 2012 & 2040.
Norwegian Utility Smart Meter App Cuts Customers' Energy Usage
Energy companies Eidsiva and Gudbrandsdal Energi, part of Norway's largest utility Fjordkraft, have demonstrated that energy usage can be reduced over long periods of time by giving customers access to smart meters and analytics tools on their phones.
By analyzing consumption data of more than 1000 customers all the way back to 2013, it was possible to identify a clear shift in consumption patterns from the date a household started using a mobile app for tracking their consumption. Data shows electricity consumption decreased by 6.8% (mean) or 8.7% (median) after becoming users of the app, compared to data recorded on the households' smart meters before having access to the app.
NextGenerationEU: European Commission endorses Cyprus's €1.2 billion recovery and resilience plan
The European Commission has adopted a positive assessment of Cyprus's recovery and resilience plan. This is an important step towards the EU disbursing a total of €1.2 billion in grants and loans under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. This financing will support the implementation of the crucial investment and reform measures outlined in Cyprus's recovery and resilience plan. It will play a key role in enabling Cyprus to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Commission's assessment finds that Cyprus's plan devotes 41% of the plan's total allocation to measures that support climate objectives. The plan includes reforms relating to the introduction of green taxation, the liberalisation of the electricity market, facilitating energy renovations in buildings and accelerating electric mobility. The plan further includes a broad range of energy efficiency and renewable energy investments targeting households, enterprises, municipalities and the wider public sector and non-governmental organisations (‘NGOs'). The plan includes investments relating to the mass roll-out of smart meters as well as the EuroAsia Interconnector project, which should aid electricity generation from cleaner sources, in particular renewables.
Pune: MSEDCL to introduce smart meters for domestic consumers
In a significant step, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), has decided to introduce smart meters on an experimental basis for domestic consumers.
The move comes after directions were given by Energy Minister Nitin Raut. “We will soon install smart meters in the homes of domestic consumers in major cities like Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur and Aurangbad. This will be done on an experimental basis. If the experiment is successful, the smart meter system will be implemented across the state,” Bharat Pawar, spokesperon for the Energy Ministry, told The Indian Express on Wednesday.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreements, Live online course, 3-12 August 2021,
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Power China 2021, Guangzhou, China, 16 - 18 August 2021
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Power & Electricity World Africa 2021, Virtual Event, 24-25 August 2021
Electric Vehicles & the Grid, Live online course, 31 August – 2 September 2021
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The Future Energy Show Philippines, Virtual Event, 2-3 September 2021
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MOVE ASIA, Online Event, 7-9 September 2021
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Energy Storage, Live online course, 13-16 September,
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SPARK-Energy Reimagined, Online Event, 14-15 September 2021
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Future of Utilities Summit, London, UK, 15-16 September 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 28-30 September 2021
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Solartech Indonesia, Jakarta Indonesia, 30 September – 2 October 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jakarta Indonesia, 30 September – 2 October 2021
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EM-Power Europe, Munich, Germany, 6-8 October 2021
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Budapest Climate Summit, Budapest, Hungary, 7-8 October 2021
9th Power & Energy Kenya, Nairobi, Keynia, 7-9 October 2021
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IEC 61850 Week 2021, Gothenburg, Sweden, 18-22 October 2021
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EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 19-21 October 2021
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Power Engineering for Industry, EcoEnergy, 19-21 October 2021
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Digital Utilities Europe 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 27-28 October 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Jun2021
MEMBER NEWS
Vattenfall supports Conapto’s data centres with 24/7 electricity matching
New fossil-free energy agreement, and a 24/7 Matching solution, has been signed between Vattenfall and Swedish colocation data centre operator Conapto with two data centres and headquarter in Stockholm.
The unique 24/7 Matching solution was introduced to the market after the successful pilot that was done together with Microsoft in 2019. Data centre Conapto is now the first company after Microsoft to implement the 24/7 Matching solution in its operations starting 1 November.
Alliander: Smart open source solutions help energy transition along
Network company Alliander is entering into national and international collaborations using open source software. With open source software, the source code is freely available and can be used, modified and shared by third parties.
For Alliander, participating in open source projects is a way of meeting the challenges of the energy transition and, this way, accelerating innovation. It also helps to further increase the reliability of the power grid by, on the one hand, deploying smart solutions and, on the other, by sharing insights. The Weather Provider API is exactly such a smart open source tool, one that allows you to collect weather data with ease. Alliander will be holding a webinar on this tool on 7 July.
Ecological Network Path Management – E.ON Supports United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
E.ON is the first energy company in the world to support the United Nations Environment Program in restoring ecosystems for climate protection and biodiversity. As Europe’s largest operator of electricity distribution networks, E.ON will create valuable biotopes under 13,000 kilometers of high-voltage lines in forest areas. This is equivalent to an area of 100,000 soccer fields. Ecological route management makes an important contribution to healthier ecosystems and greater biodiversity throughout Europe. E.ON is a partner of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which has proclaimed the “Decade for Ecosystem Restoration” to mark World Environment Day on June 5.
Leonhard Birnbaum, CEO of E.ON: We are creating new habitats and biotopes throughout Europe, making a significant contribution to biodiversity and climate protection. Being a partner of UNEP fills us with pride, but at the same time it is also an obligation to consistently implement sustainability in everything we do.
Networked Energy Services launches threat detection and response for the low voltage grid
NES helps DSOs prepare for the anticipated up-surge in cyber-security attacks on the smart grid.
Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), is proud to announce the further strengthening of its security solutions with threat detection and response, with planned deployments for over 1 million smart meters by mid-2021 for its new Grid Watch solution.
Enel cuts ribbon on Flexibility Lab, promoting innovation towards flexible distribution networks
Rome, May 26th, 2021 – The Enel Group inaugurates today the Flexibility Lab initiative, which consists in four decentralized test centers featuring highly qualified personnel, advanced systems and state-of-the-art instrumentation that can replicate the real and complex operating conditions of electrical networks, to experiment innovative flexibility solutions.
"The widespread availability of energy from renewable sources, the development of electric mobility and the increased electrification on the consumption side all call for enhanced grid robustness, in order to respond to the needs of an energy world that is quickly embracing a complete energy transition," said Antonio Cammisecra, Head of Enel’s Global Infrastructure and Networks. "Through its Flexibility Lab, Enel opens up four centers of excellence that will allow, in the future, all the stakeholders of the emerging flexibility market to collaborate, test, and verify their solutions within a real Distribution Network Operation framework ensuring technological neutrality. By fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration, the Flexibility Lab aims at enhancing the contribution and diffusion of grid connected distributed energy resources, thus supporting the ambitious decarbonization targets on the roadmap to a net-zero future."
MARKET NEWS
Emerging markets poised to achieve smart metering despite COVID-19
When the ongoing COVID-19 crisis fades into the past and the global economy recovers, the long-term view for smart meter deployment and emerging market growth is strong, writes Stephen Chakerian.
North America, Western Europe, and East Asia are largely concluding most of their first-time smart meter rollouts over the next few years and attention has shifted to emerging markets. The leading emerging market countries are forecast to deploy 148 million smart meters (excluding the Chinese market which will deploy more than 300 million more), representing billions of dollars in investment over the next five years. Of course, the global pandemic is far from settled, and emerging market countries are now experiencing the greatest challenges in vaccine access and distribution. But as the ongoing crisis fades into the past and the global economy rebounds, the long view for emerging market growth is strong.
Why smart meter adoption in Africa lacks cohesion
Throughout Africa, specifically the sub-Saharan Africa region, utilities and municipalities often attribute non-technical losses to an extensive list of challenges. In response to these challenges, strategic revenue collection methods such as the deployment of smart meters has risen. But has adoption been successful?
In this region, the power industry is characterised by regular blackouts, theft and fraud, and inefficient energy management. Furthermore, efficient customer service appears to be difficult to attain as utilities grapple with inaccurate invoicing and revenue losses. Smart electricity metering seems to be an effective solution to most of these challenges.
Official launch of the EU DSO Entity
Today marks the official launch of the EU DSO Entity which is a new association for the European distribution system operators (DSO). The Entity emanates from the European Electricity Regulation (EU) 2019/943 and aims to increase efficiencies in the electricity distribution networks in the Union and to ensure close cooperation with transmission system operators and the ENTSO for Electricity.
The Entity will provide a platform of cooperation between all the electricity DSOs with the overall objective of positioning itself as an expert body tackling essential matters such as developing network codes and guidelines, contributing to the digitalisation of the DSO systems and facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources.
Smart meters and 100% green power for Mumbai consumers
Tata Power is delivering smart meters and 100% green power to its residential and C&I customers in Mumbai. Tata Power declaring itself to be the first distributor to roll out smart meters in Mumbai says it has installed more than 7,000 units to date.
With the installation, the utility also has enabled its customers with valuable data analytics tools. Customers can now view and optimise their electricity consumption in near real time through the customer portal and mobile app.
FERC Order No. 2222 Can Drive Innovation, Lower Costs Across the U.S. Considering the Range of Use Cases for Distributed Energy in Wholesale Markets
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 10, 2021 – Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) released a report illustrating use cases for distributed energy resources (DER) in wholesale electricity markets that DER aggregators and other stakeholders expect to pursue under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Order No. 2222. These use cases demonstrate how increased DER participation in wholesale markets can improve competition, lower rates, give customers greater choice, and provide needed flexibility to support the reliability and resilience of the electricity grid. In the report, AEE also offers recommendations to guide Order No. 2222 compliance planning efforts currently underway by grid operators to ensure that implementation of the landmark order overcomes barriers that stand in the way of delivering the full value of DERs to customers and regional grid operators.
“Customers are already adopting these distributed, cost-effective, flexible resources. FERC’s order simply embraces existing market trends and ensures that we are making the best use of this new set of flexible resources to ensure grid reliability and affordability," said Jeff Dennis, Managing Director and General Counsel at AEE. “But the benefits of Order No. 2222 will only be realized if RTO/ISO participation models accommodate a wide range of near-term and future DER use cases.”
India To Spend $21.6 Billion On Smart Grid Infrastructure By 2025
India is looking to smart grid infrastructure to help tackle an out-of-control electricity theft problem and improve reliability. Theft costs the Indian power sector $16.2bn per year. India's government has already committed billions of dollars in funding for smart grid infrastructure and cumulative spending is forecasted at $21.6bn over the period 2015-2025, according to a new study published today by Northeast Group, LLC.
"India loses more money to theft than any other country in the world," said Ben Gardner, President of Northeast Group. "The state of Maharashtra—which includes Mumbai—alone loses $2.8bn per year, more than all but eight countries in the world. Nationally, total transmission and distribution losses approach 23% and some states' losses exceed 50%. Most Indian utilities are financially unsustainable."
PRESS RELEASES
Networked Energy Services Partners with Cover Energy Plus to Help Drive the Smart Energy Transformation in Ukraine
15 Jun 2021
NES and CEP provide industry leading smart grid technology and services essential in maintaining the growing momentum in the region
San Jose, CA, June 15, 2021: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), is proud to announce its partnership with Cover Energy Plus (CEP). NES and CEP will be a driving force in the rollout of smart metering solutions in Ukraine, combining NES' highly reliable and secure Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) with CEP’s practical rollout experience in traditional and renewable energy projects.
NES, with its implementation of the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP), has an established position as an industry leader in secure smart grid solutions. With its recent introduction of Grid Watch threat detection and response solution, NES is one of the few AMI vendors that can address the cyber-security requirements of Ukraine’s digitization programs. Through its OSGP implementation, NES AMI offers industry leading communications, with deployments typically exceeding 99% reliability. Resilience to noise is a key consideration in any AMI rollout. NES’s proven performance, again, is a unique qualification for Ukraine, and an essential enabler for DSO digitization.
The smarter E AWARD 2021: Finalists Present Pioneering Projects and Products for Energy Industry
10 Jun 2021
Munich/Pforzheim, June 10, 2021: The finalists for The smarter E AWARD 2021 are in fine form again this year with their pioneering projects and products promoting a sustainable energy industry. The Outstanding Projects category honors energy projects that have been completed around the world. The Smart Renewable Energy category celebrates sector coupling solutions as well as smart management tools for energy systems. The winners of The smarter E AWARD will be crowned on a virtual stage as part of The smarter E Industry Days being held between July 21 and 23, 2021.
The smarter E Europe is the continent’s largest platform for the energy industry, showcasing intelligently connected concepts and solutions geared toward efficient energy generation and usage. Innovation is an essential driving force behind a cross-sector approach on this level. With that in mind, the valued innovation prize of the energy industry – The smarter E AWARD – centers around solutions and concepts that take renewable energy, decentralization, and digitalization as the basis for intelligently linking every aspect of electricity, heat, and transportation.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreements, Live online course, 3-12 August 2021,
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Power China 2021, Guangzhou, China, 16 - 18 August 2021
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Electric Vehicles & the Grid, Live online course, 31 August – 2 September 2021
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MOVE ASIA, Online Event, 7-9 September 2021
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Energy Storage, Live online course, 13-16 September,
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SPARK-Energy Reimagined, Online Event, 14-15 September 2021
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Future of Utilities Summit, London, UK, 15-16 September 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 28-30 September 2021
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Solartech Indonesia, Jakarta Indonesia, 30 September – 2 October 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jakarta Indonesia, 30 September – 2 October 2021
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EM-Power Europe, Munich, Germany, 6-8 October 2021
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9th Power & Energy Kenya, Nairobi, Keynia, 7-9 October 2021
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IEC 61850 Week 2021, Gothenburg, Sweden, 18-22 October 2021
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EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 19-21 October 2021
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Power Engineering for Industry, EcoEnergy, 19-21 October 2021
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Digital Utilities Europe 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 27-28 October 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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May2021
MEMBER NEWS
Cyber-Security Concerns - Survey Results 2021
OSGP Alliance presents the outcome of a survey on the top concerns for cyber-attack on the smart grid - released in May 2021.
Cyber-security of the smart grid is an increasing concern for DSOs. Before the smart grid became smart, the cyber-criminals had no means of attacking it. Smarter grids improve automation, monitoring, management and maintenance of the energy grid, to reduce fraud and theft, reduce energy losses, introduce green and locally produced energy and increase sustainability. The technology enabling allows cyber-criminals to damage this critical energy transformation.
Have a look at outcome of the survey the OSGP Alliance has released in a joint cooperation between the OSGP Alliance and its members.
Smart grid drivers in Latin America
Latin America is a massive potential market for the globalisation of smart energy. Projections show the region accounts for over 85 million smart meter deployments by 2029. Countries like Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru are leading the charge and are well on their way to deploying millions of smart meters by that point.
Importantly, it is a region where the benefits of the smart grid can bring about major improvements in efficiency and stability of the energy supply and a fair supply of energy for all. At the same time, there are special challenges that apply to this region.
To make the smart energy transition successful in LATAM, many challenges need to be addressed squarely.
Slovenia’s Idrija installing battery storage to become smart town
Idrija is becoming one of the first urban areas in Slovenia with electricity storage and a public infrastructure management system with flexible consumption. The small town is involved with the national NEDO project with Japanese partners.
The establishment of a battery storage system in a small hydropower power plant in Idrija is carried out by Kolektor Sisteh as part of a three-year smart grid project. New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), its authorized contractor Hitachi and ELES are the main partners. The completion and commissioning of the equipment are scheduled for June, followed by a six-month trial run to make Idrija a smart town.
EPRI Members Testing New Platform to Manage Smart Meter Data
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and several of its member utilities are collaborating with VIA on a project that seeks to uncover how AMI (smart meter) data can be managed better while being made more accessible. The participating utilities include Consolidated Edison (ConEd), American Electric Power (AEP), Électricité de France (EDF) and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).
Recent regulations in the European Union as well as several U.S. states, including California, Illinois and New York, have mandated more open access to AMI data to support an accelerated transition to clean energy. These regulations have raised questions about compliance with existing data privacy and security regulations. VIA’s Trusted Analytics Chain (TAC) platform addresses this issue.
Saudi Electricity installs 10 million smart meters in under 14 months
The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) announced the installation of 10 million smart electricity meters in a record time of under 14 months. This was announced in a recent press statement from the utility.
In a press statement, the utility’s CEO Fahd Bin Hussein Al-Sudairi touted the milestone achieved by his company and how the smart meters programme will help the energy provider to optimise its operations and customer services. Al-Sudairi said the smart meters project is his company’s most important development that has laid the firm’s foundation for future grid modernisation and digital transformation programmes.
Smart meter trial aims to revolutionise independent living for people with disabilities
A ground-breaking University of Edinburgh trial aims to revolutionise independent living for people with disabilities and older people through the use of smart meters. The Smart Meters for Independent Living (SMILE) project will develop and test machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) methods to analyse energy usage data from consenting residents’ smart meters, creating a view of their daily routines and spotting unusual changes in behaviour which could cause concern.
The trial is being led by School of Informatics’ Dr Lynda Webb, in partnership with innovative housing and care specialist Blackwood Homes and Care, and Scottish Innovation Centre, The Data Lab. Blackwood Homes and Care provides a range of accessible housing for people with disabilities and older people. The SMILE trial began in November 2019 and, despite some delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is currently analysing energy usage data in several homes across Scotland. The results of the trial are expected to be published in autumn 2021.
PRESS RELEASES
NES makes a strategic investment by appointing Mr Sunil Mittal as Director of Business Development for India
San Jose, CA, May 20th, 2021: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Smart Metering & Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), is proud to announce that Mr Sunil Mittal will be leading NES Business Development in India.
India’s Power Distribution Sector, with market size of more than 275 million consumers, is going through major reforms and energy transitions to bring increased efficiency. For these reforms, the main change drivers are adoption of proven technologies e.g., Smart Metering, Smart Grid, Data Analytics & various Integrated & Innovative solutions utilizing different business models. These technologies can help in reduction of Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) Losses for financial sustainability, improve the grid reliability, achieve better consumer services and, more importantly, smooth the energy transition.
NES, with its proven smart grid solutions and wide International experience of deploying 40 million smart metering points, has strategic intent to grow its business in the Indian Market. NES technology focuses on industry leading communications and security excellence, both of which are critical for the successful introduction of smart grid technologies as part of the smart energy transition. NES is intent on making its technology available for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) rollouts that are picking up pace in India. Projections are showing that over the next 5-10 years, the Indian smart meter deployments will increase by between 100M and 200M units.
Enlit Africa to return in June with focus on 5Ds as industry prepares for energy transition
03 May 2021, Longstanding energy platform gathers all role players to discuss and do deals.
Enlit Africa will kickstart its return on 8 June with a visionary discussion on the “5Ds of the energy transition”, namely: decarbonisation, decentralisation, democratisation, digitalisation and deregulation.
The opening session will feature local and global experts unpacking how the evolution of the power and energy sector globally will also affect local supply and opportunities, focusing on technology, policy and funding. Among the local experts is South African Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources Gwede Mantashe who will be providing the opening address for the event.
Same inspiration, different look
Enlit Africa, taking place from 8 to 10 June, is the new brand for the Cape-town based African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa conference and exhibition, which for more than 20 years has been the flagship power and energy show for the continent’s energy sector. The event had two very successful, interactive digital editions last year and rebranded in November 2020.
UPCOMING EVENTS
14th German-African Energy Forum, Hamburg, Germany, Hybrid event, 1-2 June 2021
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Energy Storage, Online Course, 1-9 June 2021
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Smart Grid and Future Energy Distribution Summit, Virtual Summit, 3-4 June 2021
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Enlit Africa (Formerly African Utility Week & POWERGEN Africa), Digital Event, 8-10 June 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 14-16 June 2021
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Citizens Energy Congress, Virtual, 15-16 June 2021
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ICSG Istanbul 2021, Istanbul, Turkey, 17-18 June 2021
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Global Energy Transition, Online & On-Demand event, 21-25 June 2021
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Power China 2021, Guangzhou, China, 16 - 18 August 2021
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MOVE ASIA, Online Event, 7-9 September 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 14-15 September 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 28-30 September 2021
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Solartech Indonesia, Jakarta Indonesia, 30 September – 2 October 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jakarta Indonesia, 30 September – 2 October 2021
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EM-Power Europe, Munich, Germany, 6-8 October 2021
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IEC 61850 Week 2021, Gothenburg, Sweden, 18-22 October 2021
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EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 19-21 October 2021
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Power Engineering for Industry, EcoEnergy, 19-21 October 2021
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Digital Utilities Europe 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 27-28 October 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Apr2021
MEMBER NEWS
Take part in our poll on Smart Grid Security
The OSGP Alliance has created a joint poll with one of our members focusing on smart grid security and the main issues of concern. Please enter the poll and we will share the results with you!
Take part in our poll here…
Innovative software applications from NES, making the smart grid smarter
Grid Navigator and Grid Flow allow you to discover your low-voltage network infrastructure from the transformer to the meter sensing quality of supply to the customer and throughout the low-voltage grid.
- Grid Navigator – maps the low voltage grid topology for back-office and distributed applications, giving utilities visibility of the low-voltage network.
- Grid Flow – identifies transformer utilization improvements and meter mis-wirings, enabling utilities to improve how they monitor the supply and reduce losses
These solutions provide visibility of the low-voltage network to help DSOs make the business decisions that will drive return on smart grid investment.
E.ON: Results from the energy transition project DESIGNETZ presented
After more than four years of research and development work, the DESIGNETZ project (part of the SINTEG funding program), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and led by E.ON, presented its results today. 46 project partners have been working together since the beginning of 2017 in the model regions of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland to develop scalable solutions that can be used to realize a sustainable, secure and at the same time cost-efficient energy system.
The research results provide important insights into what the energy world of tomorrow may look like. They show that the energy transition in Germany is technically feasible. The core element of the future energy system is an intelligent, well-developed grid infrastructure. It forms the backbone of the energy transition. In addition, flexibility potential and the principle of initially balancing energy generation and consumption locally wherever possible, will play an important role.
Schneider Electric launches Partnerships of the Future, unleashing simplified, open and increasingly digital collaboration
In its quest to strengthen global efforts of designing a more resilient, sustainable electric world, Schneider Electric, the leader of the digital transformation of energy management and automation, is all set to showcase pioneering energy management innovations and partner programs at the Hannover Messe 2021. To address the global urgency of climate change and the 21st century’s most significant challenges of the accelerating energy transition and growing demand for energy, Schneider electric is launching Partnerships of the Future. It is committed to enabling a green recovery whilst supporting the mega trends of mass digitization, greater electrification, along with the increasing role of natively connected digital products and software, in a bid to ensure sustainability and energy efficiency at scale.
Schneider calls this vision an ‘All-Electric, All Digital New Electric World’, powered by abundant clean energy, or Electricity 4.0. As the electric and digital solutions are becoming more complex, Schneider aims to empower its robust network of partners with high-paced, built to demand, supportive and simplified products, complete with native connectivity and making sustainable and electrical safety goals achievable.
Finland's Fortum powers ahead with sale of consumer unit - sources
HELSINKI, April 19 (Reuters) - Finnish utility Fortum is powering ahead with a plan to sell its electricity and gas retail businesses in a deal that could fetch around 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion), three people familiar with the matter said. Fortum said in December it was considering a possible divestment of the consumer unit, which contains the largest electricity retail business in the Nordic region with 2.4 million customers across Finland, Sweden, Norway and Spain.
It has now hired investment bank Citi to help it find a buyer, the people said. According to two sources, it has also sent out first information packages to potential bidders, including Germany’s E.ON and Sweden’s Vattenfall. Smaller local players like Norwegian neighbour Fjordkraft may also be interested in parts of the business, one of the people said, while another person said that financial sponsors are likely to show interest.
MARKET NEWS
1.2 million smart meter rollout gets go ahead in Lithuania
Lithuania’s distribution operator Energijos skirstymo operatorius (ESO) is to proceed with its national smart meter rollout programme. The go ahead follows the completion of a successful proof of concept by ESO, the state electricity and gas company and subsidiary of Ignitis grupe.
The rollout will be delivered by Sagemcom, subject to the conclusion of an approximately €75 million ($90 million) contract, including the supply of 1.2 million smart meters and data aggregation and information technology management solution and its implementation, development and maintenance for a period of 10 years.
Fast-track procedure to be devised for connecting prosumers to grid
Distribution system operator Elektrodistribucija Srbije will draft new rules over the coming months to enable a fast-track procedure for connecting household rooftop solar systems to the grid. This will allow Serbian citizens to become prosumers – producers of electricity for self-consumption, according to a panel titled “Solar for citizens – democratization of energy or how to get your own solar power plant?” which was held as part of the First Big Conference on Solar Energy in Serbia.
The First Big Conference on Solar Energy in Serbia, organized by Balkan Green Energy News, took place in Belgrade on April 14, and was followed online by more than 1,000 people. The possibility for private individuals and businesses to become prosumers is being introduced by a law on renewable energy sources, whose adoption is expected in the coming days.
First Digital Substation in Latin America Fully Operational
Installation ensures stability of the electric network, guarantees safe power supply to vast areas of the country. The Medio Mundo region in Peru is the first Latin American site to have in full operation an Efacec substation with a fully digital automation system. This installation ensures the stability of the electric network and guarantees a safe power supply to vast areas of the country. Located 175 km north of Lima, on the high and very-high voltage lines corridor, the digital substation was delivered to Enel Peru, under an automation, protection and control contract.
The 220/66-kV digital substation project concerns the growing power demand in the Medio Mundo region, allowing to meet the lines voltage contingencies between the substations of Huacho, Supe, and Paramonga Nueva. It will improve the quality of life for more than 100,000 houses in Norte Chico de Lima and contribute to the progress of the region and sector development.
Saudi Electricity installs 10 million smart meters in under 14 months
The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) announced the installation of 10 million smart electricity meters in a record time of under 14 months. This was announced in a recent press statement from the utility. In a press statement, the utility’s CEO Fahd Bin Hussein Al-Sudairi touted the milestone achieved by his company and how the smart meters programme will help the energy provider to optimise its operations and customer services.
Al-Sudairi said the smart meters project is his company’s most important development that has laid the firm’s foundation for future grid modernisation and digital transformation programmes. Despite the operational challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi Electricity Company managed to replace 10 million analogue meters across all its regions of service.
Oracle Named Leader in Home Energy Management, Smart Meter Analytics
Oracle helps global utilities manage the full spectrum of their operations, from engaging customers to fortifying and helping decarbonize the grid. In recognition of these efforts, Guidehouse Insights, a market intelligence and advisory firm covering the global energy transformation, recently named Oracle Utilities as the leader in its Home Energy Management and Smart Meter Analytics reports. In both pieces, Oracle Utilities led in both execution and strategy, highlighting the innovation and results global utilities running on Oracle Cloud are receiving.
For the fourth time, Oracle Utilities Opower topped the leaderboard in the Guidehouse Insights Leaderboard: Home Energy Management Providers report. Oracle Utilities Opower maintained its leadership position by consistently delivering strong results for utility customers and new innovations across the Opower platform, including new services for electric vehicle and appliance detection, behavioral load shaping, and distributed energy resource (DER) engagement. More than 175 utilities around the globe have used Opower to meet their aggressive customer engagement and decarbonization goals.
Oman to roll out 1.2 million smart meters in five years
Oman is undertaking a 1.2 million smart meter rollout nationwide over the next five years in line with the Oman Vision 2040 for social-economic development. The initiative is considered a leading national project in terms of digital transformation, with the smart meters set to replace mechanical meters, a statement reads.
“The objectives of Oman Vision 2040 are focused on keeping pace with global developments and employing technology in delivering electricity-related services effectively and efficiently that will support the development of smart, sustainable cities with advanced basic services,” Hilal bin Mohammed al-Ghaithi, Director General of Subscriber Affairs at the Public Services Regulatory Authority, said in the statement.
Ed’s note: Our ‘made in Europe’ smart meter epos
The smart meter rollouts in Europe resemble in a way the epic poems of the ancient past. Like the Odyssey, this pan-European rollout is a decade (or rather more) in the making, and like the Iliad, utilities have to fight their way through many different fronts to ‘conquer’. It is definitely not an easy, but a rather complex task.
About a month ago, the UK celebrated the 10 millionth smart meter installation on one network alone. It was indeed a milestone not only for the UK but for Europe in general. Why? “Because smart meters represent an important asset for the smart grid,” says Francisco Puente, Director at Escan Energy Consulting. They provide knowledge to the consumer so she can save energy and they provide data to the utilities, that is useful for maintenance and the smooth operation of the grid, to say the least.
PRESS RELEASES
Apator and Griffin Group Energy join forces, to develop smart meter in OSGP technology
16 Apr 2021
Polish suppliers of modern technologies for power industry, Apator and Griffin Group Energy signed agreement on cooperation in the scope of elaboration, implementation to manufacturing and supply to domestic and European market of the Polish smart meter of new generation operating in OSGP technology.
The aim of the cooperation of Polish suppliers of technologies for power industry is to build the business synergy which will allow to create the modern solution for domestic DSO facing the mass exchange of the traditional meters into smart ones. New Energy Law predicts that till the end of 2028 meters with remote reading of energy consumption will be installed in at least 80% of final consumers in Poland, including at least 80% of households. According to the estimates of distribution network operators, currently around 1.9 million end customers have smart meters installed. The target total number of end customers is estimated at around 16.3 million. So there are about 14.4 million of the meters to be replaced.
AEM has selected OSGP technology for developing their new line of smart meters
26 Apr 2021
From its foundation until today, AEM has been recognized both in the territory of Romania and abroad as one of the leading manufacturers and a global provider of electricity and gas meters.
In order to keep up with the demands of DSO’s in the local and wider European markets, AEM has chosen the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) technology for its proven security, reliablility and interoperability. This will help AEM reach their goal to produce high quality electricity meters, adjusted to the current expectations of the DSO’s, and based on various communication technologies. “I believe OSGP offers best performance, security and capabilities to support the DSO’s in managing the energy transition”, according Tiberiu Hidi, CEO AEM.
Whether it’s about products, solutions or services, AEM has been generating new ideas and concepts for more than 40 years. It has been four decades since tradition met innovation, four decades since the first meter came off the production line, which validates the maturity of AEM, a company located in the western part of Romania. The OSGP technology will allow AEM to help utilities make the grid more reliable, robust and efficient, meeting the high reliability standards that utilities currently require.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Middle East Energy, Online Event, 17May – 9 June 2021
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Power Engineering for Industry, EcoEnergy, 19-21 October 2021
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Mar2021
MEMBER NEWS
Why Use Smart Meters – Survey Results
In March 2021 NES completed a very interesting poll, asking why energy providers use smart meters.
The results were:
- LoadConservation,15%
- Loss Reduction, 38%
- Remote Monitoring, 42%
- Other, 4%.
This clearly shows the drivers for smart meter deployments converging on energy efficiency and management of the smart grid.
Systemic efficiency and decarbonisation of global cities
The transition to net-zero cities starts with collaboration. This is the key message highlighted by energy companies the Enel Group and Schneider Electric, and the World Economic Forum, in a new whitepaper and the first deliverable of the Net-Zero Carbon Cities – Systemic Efficiency Initiative. By Nicholas Nhede. Through the initiative, Schneider Electric and the Enel Group are working with the community to accelerate the transition to net-zero carbon emissions in 100 cities by 2030.
The whitepaper "Net-Zero Carbon Cities: An integrated approach" explains the benefits of decarbonising cities and provides and recommends the adoption of a global framework or an integrated energy approach, defined as “systemic efficiency”, as a solution to the current environmental, economic, health and social crises.
Duke Energy partners with five other utilities to push for more electric vehicle charging for customers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Six major utilities today announced a plan to ensure electric vehicle (EV) drivers have access to a seamless network of charging stations connecting major highways in the South, Midwest, Gulf and Central Plains regions. The Electric Highway Coalition – made up of Duke Energy, American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, Entergy Corporation, Southern Co., and the Tennessee Valley Authority – will enable EV drivers seamless travel across a broad portion of the country through a network of DC fast chargers.
“The path to cleaner transportation is a robust charging infrastructure along the nation’s major highways,” said Lang Reynolds, director of Electrification Strategy for Duke Energy. “Range anxiety is a barrier to more EV adoption. This coalition can erase those obstacles and help deliver the benefits of EV ownership to consumers.”
Thüga offers regional electricity tariff
The municipal utility network Thüga has launched a regional electricity tariff for the district of Constance via its sales subsidiary. The offer is fed by a wind farm and a solar plant in the region and is available immediately, Thüga announced.
Since the electricity comes from plants within a radius of 50 kilometres, the requirements for certification according to the Regional Verification Register of the Federal Environment Agency are met. In future, similar tariffs will also be available in other regions, Thüga Energie announced.
Webinar 30 Mar: Knock Knock your Smart Meter is Calling with Escan Energy, TAURON Dystrybucja S.A., Italgas and others
Inspired by the EU Commission’s Strategy for Data, Enlit Europe’s brand new Data Hub Series focuses on the need to put people first in developing technology. As Data is at the core of the Digital Transformation that the Energy Sector is undergoing for the past few years, this hub series aims at promoting episodes focused on data flow and exchange, data-driven innovation, data security and the technologies that enable all that, but with a twist: The consumer is at the core of all strategies and all data related projects we focus on. As part of the Data Hub Series, Enlit Europe Online is organising a series of Webinars or Episodes as we prefer to call them.
Your Smart Meter is Calling: This episode is going to focus on the innovations that regard smart meters. Topics like smart metering security, ethics, data management, legal issues and sustainability will be discussed. Key speakers will introduce not only the latest concerns but also the possibilities and the opportunities they can bring to today’s society.
E.ON’s Romanian electricity distribution subsidiary to invest EUR 223 mln in 2020-2023
Delgaz Grid, part of the E.ON Romania Group, has invested over RON 2.9 billion (EUR 682 million) since 2005 in modernizing the electricity distribution system in the six counties where it operates (Bacau, Botosani, Iasi, Neamt, Suceava, and Vaslui). The company pledged to continue investing substantial amounts. In 2020-2023, the company's investment budget is EUR 225 mln.
Delgaz Grid will focus on further implementing SCADA and automation of the distribution system, SMART metering, modernizing overhead networks and substations, transformer replacements, and connecting new consumers to the grid. Smart metering is a key target for the company.
MARKET NEWS
Digital Platform Regulations for Electric Utilities: Part 1
In Part 1 of this two-part series, the author analyzes the new competitive landscape of electricity-related services through the lens of digital platform regulation.
New smart meter digital platforms provide fertile ground for energy innovation. But with an opportunity for electric utilities to hinder competition and impede their distributed energy competitors, regulatory oversight is needed. In Part 1 of this two-part series, the author analyzes the new competitive landscape of electricity-related services through the lens of digital platform regulation. Part 2 will discuss the lessons learned from the tech world and recommendations for electric utility regulators.
Ed’s note: Our ‘made in Europe’ smart meter epos
The smart meter rollouts in Europe resemble in a way the epic poems of the ancient past. Like the Odyssey, this pan-European rollout is a decade (or rather more) in the making, and like the Iliad, utilities have to fight their way through many different fronts to ‘conquer’. It is definitely not an easy, but a rather complex task.
About a month ago, the UK celebrated the 10 millionth smart meter installation on one network alone. It was indeed a milestone not only for the UK but for Europe in general. Why? “Because smart meters represent an important asset for the smart grid,” says Francisco Puente, Director at Escan Energy Consulting. They provide knowledge to the consumer so she can save energy and they provide data to the utilities, that is useful for maintenance and the smooth operation of the grid, to say the least.
Belgian firm granted €425m EU bank loan for smart meters rollout
Fluvius, a co-operative company owned by 11 inter-municipal companies, has set a target to install smart meters at 80% of its clients’ sites by the end of 2024
The European Investment Bank has agreed a loan worth up to €425 million (£367m) to support Belgian network operator Fluvius’ rollout of smart meters. A first tranche of €200 million (£173m) has been signed, with Fluvius using it to rollout smart meters in Flemish households and businesses in 300 cities and municipalities as well as connect new users to the network.
Airbus Imagery Supports IBM Efforts to Provide Vegetation Insights for Grid Reliability
Utilities can now better understand the state of vegetation near their power lines. Airbus now provides very high-resolution satellite imagery to The Weather Company, an IBM Business. IBM uses it to help utility and energy companies better understand the state of vegetation near utility lines, in an effort to help them reduce the risks of electrical disruptions and improve overall grid reliability. A major challenge to the grid, vegetation is the leading driver of power outages according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
High-resolution 50cm satellite imagery from Airbus will be fed into the IBM Vegetation Management Platform, part of the IBM Weather Operations Center. This advanced technology quickly crunches enormous amounts of geospatial (satellite, drone, aerial and LIDAR), IoT sensor and weather data to provide a view over time to help understand the state of vegetation across utility service territories.
Climate Change: Is Digital The Silver-Bullet We’re Looking For To Meet Our Climate Commitments?
Over the last 12 months we have achieved some amazing things, in timeframes no one could have dreamt possible. Multiple vaccines have been successfully developed, trialled, approved and mass produced in one year, not the decade it usually takes. Industry after industry has adapted to 100% remote ways of working in months instead of the five to seven years it might have taken ordinarily. Businesses have completely reconfigured and adapted supply chains to ensure that products from PPE to toilet roll to fresh food could be sourced, produced and shipped in the quantities required in spite of factory shutdowns and border closures.
Digital technology has been pivotal to enabling every one of these successes in the dramatically accelerated timeframe in which they were achieved. As we turn our attention to arguably the biggest challenge we collectively face, global warming, I believe digital is the silver-bullet we are looking for. Why is digital the key to tackling climate change?
Electricity Grid Cybersecurity: DOE Needs to Ensure Its Plans Fully Address Risks to Distribution Systems
The U.S. electricity grid's distribution systems—the parts of the grid that carry electricity to consumers—are becoming more vulnerable to cyberattacks, in part because of the introduction of and reliance on monitoring and control technologies. However, the scale of potential impacts from such attacks is not well understood.
The Department of Energy is working on the energy sector portion of the national cybersecurity strategy, but it has focused its efforts more on risks facing the grid's generation and transmission systems. We recommended more fully addressing risks to distribution systems.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mastering Renewable Power, Online Course, 19-27 April 2021
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Power Engineering for Industry, EcoEnergy, 19-21 October 2021
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Feb2021
MEMBER NEWS
Whitepaper: What is the best smart metering head-end system architecture?
Smart metering systems should be based on a future proof architecture that is able to adopt new technologies and protocols, but even more importantly, integrate with other utility applications including electric vehicle charging, energy storage, load control, photovoltaics, consumer generation, SCADA, etc.
Every utility has or will eventually have a smart metering system, which will most likely include various meter generations and technologies. This whitepaper assesses the best way to manage smart metering systems with a focus on the head-end system (HES) and its integration into the smart meter value chain.
Poland AMIplus Smart City Wrocław Project
The Tauron smart-meter deployment offers a successful model for other power delivery companies worldwide. In 2014, Poland's utility industry leader Tauron Dystrybucja S.A. created a vision that included implementing a modern, user-friendly electricity smart metering and head-end system (HES), called AMIplus. AMIplus would be a smart metering system allowing automatic processing, transmission, and management of measurement data, as well as two-way communication between electricity meters and distributors — all while giving customers access to current information on electricity consumption.
Tauron Distribution, part of the Tauron Group and the second largest electricity supplier in Poland, commenced the rollout of its AMIplus Smart City Wroclaw project in 2015 in the City of Wroclaw, Poland. The initial large-scale rollout of about 360,000 smart meters was completed in four years (2015 to 2018). Subsequently, Tauron Distribution expanded the system, which now includes more than 400,000 fully interoperable and interchangeable smart meters.
Enel launches 300,000 smart meter rollout in São Paulo
Enel Distribuição São Paulo is piloting the manufacture and installation of 300,000 smart meters in the São Paulo metropolitan region. The first phase of the project will take place in the Pirituba and Perus neighbourhoods in the northwest of the city, with 150,000 devices to be connected in residences and small industrial and business premises by September 2021. The project is being undertaken within the Brazilian electricity regulatory agency Aneel’s research and development programme with funding of R$121 million (US$22.1 million).
The aim is to support the development of a new local supply chain in Brazil. The smart meters are being produced locally in São Paulo, in plants in Sorocaba and in Vargem Grande Paulista. This is Enel’s first smart meter production in Latin America and incorporates the company’s technology, which has been operating in the market for 20 years.
Going digital to increase security and revenue
If revenue collection from electricity sales continues to fall in light of the ongoing pandemic, the impact could be devastating. This is largely because some municipalities in South Africa generate as much as 45% of their revenue from electricity sales. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, revenue collection was already dismally low – a 2019 Municipal Report by the Auditor-General suggests that 60% of revenue reflected on the books of municipalities will never be paid. Yet, as the financial realities of life in a (post-)pandemic world start making themselves felt, power theft andpayment delinquency are increasing.
Viven Perumal, Marketing Director at Conlog, says: “We have spent a lot of time getting insight from our customers. One particular issue is that billing and cash collection cycles are getting longer. We knew that many of our customers had similar challenges and we have tried to address a number of these through a single offering. We believe that scale will ensure more clients benefit from our solutions.” Prepaid meters have long been a gateway to revenue collection and management for utilities. Anything that can impact the accuracy of a meter or a subsequent bill will compromise revenue collection and protection in one way or another – these include errors in billing, inaccurate meter readings or outright tampering and theft. As a cluster of considerations, it is vital to therefore ensure that the meter is as accurate, robust and reliable as possible; that it remains 100% functional; that vending is facilitated seamlessly; and that revenue management and protection operate in tandem.
MARKET NEWS
Leading electricity distribution operators launch global initiative to boost the energy transition
Global electricity distribution operators (DSOs) gathered on 26-27 January 2021 in the first sectoral initiative focused on their contribution to worldwide decarbonisation efforts. The roles and responsibilities of DSOs across the globe are rapidly evolving to deliver, and even accelerate, the energy transition. Against this backdrop, the key aspects of a successful transformation are the uptake of digital solutions, the deployment of resilient infrastructure and the re-training of personnel, as well as the implementation of an ambitious regulatory environment.
In 2020, distribution system operators consolidated their position, ensuring a reliable and stable electricity supply, as well as quality services for their consumers across both hemispheres. As the electrification process intensifies, the world of DSOs becomes more complex. There is an increasing need to maintain the security of supply and reliability of electricity, whilst integrating massive shares of distributed energy sources, connecting grid-edge technologies and actively engaging with consumers. This will require an increase in investments and new strategies.
ETSI blockchain group releases first Reports, targeting industry and governmental bodies
The ETSI Industry Specification Group on Permissioned Distributed Ledger (ISG PDL) has recently released a number of Reports to support industry and government institutions needs for what is commonly known as blockchain. These Reports cover data record compliance to regulation, application scenarios and smart contracts.
“Most ledgers in ICT have been centralized so far, but the recent approaches based on distributed ledgers provide higher openness and better resiliency”, says Diego Lopez, Chair of ETSI ISG PDL. “Specifications on detailed aspects of PDL are expected to follow soon; they will enable industries to develop interoperable solutions for permissioned distributed ledgers”, adds Raymond Forbes, Vice Chair of ETSI ISG PDL.
Smart meter penetration reaches 68% in North America: Berg Insight
The penetration of smart electricity meters in North America reached 68 percent in 2020, according to new a research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight. The installed base of smart electricity meters will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.7 percent during 2019–2025 to reach a total of 153.8 million units at the end of the forecast period.
Over the next five years, the penetration of smart meters in the US will grow to reach a level of 84 percent while the respective figure for the more advanced Canadian market will reach 92 percent. “Refreshment rounds for the early adopters have now gradually begun and will grow their share of annual shipment volumes from around 10 percent in 2020 to around 70 percent in 2025,” said Levi Ostling, smart metering analyst, Berg Insight.
Emerging market countries will deploy 148 million smart meters over the next five years
A new report released by research firm Northeast Group states that emerging market countries will deploy 148 million smart electricity meters over the next five years. In addition to the advanced meters, these countries are expected to invest $91.4 billion in smart grid infrastructure including grid automation and battery storage. Northeast Group’s 10th edition of the Emerging Markets Smart Grid: Outlook 2021 study has found that major projects are already underway or will begin in 2021 in over half of the 50 countries analysed.
Some 43.6 million smart meters were installed across emerging market countries (156.9 million if you include the massive market of China) at the end of 2020. The number of smart meters installed is expected to grow to 191.6 million over the next five years (607.7 million including China). Though the specific drivers vary by region and country, there is now a growing consensus around smart metering and meaningful legislation backing up deployments in most of the largest countries.
Seeking a Better Way to Pinpoint the Value of Demand Response in California
State agencies say data from August grid emergencies points to a performance failure. Demand response providers say the state’s market structures undercount their value. Are demand-response providers shortchanging California utilities and customers by claiming payments for services they can’t deliver, leaving the state subject to future grid instability? Or are the state’s market rules and regulations shortchanging demand-response companies and customers, undermining the most cost-effective tool for future grid reliability?
This dispute between state energy regulators and the demand-response industry has become a flashpoint in California’s efforts to prevent a repeat of the grid emergencies and rolling blackouts of August 2020 in the coming summer. And it’s not clear that the data available can definitively prove which point of view is the correct one — unless, perhaps, more sophisticated methods can provide an answer.
Sony CSL launches open-source microgrid project to automate P2P power distribution
Sony CSL to work with The Linux Foundation’s LF Energy initiative on ‘Hyphae’ microgrid project. Sony Computer Science Laboratories has launched an open-source project intended to make microgrids more resilient using peer-to-peer power distribution. Called Hyphae, Sony CSL is running the initiative with LF Energy, an open-source organization hosted within The Linux Foundation. It is folding in its existing microgrid management software, called Autonomous Power Interchange System (APIS), which is designed to distribute locally generated renewable power over a DC grid. Part of the aim of the open-source project is to extend this to work with AC grids.
While microgrids are of interest in the data center sector, which is increasingly resorting to renewable power projects to mitigate the sustainability impact of data centers, they could also have a major impact in providing reliable power in developing countries, and improving the resilience of power supply in all kinds of situations and markets.
PRESS RELEASE
Energy Game-Changers Wanted: Apply for the International Innovation Prizes for the New Energy World
Pforzheim, January 14, 2021: The energy industry’s most prestigious international innovation prizes shine a spotlight on pioneering solutions and projects for the new energy world. Market leaders, SMEs, start-ups, and plant and system owners are invited to apply for The smarter E AWARD, the Intersolar AWARD and the ees AWARD by March 31, 2021.
The industry’s best will take center stage at The smarter E Europe on July 21, 2021 when they will be honored for innovations that are shaping an intelligent and sustainable energy supply. The smarter E Europe, the continent’s largest platform for the energy industry, brings together four exhibitions and conferences where attendees can discover trends surrounding cross sector, intelligently connected concepts and solutions for the efficient generation, storage, distribution and use of renewable energy. Related to these topics, the innovation prizes The smarter E AWARD, the Intersolar AWARD and the ees AWARD are presented. They showcase particularly groundbreaking solutions and projects, giving international visibility to the winners.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 1-5 March 2021
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EPC Contracts for Energy Industry, Online Course, 2-10 March 2021
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MOVE EV, Live, Online, 10 March 2021
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Mastering Solar Power, Online Course, 19-31 March 2021
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NextGen SCADA Global 2021, Virtual Conference, 24-25 March 2021
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Energy Transition and Decarbonisation Forum, Virtual Summit, 25-26 March 2021
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Smart Grid and Future Energy Distribution Summit, Virtual Summit, 15-16 April 2021
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Mastering Renewable Power, Online Course, 19-27 April 2021
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Enlit Asia – Demand Side & Customer Management, Online Event, 22 April 2021
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SMARTGREENS 2021, Prague, Czech Republic, 28-30 April 2021
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Fundamentals of IEC 61850 Global 2021, Stockholm, Sweden, 18-20 May
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Electricity Economics in Changing Electricity Markets, Online Course, 18-21 May 2021
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Trade Show ELECTRICITY, Warsaw, Poland, 19-21 May 2021
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Energy Storage, Online Course, 1-9 June 2021
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ICSG Istanbul 2021, Istanbul, Turkey, 4-5 June 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 14-16 June 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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EM-Power Europe, Munich, Germany, 21-23 July 2021
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Power China 2021, Guangzhou, China, 16 - 18 August 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 28-30 September 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jarkarta Indonesia, 30 September – 2 October 2021
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EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 19-21 October 2021
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Power Engineering for Industry, EcoEnergy, 19-21 October 2021
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Digital Utilities Europe 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 27-28 October 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Jan2021
MEMBER NEWS
Schneider Electric's Project with E.ON Wins enerTIC Award for Green and Digital Smart Grid Technology
Schneider Electric, the global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has been honored by the 8th edition of the enerTIC awards. Its project for E.ON, which sought to achieve a more sustainable energy distribution network without greenhouse gases, has been awarded in the “Smart Grid” category. E.ON, Sweden's largest electricity distributor, is firmly committed to sustainability. Their goal of becoming a fossil fuel-free company by 2025 and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions stands out. To help achieve their objectives, E.ON launched a pilot project in the Swedish city of Norrköping that consisted of replacing its SF6 medium-voltage switchgear with SF6-free medium-voltage switchgear using innovative Shunt Vacuum Interruption (SVI)TM technology from Schneider Electric.
SF6 is a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential much greater than CO2. Widely used in the electricity sector for high and medium voltage equipment, current and future regulations prompt the adoption of alternatives that can reduce environmental impact. SF6-free technologies are now available and have characteristics and dimensions similar to those of traditional SF6-based switchgear available on the market. Schneider Electric's new green and digital technology is featured in AirPacT, a load break switch, and SM AirSeT, a range of medium voltage switchgear – both of which use innovative vacuum interruption and pure air insulation.
Headend System (HES) Integration 2021
Many utilites, system integrators and consultants have debated what is the best way to manage smart metering systems. Should one utilize multiple headend systems or one universal headend? Or is there a better way to manage legacy, current, and future smart metering and headend systems? The quick answer is yes there is a better way, using a future proof, multiple headend CIM (common interface model) based architecture.
If you wish to receive the whitepaper click here
Duke Energy Florida, key consumer groups reach sweeping agreement for building a smarter energy grid
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Duke Energy Florida (DEF), consumer representatives and business groups have reached a sweeping agreement that will advance the clean energy vision for the state, introduce innovative programs for customers, retire coal plants faster and bring additional certainty to rates through 2024. The agreement, filed on Jan. 14, 2021, is subject to approval by the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC).
It includes investments to modernize the electric grid and improve reliability, offers new electric vehicle charging station programs, and supports pilot programs for innovative technology such as microgrids and floating solar pilot projects. The agreement also provides a new optional residential “Time-of-Use” rate, reduces hurricane cost recovery impacts to customers, removes residential credit card fees for bill payments and includes accelerated retirement dates for DEF’s last two coal units eight years ahead of schedule, from 2042 to 2034, in support of the company’s carbon reduction goals.
Alliander innovation competition to increase electricity demand during peak production of solar panels
Network company Alliander, to which grid manager Alliander belongs, has launched an innovation competition to find solutions to increase the demand for electricity during the peak production of solar panels. Because solar panels generate more power at sunny times than is consumed, the network company says bottlenecks occur on the electricity grid. The company with the egg of Columbus for this problem awaits a reward of 30,000 euros.
Alliander has published the so-called 'innovation challenge' on the platform Starthubs on which thousands of start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs contribute ideas on business challenges. 'This challenge is an opportunity for bright minds to think along with one of the biggest societal challenges of the moment: the energy transition,' said the network company. Alliander is asking the thousands of entrepreneurs affiliated with Starthubs for solutions to shift the electricity demand of major electricity consumers such as greenhouse growers, data centers, farmers in rural areas and factories to, or increase it during, the hours when the sun is shining brightly. If the additional supply of solar power can be locally offset against the demand for power then the electricity grid can handle the large amounts of solar power generated much better.
Caruna ready to net small-scale production
The new amendment to the Government Decree allows hourly netting of small-scale production and consumption. This means that Caruna will automatically compensate for production that is not used in a one-hour period in the small-scale producer's distribution invoice. All small-scale producers of electricity are transferred to automatic netting as of 1 January 2021, without any action required on the customer's part.
Netting means more money in the small-scale producer's pocket. The electric meters of small-scale producers in Caruna's network areas have from the start balanced small-scale production and consumption of electricity momentarily between phases. In the future, the position of small producers of electricity will be further enhanced as Caruna will net small-scale production and consumption on an hourly basis.
Electrica has successfully completed the merger process of three electricity distribution companies within the Group
Starting with January 1, 2021, the new company becomes Distribuţie Energie Electrică Romania SA (DEER). DEER becomes the most important national electricity distribution operator, with a coverage of 40.7% of Romania territory.
Electrica announces the successful completion of the merger by absorption of the three electricity distribution companies within the Group, which, starting with 1 January 2021, became Distributie Energie ElectricăRomania S.A. (DEER).The merger by absorption of the electricity distribution companies within the Electrica Group was approved in principle by the Board of Directors of Electrica S.A. in the meeting dated 27 May 2020, the decision being an important step in the implementation plan of the Group Strategy for the period 2019-2023.
MARKET NEWS
Making power grids fit for the transition will create 500,000 jobs
Distribution grids are the backbone of the digital and energy transition, as they ensure a continuous and reliable electricity flow, integrate the majority of renewable energy sources and enable the creation of new services for consumers. But to be fit-for-purpose in an increasingly decarbonised, decentralised and digitalised power system, there is an urgent need to ramp up investments in Europe’s distribution grids.
European distribution grids will need investments of €375-425 billion until 2030. That is the main conclusion of a landmark study conducted by the industry bodies Eurelectric and E.DSO. A first of its kind, the study which was carried out by Monitor Deloitte on the basis of detailed empirical data from 10 European countries, reveals a need to ramp up grid investments by 50-70% in the 2020s compared to the previous decade. At the same time, it highlights a range of remarkable societal benefits that come with timely modernisation of the continent’s electric infrastructure.
Reinventing grid management for a new age
How the future-proof grid will be smart, interconnected and based on a mix of different technologies for generation, transmission and distribution, delivery and control.
In the sixth interview of our Powering Tomorrow series, climate, energy and environment journalist Sonja van Renssen, spoke to our experts about: Rethinking grid stability, The technologies that grid operators can turn to to manage evermore complex networks, The role of power electronics, Advanced asset management and finding the optimal balance between risk, performance and cost
Smart meters for Kenyan businesses to improve customer service
Kenya Power is rolling out a smart meter project targeting 55,000 small and medium enterprises across the country to enhance customer satisfaction. The $11,34 million (Kshs1,25 billion) World Bank-funded project is part of the Kenya Electricity Modernisation Project. It is slated to be completed by 30 June 2021.
The smart meters are part of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) that facilitates two-way communication between the company and the customer. In case of any power outage, the smart meters are able to communicate directly with the company’s National Contact Centre which facilitates immediate resolution and enhances the efficiency as the Kenya Power teams are alerted promptly. Additionally, the smart meter also sends a notification to the customer via SMS.
PSE&G gets 2.3 million smart meters approval
New Jersey utility Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) has received investment approval of $700 million in smart meters over the next four years. The approval from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will enable PSE&G to provide its 2.3 million electricity customers with smart meters – the largest installation of smart meter technology in the state.
Smart meters form the foundation of PSE&G’s Energy Cloud initiative to create an integrated, real-time communications network between the company and its customers. Benefits envisaged include near real-time outage detection and restoration crew dispatch, automatic near real-time meter reading and support for customers through channels such as smart home assistants to manage their energy use and spend.
New Fact Sheets Help Consumers Understand the Benefits of the Smart Grid
The smart grid is reducing carbon emissions, preventing outages and enabling clean energy technologies, among other important consumer benefits ATLANTA, Jan. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) today released a new series of fact sheets to help consumers understand the many benefits of the smart grid and the ways that they can engage in programs, services and electric rate plans that are enabled through smart grid technologies. Over the last decade, the smart grid has helped create a new landscape for consumer engagement in energy. SECC's Smart Grid 2.0 fact sheets focus on three key areas of this energy transformation – energy data, electricity pricing options and consumer benefits – and explain in clear language what they mean for the average American consumer.
Compared to just a decade ago, today's energy consumers have access to more electric rate plans, utility programs and services, and data-driven insights than ever before. The "Exploring Your Power Options" fact sheet explains in an easy-to-understand manner what goes into electricity pricing and provides examples to help consumers understand time-of-use rates, peak-time incentives and more.
Power grids: the value of regular health checks
Since offering free quarterly power grid health checks to its customers, Swiss grid management company Depsys says that 50% have discovered previously unknown critical points in their networks. We spoke to the firm to find out what’s emerging from the data and how analytics can help operators become more active players in the energy transition. New climate mitigation policies are expected to accelerate the energy transition over the next decade, with more low carbon, intermittent and decentralised energy sources coming onto the grid. The effect for distribution system operators (DSO), which manage energy flows across the power generation ecosystem, is to make managing the infrastructure more challenging and complex.
Depsys, which refers to itself as ‘a cleantech company that empowers distribution grid managers to evolve their operations through digital technology’ hopes to support its customers in their increasingly evolving role. To do so, earlier in the year, it extended its quarterly grid Health Check reports from its GridEye grid monitoring and analytics solution to its customer base for free. Company CCO Anja Langer Jacquin and Antony Pinto, head of technical, discuss the technology and its findings.
‘Not fit for purpose’: Europe’s distribution grids ‘need up to €425bn of investment to enable energy transition’
Networks must be upgraded to handle expected wind, solar and green hydrogen volumes, as well as increased amount of EVs and heat pumps, say Eurelectric and E.DSO. Between €375bn and €425bn ($456bn-516bn) will need to be invested in Europe’s distribution grids between now and 2030 to ensure they can handle increasing volumes of variable renewable energy and green hydrogen production, as well as the expected electrification of heating and transport, according to a new study.
These figures represent a 50-70% increase on annual distribution-grid investment in the 2010s. However, the societal benefits of smarter, more powerful distribution grids will outweigh the economic impacts, according to electricity industry body Eurelectric, which produced the report in conjunction with E.DSO (European Distribution System Operators) and strategy consultant Monitor Deloitte.
PRESS RELEASES
Networked Energy Services Expands Commitment to Latin America
Industry veterans recently joined NES to further expand its smart grid and smart metering customer base in LATAM
San Jose, CA, January 26, 2021: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), is proud to announce its expansion and continued focus related to the smart metering market in Latin America (LATAM). NES has strategic alliances with several partners in the region, and is looking to leverage the experience of its new Sales Executives and expand NES’ partner network within the region.
NES plans to expand its smart grid and smart metering solutions in LATAM, where it already has several existing smart metering projects and pilots through its strong local and regional partners and alliances, including a multi-year smart metering deployment in Puerto Rico. The project in Puerto Rico utilizes the NES Patagonia Energy Applications Platform, which provides >99.8% daily availability of metering and other data. In addition, the solution offers advanced functionality including capabilities to securely collect essential data on billing and load profiles, identify and report on outages and restorations in near real time, provide critical power quality data about the distribution network, identify non-technical losses, incorporate distributed generation, and enable remote disconnection and reconnection of electricity service for customers.
Middle East Energy 2021: A hybrid event to power the global energy industry
Middle East Energy (MEE) has evolved for its 46th edition into an exciting hybrid format to provide a digital and live platform for the industry to acquire knowledge, stay connected and ensure business continuity
Dubai, UAE – January 2021: The 46th edition of Middle East Energy (formerly Middle East Electricity) has evolved into an exciting hybrid format for 2021, providing an interactive digital and live platform for professionals to engage with industry leaders and ensure business continuity during an era of unprecedented transformation for the energy sector.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Enlit Asia – Grid Modernisation, Online event, 23 February 2021
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Advanced Metering Infrastructure 2021, Virtual Conference, 24 February 2021
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-3 March 2021
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MOVE EV, Live, Online, 10 March 2021
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NextGen SCADA Global 2021, Virtual Conference, 24-25 March 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jarkarta Indonesia, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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SMARTGREENS 2021, Prague, Czech Republic, 28-30 April 2021
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Digital Utilities Europe 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 12-13 May 2021
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Fundamentals of IEC 61850 Global 2021, Stockholm, Sweden, 18-20 May
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Trade Show ELECTRICITY, Warsaw, Poland, 19-21 May 2021
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ICSG Istanbul 2021, Istanbul, Turkey, 4-5 June 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 14-16 June 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Power China 2021, Guangzhou, China, 16 - 18 August 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 28-30 September 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Dec2020
MEMBER NEWS
Griffin Group Energy contractor of first grid connected facility that uses Tesla’s modular solutions
December 11 (Renewables Now) - PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA (WSE:PGE) on Wednesday announced the launch of a 2.1 MW/4.2 MWh energy storage facility using Tesla Powerpack modules in Rzepedz, Poland.
The battery will improve the reliability of the local distribution network and support the connection of more renewable energy capacity in the area.
PGE aims to build at least 800 MW of energy storage capacity by 2030 and it is already preparing one bigger project -- a 205 MW/820 MWh facility in Zarnowiec.
Griffin Group Energy was the contractor for the Rzepedz battery project, which is touted as the first facility connected to the grid in Central and Eastern Europe that uses Tesla’s modular solutions. The project was implemented jointly by PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna and PGE Dystrybucja as an innovative solution improving grid stability.
NES partnering with CIAC IT in innovative "Energy Bank" initiative
NES is partnering with CIAC IT (leader of the VERTPOM consortium in France) to present an innovative solution which creates a balance between production and consumption of any kind of energy (with VERTPOM-BANK) leading to a positive energy territory VERTPOM is being supported in France by the Environment and Energy Management Agency, ADEME. This exciting objective from VERTPOM combines leading-edge technologies from the energy industry, and research from leading universities, to create a positive energy territory in which consumption and generation are optimized and balanced dynamically. The participants in this consortium are CIAC IT, GAZELEC, University of Picardie JULES VERNE and the towns of Péronne and Saint Quentin.
This solution, based on artificial intelligence (AI) and developed in France, interfaces with the NES smart meters. It includes the VERTPOM-BANK decision support tool also called Energy Bank, which will direct production, distribution, and consumption of energy across the two territories and serve as a template for wider deployment. The VERTPOM infrastructure also anticipates other needs as it includes the management of gas, water and any available energy meter connected via dongles to NES electric meters. The outcome is to achieve “positive energy territories” – territories where consumption of energy is balanced with locally generated energy with a net-flow of energy back into the grid.
LF Energy Partners with Alliander, RTE and Savoir-faire Linux to Launch Power Grid Virtualization Project
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- December 16, 2020 — LF Energy, a Linux Foundation nonprofit seeking to accelerate the energy transition of the world’s grids and transportation systems through open source, along with Alliander, RTE and its newest member, Savoir-faire Linux, announced today SEAPATH, or Software Enabled Automation Platform and Artifacts (THerein), the second project in its Digital Substation Automation Systems (DSAS) initiative. Following DSAS’ objective to create the next generation of digital substation technology, SEAPATH will provide a reference design and a real-time, open-source platform for grid operators to run virtualized automation and protection applications. “The use of power transmission and distribution grids is changing due to the energy transition, making SEAPATH a vital next step in renewable adoption,” said Dr. Shuli Goodman, Executive Director of LF Energy. “Clean energy sources like renewable energy and electric vehicles cause increasing fluctuations in power supply and demand that are difficult for grid operators to control and optimize. SEAPATH and our other DSAS projects like CoMPAS alleviate these challenges by making electrical substations more modular, interoperable and scalable through open-source technology.”
Modern digital substations now require an increasing number of computers to support more field devices and applications, and a higher degree of automation. SEAPATH seeks to consolidate multi-provider automation and protection applications with redundant hardware requirements onto one platform that grid operators can use to emulate and virtually provide these services. The project will help with time and cost-efficiency, scalability and flexibility, innovation, vendor-agnostic implementations and the convergence of utility practices.
Conlog’s Utility Application
Conlog has engineered a Utility Application to increase efficiencies with mass meter roll out projects. The app is designed to help with the installation, commissioning and validation that the meter is functional with the back-end system and ready for use. Saving you time and money and increasing electrification rates, giving people access to energy.
Duke Energy Now Offers Mobile Virtual Tour of Microgrid Innovation Lab
Duke Energy, which is known for its approach to innovation and emerging technology, recently partnered with Index AR Solutions to create MicroTour, a virtual mobile tour app for a microgrid facility in Mount Holly, North Carolina. The microgrid is part of Duke Energy’s emerging technology and training center. It can be fed from traditional facilities on the electrical grid, or it can be isolated from the grid and fed from its own advanced internal generation sources. Duke Energy uses the facility as a testing ground for technology that will modernize the electric grid. Thanks to Index, users can now explore the microgrid from the palm of their hand. Duke Energy turned to Index for help creating MicroTour, a mobile app that allows employees and visitors to learn more about the Mount Holly microgrid in real time regardless of their location.
The MicroTour app uses AR, videos and photos to create an immersive tour of microgrid yard. People on location can use the app and smartphone camera to scan the microgrid yard and see overviews of each piece of equipment, including specifications and streaming real-time status. Offsite users can use MicroTour’s virtual flyover to explore a 3D model of the microgrid and 20 pieces of select equipment. Tapping a beacon on each piece of equipment provides a short video, rich description and photos. A built-in live stream enables MicroTour users to monitor the site in real time.
Schneider Electric, 8 others vie for India's second-largest smart meter order
NEW DELHI: Schneider Electric, Genus Power Infrastructures and HPL Electric and Power are among the nine firms in the fray for a 2.35 million smart electricity meter order floated by state-run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL). India’s second-largest smart meters’ contract comes in the backdrop of cancellation of a previous contract awarded to Indonesia-based PT Hexing following concerns over its failure to meet local manufacturing criteria. The others vying for the marque order are - Avon Meters, Linkwell Telesystems, Zen Meter, and Allied Engineering Works. India is rolling out the world’s largest electricity smart metering programme which has attracted the likes of Canada’s largest pension fund manager Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) as reported by Mint earlier.
“The above tender is still under process and active," said a EESL spokesperson in an emailed response. India aims to replace 250 million conventional meters with smart meters, that also hold the key to its electricity distribution reforms by checking thefts and improving electricity distribution companies (discoms) operational efficiencies.
MARKET NEWS
How to Address Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in the Low-Voltage Grid
In their recent paper, The energy-sector threat: How to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities 1, McKinsey and Company make compelling points about the vulnerability of utilities to cyber-attack: • the increased awareness cyber-criminals have of the disruption that they can cause and the revenue they can generate • the operational and geographical distribution of the utility and its impact on its ability to protect and react in a coherent manner • the complexity of the energy supply-chain and the convergence of the physical and cyber components within it leading to the opportunity to do major damage by attacking relatively few points.
The paper outlines three main areas where utilities can apply their cybersecurity efforts and reduce their vulnerability: • strategic intelligence on threats and actors before attacks on the network • programs to reduce geographic and operational gaps in awareness and communication, creating a culture of security • industry-wide collaboration to address the increasing convergence of physical and virtual threats.
How could a smart meter paired with a thermostat slash monthly energy bills?
Could a smart meter linked with a thermostat reduce energy bills? A trial project launched by OVO Energy aims to help consumers understand how much money and energy they could save by adjusting the heating in their home through smart meter data about their energy usage. A small group of OVO Energy customers will be offered a tado° Smart Thermostat, which will be linked to their smart meter. Once the pairing is completed, the consumers will be able to see and optimise the energy they consume through the supplier’s app.
The app is expected to provide customers with advice about energy usage – for example it will be able to tell them the exact amount of money they could save if they turned down their heating at specific times of the day. The initial test is expected to be rolled out and available to all OVO Energy members in the UK in Autumn 2021.
Power sector seeks to reap benefits and tackle risks from AI
AI applications are transforming business operations and processes in the power sector as well as the broader economy, leading to greater cost savings, increased efficiency and new services for consumers. But further developments rely on the ability to foster and support innovation, addressing outstanding matters related to investments, data access and governance, as well as ethics. By 2025, 81 % of the energy companies will have adopted artificial intelligence, reaping the numerous benefits of accelerated developments in this field and fast tracking the clean energy transition, shows AI Insights:The Power Sector in a Post-Digital Age, an assessment released today by Eurelectric. First, AI can enable a faster decarbonisation of the power sector. While renewables are expected to cover over 80% of the electricity mix by 2050, coupling their deployment with AI applications, such as predictive algorithms, can lead to an efficient integration of variable sources of energy, thus providing a meaningful solution for reliability and intermittency concerns. Second, AI applications can support grid stability via accurate baseload management features and predictive maintenance, while the effective monitoring of customer use, would improve forecasting and lead to an optimal match between supply and demand.
The access to high-quality data is the lifeblood of AI, and an enabler of power sector transformations. The deployment of smart meters and advanced sensor technology would provide this much needed real-time data, thus allowing for AI-enabled demand-response and flexibility services to facilitate a better matching of customer usage and renewable output. With a sampling rate of four times per hour, 1 million smart meters installed in the smart grid would result in more than 35 billion records. But this abundance of data calls for sophisticated storage, and analysis tools, as well as policies that balance the need for data sharing with the protection of consumer privacy. While robust AI regulations are being developed to safeguard consumers, by avoiding bias and minimising the risks of careless data management, they should seek to foster innovation.
Australia to review smart meter rules
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) is now reviewing what is required to facilitate retail innovation, so smart meters can drive the energy market toward one that is two-sided – where all energy users actively buy and sell electricity, or their demand for electricity. It will also look at whether the metering roles and responsibilities under the existing rules need to be revised. In 2017, the AEMC introduced new rules around competition in metering, including transferring responsibilities for metering away from distribution network service providers to metering coordinators. The reforms were designed to drive a market-led deployment of smart meters, increase competition, encourage new products, services and pricing to benefit consumers, and give them better information about their energy use.
There have however been a number of implementation issues, including customer satisfaction. The AEMC is now seeking to determine whether the original rules have met expectations and if changes are required. “We committed to reviewing the change after three years to assess how the market had developed. During those three years, the energy landscape has changed significantly,” the AEMC said on Thursday. “While smart meter use has not accelerated to the degree some people expect, this technology will be integral to work now under way to help the power system transition.”
EU bolsters defenses against cyberattacks. New strategy and laws aim to stop hacks of key assets and information.
The European Commission proposed an overhaul of cybersecurity rules for critical sectors and a new cybersecurity strategy Wednesday, in an effort to strengthen defenses against major breaches and state-backed attacks. The new proposals come in the wake of a major breach of the European Medicines Agency, which is currently involved in approving coronavirus vaccines, and a slew of other attacks that aimed to disrupt Europe’s strategic industries and public institutions in past years.
"The EU is stepping up to protect its governments, citizens and businesses from global cyber threats, and to provide leadership in cyberspace," said Josep Borrell, the EU's head of foreign policy. In a first proposal, the Commission unveiled a revision of its 2016 Networks and Information Security (NIS) Directive that would put stricter requirements on "essential entities" across sectors including energy, transport, financial services, cloud, telecoms, health care, manufacturing and public administrations.
COVID-19 Changes Advanced Metering
While the COVID-19 pandemic has upended nearly every aspect of our lives, the need to maintain a secure grid and keep the lights on remains in the forefront for utilities. Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) has been instrumental in helping utilities maintain their revenue flow and manage several remote operations during the pandemic. For many businesses, COVID-19 had rapid, expansive, and tragic impact. Businesses were quickly forced to fundamentally alter their interactions with employees and customers. Business leaders had to quickly weigh the value of prudence against the cost to operations that would come with a shift to close offices and storefronts, and transition their workforce to remote or work-from-home locations. The lingering impact of COVID-19 is not only in the speed that businesses had to adjust but also in the duration.
Like a looming hurricane, COVID-19's approach was seen weeks out, but the magnitude could only be guessed when it hit shore. Now, more than three months since social distancing guidelines were put into effect, many states are struggling to find the right balance of health guidelines and operation restrictions. Likewise, utilities are struggling to reestablish an equilibrium for day-to-day business operations. Businesses and communities are still grappling with the human loss that transcends the impact to sales and operations. Utilities have not been immune to COVID-19. As the market shuttered commercial and industrial job sites and load patterns have shifted, utilities' critical role in powering society has changed. It has since become every utility's struggle to ensure that uninterrupted operation and delivery continue while taking care to adhere to the necessary social distancing guidelines to safeguard its customers and employees.
PRESS RELEASE
OSGP Compliant Products Are Not Affected by the AMNESIA:33 TCP Vulnerability
The OSGP Alliance continues to ensure that OSGP based products and solutions provide industry leading cyber security
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 15 December 2020: The OSGP Alliance, a global non-profit association dedicated to promoting the adoption of the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) and infrastructure for smart grid applications towards a future proof modern smart grid, provides periodic updates to its members and the industry about potential cyber security issues. Accordingly, we have reviewed a recent industry issue with our members.
On the 8th of December 2020, Forescout1 disclosed 33 software security vulnerabilities affecting millions of embedded devices worldwide. This bundle of vulnerabilities is called AMNESIA:33. They were found in four open-source TCP/IP stacks, and four of the vulnerabilities are considered critical. These four TCP/IP stacks collectively serve as the foundational components of millions of connected devices worldwide, and these vulnerabilities can allow attackers to compromise devices, execute malicious code, perform denial-of-service attacks and steal sensitive information.
The OSGP Alliance and its members immediately conducted a review of its OSGP compliant products and solutions, and we confidently confirm that they are not affected by AMNESIA:33 vulnerabilities and the associated four specific implementations of the TCP/IP stack. OSGP based products do not use any of these stacks.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Common Information Model 2021, Virtual Conference, 13 January 2021
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IEC 61850 USA 2021 Common Information Model 2021, 13 January 2021
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POWERGEN India & Indian Utility Week 2021, New Delhi, 27-29 January 2021
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Advanced Metering Infrastructure 2021, Virtual Conference, 24 February 2021
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-3 March 2021
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NextGen SCADA Global 2021, Virtual Conference, 24-25 March 2021
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Fundamentals of IEC 61850 Global 2021, Brussels, Belgium, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jarkarta Indonesia, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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SMARTGREENS 2021, Prague, Czech Republic, 28-30 April 2021
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Digital Utilities Europe 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 12-13 May 2021
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Trade Show ELECTRICITY, Warsaw, Poland, 19-21 May 2021
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ICSG Istanbul 2021, Istanbul, Turkey, 4-5 June 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 14-16 June 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Power China 2021, Guangzhou, China, 16 - 18 August 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 28-30 September 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Nov2020
MEMBER NEWS
OSGP Alliance’ active participation in European Power Strategy & Systems Summit, 30 November – 2 December
The OSGP Alliance is pleased to host a workshop at the upcoming digital edition of the European Power Strategy & Systems Summit taking place 30th November – 2nd December 2020. The following topics will be presented: How do we see the energy transition till 2050; Re-focus on Communications and Security Excellence within Smart Grid Architectures and Cyber-Threat detection in the Smart Grid (Utility Case Study).
Our presenters include Mark Ossel, Member of the Board, OSGP Alliance; Jon Wells, Chairman of the Technical Committee, OSGP Alliance, Emil Gurevitch, Director of Security Solutions, NES and Oleksandr Kabachynskyi, Head of System Administration & Information Security Department, Khmelnytskoblenergo. The video will be available on demand. In addition, Mark Ossel, Member of the Board, will join the Live Webinar Discussion on “Implementing New Smart Grid Technologies – Successes & Challenges taking place on 2nd December, 14.30 CET.
UPDATE 1-Berlin plans to buy city's power grid from Vattenfall
FRANKFURT, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Berlin’s city government plans to buy the electricity grid Stromnetz Berlin from Swedish utility Vattenfall, the German capital’s finance minister and mayor said on Friday. Finance minister Matthias Kollatz said the move was aimed at creating better conditions for preparing the 35,000 kilometre distribution network for climate protection measures as part of a transition towards decarbonisation. “We are taking over a good company,” finance minister Matthias Kollatz told a virtual press conference.
The transaction will need the consent of the city’s parliament to go through, and the deal is expected to be conditionally approved at the end of the first quarter 2021, and then backdated to Jan 1, 2021 if politicians consent.
Schneider Electric Launches New Podcast Series: Leaders Share Insights on Accelerating Digital Journeys During Pandemic
Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, announced today the launch of a new podcast series featuring technology insiders discussing insights on how businesses are accelerating digital journeys at this unique moment in time. With five episodes available for free download, Executive Insights provides tangible strategies to help IT and data center professional ensure life is on and stays on for every one of us. Industry professionals can listen and subscribe to the Executive Insights podcast through Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher Podcasts – or watch the video versions available through SE.com.
Hosted by Kevin Brown, Senior Vice President, EcoStruxure Solutions and CMO of the Secure Power Division of Schneider Electric, Executive Insights came to life during the early days of the pandemic. With a monumental shift in the number of people suddenly working from home, Brown knew executives at Schneider Electric, our customers, and our partners were making hard decisions to successfully manage this transition and he wanted to know more.
Tauron: Polish utility gets $65.1 million for grid modernisation and decarbonisation
In Poland, energy company Tauron Polska Energia has secured €55.8 million ($65.1 million) in funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to implement its grid modernization and decarbonisation strategy. The EBRD investment covers 24% of a PLN 1 billion ($260.3 million) local currency bond issued by Tauron to support its decarbonisation strategy. Tauron will use the investment to support its “just transition” strategy and address the social impact of accelerating the green transition.
The strategy includes a gradual decommissioning of coal-fired units, an expansion of renewable energy sources and the reduction of CO2 emissions. The utility will use the bond to expand solar photovoltaic installations to up to 300MW and to develop up to 720MW of new onshore wind energy capacity by 2025. Tauron will also modernize its grid to enable integration with distributed resources. By 2030, the company aims to generate more than 65% of its energy from zero- and low-emission sources, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by half.
Duke Energy’s Vision for Distributed Energy in North Carolina and Beyond
The state’s dominant utility wants to align solar, storage and smart devices with grid needs and decarbonization goals. What role will third parties play? North Carolina shares many characteristics with its fellow Southeastern U.S. states. Like most of them, it’s a vertically integrated market without competitive generation or federally regulated wholesale energy markets. And like most of its neighbors, it’s dominated by a large investor-owned utility covering vast swaths of territory interspersed by municipal utilities and electric cooperatives, and it has a big say in state energy policy.
But North Carolina also differs from its neighbors in some key ways. While Republicans hold a majority in the state legislature, North Carolina has a Democratic governor who’s pushing for the state to adopt a clean energy and decarbonization standard. It also has a lot more solar, the second-most of any state other than California. Finally, North Carolina has Duke Energy, its flagship utility, which has set its own goal of net-zero carbon by 2050 and has taken some innovative approaches to distributed energy resources.
A cost-effective technology solution for energy poor households
Energy poverty is a reality and a challenge for utilities. Yet, is there a technology solution which may address some of the challenges around cost-to-serve? The European Commission has estimated that nearly 11% of the EU’s population is in a situation where their households are not able to adequately heat their homes at an affordable cost. According to the research, the problem is due to rising energy prices, low income and poor energy efficient homes, and it is particularly prevalent in Central Eastern and Southern Europe.
According to the EU Science Hub, “Over 50 million people in the EU experienced energy poverty in 2018. Energy poverty means that households are unable to afford essential energy services needed to guarantee a decent standard of living.” Research released by the EU Science Hub in 2020 indicates that in many cases, digital technology and utilisation of ICT can reduce energy consumption “in social housing, … helping vulnerable consumers to reduce their energy bills.”
WVV implements tenant electricity model with SAP connection - Thüga subsidiary TSG acts as smart meter gateway administrator
Würzburg (energate) - Together with partners, the Würzburg-based utility WVV has implemented a first tenant flow model with SAP connection. The joint project with Thüga Smart Service (TSG) and EMH Metering (EMH) is the first to use exclusively modern metering equipment in combination with a smart meter gateway. WVV is acting as a pilot customer here, the company announced. The findings TSG has gathered from the project are to be incorporated into future tenant electricity projects with SAP systems.
The tenant power property in the Hubland district of Würzburg consists of two identical complexes, each with 24 residential units and a common solar system with a capacity of 60 kW. The owner and operator of the system is Stadtwerke Würzburg, a subsidiary of WVV. The complete metrological installation of the individual components was carried out by WVV's network subsidiary Mainfrankennetze. Each of the two complexes now has a PV generation measurement system, a bidirectional metering system for grid supply and infeed, and a general power measurement system, all of which, due to the high energy flows, is designed as a transformer measurement system and connected to a smart meter gateway.
MARKET NEWS
ENCS and E.DSO release security requirements for distribution automation
ENCS, the European Network for Cyber Security, and E.DSO, the European Distribution System Operators’ Association announced the launch of security requirements for Distribution Automation (DA) of Remote Terminal Units (RTUs). This is the third in a series of security guidelines for a smarter and more secure energy network, after ENCS and E.DSO previously released security requirements for electric vehicle charging points and smart meters. These requirements are an important tool in improving and harmonising the security of data collection and analysis for utilities across Europe, helping to build a more resilient network.
The requirements provide European distribution system operators (DSOs) with a defined set of practical considerations for procuring secure RTUs and are a significant step forward to industry wide requirements. These requirements have been split into various parts.
Why is Interoperability so important? NES Implementation of OSGP
Interoperability is the ability to deploy meters from various vendors into one smart grid and have them work together.
Simply allowing co-existence in the same grid is not enough. It is important that back-end systems accept the new vendor's meters seamlessly. It is critical that the back-end interoperability extends to and covers billing (the meter-to-cash process), operational functions and analytics functions
The Open Smart Grid Protocol is a leading standard for communications within the smart grid. It provides features which are essential if a smart meter deployment is to enable a smart energy transition and to align to national green initiatives, such as the EU Clean Energy Package.
NES smart meters implement the full OSGP stack to achieve industry leading inter-operability, communications and security, making them ideal for any utility looking to future-proof their investment in their smart energy platform.
Building blocks of an advanced metering infrastructure – part 1
A recent study of AMI professionals at leading DSOs revealed that regardless of the market set up or regulatory position, all utilities are currently investigating the business case for deploying modern smart meters to modernise the low voltage grid and integrate the last mile of the smart grid. Driving the rollout of next-generation smart meters to improve customer service and support advanced analytics in the smart grid at minimal expenditure forms the backbone of Advanced Metering Infrastructure in today’s context. But what makes up this infrastructure? And which building blocks do utilities need to understand and consider?
As industry specialists in utility data integration and enterprise architecture, especially when it comes to smart metering, we advise and consult utilities globally and support application and system vendors implementing projects impacting millions of consumers. As a result of this experience, we see a variety of approaches to central architectural decisions that utilities are taking. In this article, we explore key factors and provide our perspectives related to infrastructure cornerstones in the advanced smart metering value chain, namely the headend system. So what are the different types of headend systems on the market today and what constitutes a good and future-oriented integration architecture to support these systems?
Meghalaya state to modernise grid with ADB loan
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $132.8 million loan to finance 24X7 Power for All Meghalaya, a grid modernisation project unveiled by the Indian government and Meghalaya state government. The ADB loan will be used to improve power quality and upgrade the distribution network with the aim of providing a good quality, reliable, and affordable power supply to all electricity consumers. Although Meghalaya has achieved 100% electrification, the state’s per capita electricity consumption of 832 kWh/pa is low compared to the national average of 1122 kWh in 2017, and remote rural areas in the state suffer from frequent power interruptions. Distribution networks are overloaded and substations in rural areas use outdated technology, resulting in high aggregate technical and commercial losses.
To answer this problem, some 23 substations will be constructed and 45 substations will be renovated and modernised. Up to 2214 ks of distribution lines will be installed and up to 180 000 electromechanical meters will be replaced with smart meters.
Most vulnerable could benefit from smart meters
A new report released by 2020health, an independent social enterprise think tank, highlights how energy usage patterns from smart meter data could – with consumer consent – help the NHS to improve care for people living alone with serious health conditions, making it easier for them to live independently in their homes for longer. The report suggests that energy usage patterns from smart meter data could be used as a non-intrusive way to understand the daily habits of people with illnesses including dementia, Parkinson’s and depression. Irregularities in these patterns could alert relatives or healthcare workers that the individual concerned may need additional support.
If unusual behaviour were to be detected, an alert would be automatically raised and sent to a family member, careworker or doctor to respond. Not only could this provide professionals with important insights into the health of the patient, but it could also allow family and friends to act as ‘first responders’ to possible low-risk health concerns. This could alleviate pressure on social and healthcare systems and ease the burden on carers.
CPPIB, ADIA keen on smart meter business
India aims to replace 250 million conventional meters with smart meters, that also hold the key to its electricity distribution reforms. NEW DELHI : Attracted by the world’s largest electricity smart metering programme underway in India, Canada’s largest pension fund manager Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) have evinced interest for investing in the same to National Investments and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), said two people aware of the development. This comes in the backdrop of NIIF being present in India’ smart meter programme space through IntelliSmart—its joint venture with state-run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), that works on a build-own-operate and transfer (BOOT) model. India aims to replace 250 million conventional meters with smart meters, that also hold the key to its electricity distribution reforms.
An external spokesperson for NIIF in an emailed response said, “As per NIIF policy, we do not comment on market speculation and information gathered from third party sources.’’ With $4.3 billion of equity capital commitments from investors such as CPPIB and ADIA, NIIF invests across asset classes such as infrastructure, private equity, transportation and energy.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Oman Energy & Water Conference & Exhibition, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 29 November-1 December 2020
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The European Power Strategy & Systems Summit, Online Event, 30 November - 2 December 2020
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Budapest Energy Summit 2020, Future of Utilities Summit, Online Event, 1-4 December 2020
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Future of Utilities Summit, Online Event, 1-4 December 2020
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Common Information Model 2021, Virtual Conference, 13 January 2021
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IEC 61850 USA 2021 Common Information Model 2021
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POWERGEN India & Indian Utility Week 2021, New Delhi, 27-29 January 2021
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Advanced Metering Infrastructure 2021, Virtual Conference, 24 February 2021
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-3 March 2021
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NextGen SCADA Global 2021, Virtual Conference, 24-25 March 2021
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Fundamentals of IEC 61850 Global 2021, Brussels, Belgium, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jarkarta Indonesia, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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SMARTGREENS 2021, Prague, Czech Republic, 28-30 April 2021
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Digital Utilities Europe 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 12-13 May 2021
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ELECTRICITY, Warsaw, Poland, 19-21 May 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 14-16 June 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Power China 2021, Guangzhou, China, 16 - 18 August 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 28-30 September 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Oct2020
MEMBER NEWS
When do you buy a burglar alarm for the smart energy grid?
When do you buy a burglar alarm? For some of us, including me, it was after I was burgled. Of course, the right time would have been when I got indicators that my neighbourhood was carrying an increasing threat of burglaries. And how could I have known that? Well, my insurance premium started to increase, the general attractiveness of our neighbourhood to theft (its affluence) started to rise, there were more people and cars I didn’t recognise in the street, a neighbourhood watch started up and there were crime awareness notices posted through my front door.
In fact, I had all the indicators. I just didn’t associate the threat with me personally and I didn’t correlate the indicators to form the important point – now is the time to buy a burglar alarm. So, what did I do before I was burgled? I purchased some additional locks for the windows, installed them myself and felt rather smug. That is – until I was burgled.
Duke Energy’s SC Net-Metering Replacement Won a Crucial Ally: Rooftop Solar Companies
The utility and installers both believe the plan can keep solar attractive while minimizing the costs imposed on non-solar ratepayers. Few grid policy battles have been fought as bitterly as those pertaining to replacements for net metering, which determines how much rooftop solar customers get paid for the power they export to the grid. Utilities across the country have pushed to move away from paying full retail rates, arguing that it shifts costs onto other ratepayers. Solar installers typically respond by characterizing utility proposals, which often propose additional costs for rooftop solar customers, as punitive and unreasonable.
Utility Duke Energy tossed out the conventional playbook when proposing a net-metering successor for its South Carolina territory. It was able to get the rooftop solar industry on board as well. The agreement, made public Wednesday afternoon, shows that Duke's "Solar Choice Net Metering" concept enjoys the official support of advocacy groups Vote Solar and North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, leading national installer Sunrun and several other environmental groups. It's up to regulators to approve the plan, but rallying a broad coalition of stakeholders is a good place to start.
E.ON launches €250 million fund for next-gen digital technologies
Germany multinational energy company E.ON has launched a €250 million investment fund dedicated to digital technologies and business models. E.ON has unveiled the fund through its new Future Energy Ventures, a venture capital investment platform investing in digital and digitally enabled technologies that have the potential to redefine the future energy landscape. The launch of Future Energy Ventures follows the completion of E.ON’s acquisition of innogy and brings together an enviable level of expertise and experience in investing and scaling future energy-focused start-ups from across the E.ON and innogy venturing teams to create an industry-leading venturing platform.
The fund focuses on digital, scalable and asset-light businesses transforming the energy ecosystem that are seeking Series A and beyond funding that have shown evidence of a product-market-fit. Future Energy Ventures will operate from Germany, Israel and Silicon Valley hubs to support global startups. Jan Lozek, managing partner at Future Energy Systems, said: “The entire energy ecosystem is being transformed by technology at an ever-accelerating pace creating significant investment opportunities. “Not only is the traditional energy supply chain moving towards smart generation and storage, but individuals, buildings and entire cities are becoming smarter and more connected, fundamentally redefining the role of energy in society. We are committed to accelerating the energy transformation by investing in and supporting the growth of the innovative businesses and business models that will help create and shape that future.”
TenneT and Alliander expand electricity grids
TenneT will invest billions over the next ten years to expand its onshore and offshore electricity grids. Network company Alliander will also expand the electricity grid over the next ten years. The growing industry, agricultural sector, electric transport and sustainable residential areas demand more and more electricity.
In many places, at least a doubling of the capacity of the grid is needed. Onshore, TenneT is expected to invest between EUR 7.8 billion and EUR 8.7 billion between 2020 and 2029. Over the same period, it will invest between EUR 6 billion and EUR 7.2 billion in the construction of the grid at sea. Over the next ten years, Alliander will expand the grid in Friesland, North and South Holland, Flevoland and Gelderland. The company will invest €1.7 billion over the next two years and will, among other things, build new power stations, expand existing stations and lay new and thicker cables.
Apator Rector develops digital tools for power engineers
Apator Rector implements another application for Energa Operator, which improves the work of technical teams working in the field. The power companies use the increasing range of digital tools for management of assets and operations performed on the power grid. Apator Rector specialises in the implementation of modern applications for power engineering that uses the knowledge of business processes and many years of experience in the implementation of IT solutions for utilities sector. After the successful implementation of ZET Mobile application, which proved itself especially in the era of pandemic, improving the performance of maintenance orders in Energa Operator, Apator Rector implements another IT tool in EOP. We are talking about GIS Mobile application, which is used by technical services through mobile devices with the Android system. It is a practical tool thanks to which employees of maintenance services have access to current plans of the power network and descriptions of individual elements of infrastructure. Thanks to this, they are able to quickly and easily locate the desired facility and reach it, saving valuable time.
The application enables access to data both online and offline (after having previously transferred a fragment of the network to the device memory). It has a practical application for the daily work of the team that needs to inspect the network or replace the meter. It works well in a situation when the object sought is located in wooded or forested areas. It is invaluable especially during interventions caused by a network failure e.g. due to weather conditions. Thanks to precise navigation, the service team is able to find the damaged infrastructure and get to the place of failure faster, which is of great importance when the recipient is impatiently waiting for the help of power engineers and restoration of power supply. Access to the preview of the diagrams of devices installed on the network allows for precise planning of work and selection of necessary elements needed to remove the failure.
Conlog, West Africa: Managed services and metering insights to deliver financial health
At the end of 2018, an Association of Nigeria Electricity Distributors (ANED) report revealed that Discos collected N422.5bn in 2018, up from N344.7bn in 2017, with collection efficiency rising to 65% from 60% while the aggregate technical, commercial and collection losses dropped to 49% from 54%. More recently, ANED stated that “the aggregate ATC&C loss KPI (moving average) keeps consistently improving and it is now at 43.3%, although, and again IE has achieved a new record of 20.6% and, in a commendable way, Kano has reduced almost 20 points of ATC&C losses in just two years.”
If revenue collection from electricity sales start to fall in light of the ongoing pandemic and proposed tariff increases, the impact will be devastating to Discos, and any ground gained will be lost. During an online session, Conlog will showcase experience in assisting utilities in their pivot to digital in a time of huge uncertainty and financial pressure. In addition, Conlog will consider the importance of process management at the time of installation and how technology can facilitate seamless integration of meters into networks.
MARKET NEWS
ENCS and E.DSO release security requirements for distribution automation
ENCS, the European Network for Cyber Security, and E.DSO, the European Distribution System Operators’ Association announced the launch of security requirements for Distribution Automation (DA) of Remote Terminal Units (RTUs). This is the third in a series of security guidelines for a smarter and more secure energy network, after ENCS and E.DSO previously released security requirements for electric vehicle charging points and smart meters. These requirements are an important tool in improving and harmonising the security of data collection and analysis for utilities across Europe, helping to build a more resilient network.
The requirements provide European distribution system operators (DSOs) with a defined set of practical considerations for procuring secure RTUs and are a significant step forward to industry wide requirements. These requirements have been split into various parts: 1. DA-201-2019: Security architecture for distribution automation systems (for ENCS members only) 2. DA-301-2019: Security requirements for procuring DA RTUs (Public) 3. DA-401-2019: Security test plan for distribution automation RTUs (Public) ENCS has been active in Distribution Automation security since 2015, where it started analysing vulnerabilities in architectures and systems. The DA requirements were developed for all members and used first by Enexis, where they allowed for a secure DA system and a smoother procurement process, delivered at only a marginal extra cost. ENCS also developed a test plan to verify the correct implementation of the security requirements in a standardised manner. By standardising the test plan, test results can be more easily shared between grid operators.
NES deploys its dual relay meter with sophisticated control software for DSOs in Switzerland
Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAP), has deployed its integrated HW and SW solution for dual relay control for business and residential consumers.
The NES solution allows DSOs to integrate the normally separate meter and relay control capabilities into the meter, integrating them for local, scheduled and remote control through innovative software solutions.
As part of this innovation, highly reliable and secure OSGP communication is used to integrate the control of the relays with the standard metering control and information over the PLC network. This is made possible by the high communication SLAs, typically over 99.7%, which are a feature of NES’s implementation of OSGP.
Croatia’s HEP kicks off EUR 24 million smart grid project
Distribution system operator HEP – Operator distribucijskog sustava (HEP ODS) has launched EUR 24 million Smart Grid Pilot Project which includes digitalisation of a part of the electricity distribution network in Croatia, and creating conditions for the integration of distributed sources. HEP ODS will invest into three areas of advanced electricity distribution network: advanced metering infrastructure, development and optimization of the conventional network and automatization of the medium-voltage network. The agreement for this project was signed back in July 2018.
The 85% of the funds for the project comes from the European Regional Development Fund, granted under the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014 – 2020, and the rest from HEP ODS own funds. The company, part of power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP), will invest additional EUR 7 million from making the total investment worth EUR 31 million. The project, which will be implemented by HEP ODS by the end of 2022, is for the establishment of advanced metering infrastructure in order to enable a more accurate calculation of losses, location of areas with increased losses in the distribution network, monitoring of electricity consumption and active consumption management for end customers.
Forward Thinking: How FERC’s Order on Distributed Energy Resources Could Help Modernize the Grid
On September 17, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order No. 2222, which removes barriers that have hindered aggregations of distributed energy resources (DERs) from participating in regional wholesale markets. As a result of this order, groups of DERs like rooftop solar, energy storage, and electric vehicles will be able to compete in regional wholesale electricity markets as storage resources or distributed sources of electricity for the first time. The order also will provide regional grid operators with more visibility and control over these DERs as they become more common on the distribution grid.
FERC expects that this order will result in numerous benefits, including lower prices for ratepayers due to increased competition, along with improved grid resilience and flexibility. In particular, a significant benefit of this order is how it could unleash many more opportunities for DERs to provide demand-side services, which can improve the efficiency of electric grid operations and pave the way for grid modernization. Until now, the participation of aggregations of DERs in wholesale markets mainly has been limited to demand response, which compensates resources for reducing demand during peak hours. While demand response has been effective at peak load shaving, more flexible demand-side services will likely be needed going forward as the composition of resources on the grid changes.
Protecting the Grid Against Cyber Attacks
Cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, increasing the difficulty for utilities to detect and mitigate. T&D World recently hosted a live webinar with utility industry experts, Sean Stalzer from Dominion Energy Services and Bob Lockhart with the Utilities Technology Council, who discussed best practices in planning, situational awareness, and response to cyberattacks. The webinar was specific to utility industrial control systems (ICS) and was a real treat, including a candid conversation about the current threat landscape. There was a recognition of the importance of collaboration for the industry to achieve its security and reliability goals.
The Threat Is Real. Cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, increasing the difficulty for utilities to detect and mitigate. Utilities are experiencing expansion in the potential attack surface, the industrialization of IT/OT attacks, and possible attacks are also moving deeper into utility systems. Utilities are transitioning from older and more rigid legacy systems to more flexible approaches to modernize the electric grid; this enables remote operation of the grid, but also makes cybersecurity controls more difficult. Our adversaries have become more stealthy, and defending against these threats is time-consuming and costly for utilities. The threat of a cyberattack on our nation's power grid is the new normal, and the stakes are high. Stalzer shared the following quote from Brian Harrell, Assistant Secretary for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which epitomizes the cybersecurity role of today's utility. "Owners and operators are on the frontline today of national security. It's not the government. It is in the bulk power system. You guys are kind of the protectors of our way of life, so to speak."
India and Smart meters: Time to make that smart switch
We estimate that the country would need to invest ~Rs 65,000 crore to transit from traditional to smart meters, assuming a substantial reduction in current meter prices with rising volumes. The current crisis in the power distribution sector offers a great reform opportunity even as it reiterates an urgent need – to switch en masse from traditional to smart meters. Financially stressed power distribution companies (discoms) are staring at rising losses as demand and collections have declined with the Covid-19 lockdowns. CRISIL Research expects power demand to contract 3-5% on-year this fiscal compared with a CAGR of 3.8% between fiscals 2015 and 2020.
However, discoms could adopt a simple and effective solution to tackle the crisis – by ramping up collection efficiency quickly through large-scale adoption of smart metering solutions. Earlier reform footprints, availability of resources, renewed thrust on ‘aatmanirbhar’ manufacturing, and above all, an urgency to revive ailing discoms make this switch more viable today. As data from public sector undertaking Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) shows, utilities with smart metering infrastructure reported 95% billing efficiency in the first quarter of this fiscal, when the lockdown was in force, and generated additional revenue of 15-20% per meter. EESL estimates that this would amount to additional revenue of over Rs 100,000 crore annually from electricity unbilled due to metering, billing and collection (MBC) inefficiencies.
UPCOMING EVENTS
MENA ENERGY MEET, Virtual Expo & Summit, 2-3 November 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 4-6 November 2020
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Energy & Utilities Africa, Digital Event, 16-17 November 2020
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The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020, Virtual Event, 16-17 November 2020
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SMART CITY LIVE 2020, Virtual Event, 17-18 November 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020, Virtual Event, 18-19 November 2020
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Energy Transition North America, 19-20 November 2020
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Energy Transition Europe, Online & On-Demand, 23-24 November 2020
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African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa, Digital Event, 24-26 November 2020
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GIS4Smartgrid 2020, Virtual Conference, 25 November 2020
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13th Energy Storage World Forum, Virtual Conference, 25-27 November 2020
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Future of Utilities Summit, Virtual Event, 30 November – 1 December 2020
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The European Power Strategy & Systems Summit, Prague, Czech Republic, 30 November – 2 December 2020
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Oman Energy & Water Conference & Exhibition, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 30 November-2 December 2020
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Budapest Energy Summit 2020, Hybrid & Virtual Event, 1 December 2020
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Future of Utilities Summit, Online Event, 1-4 December 2020
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Common Information Model 2021, Virtual Conference, 13 January 2021
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IEC 61850 USA 2021 Common Information Model 2021
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POWERGEN India & Indian Utility Week 2021, New Delhi, 27-29 January 2021
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Advanced Metering Infrastructure 2021, Virtual Conference, 24 February 2021
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-3 March 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 23-25 March 2021
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NextGen SCADA Global 2021, Virtual Conference, 24-25 March 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy, Jakarta, Indonesia, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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SMARTGREENS 2021, Prague, Czech Republic, 28-30 April 2021
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Digital Utilities Europe 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 12-13 May 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 14-16 June 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Power China 2021, Guangzhou, China, Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Sep2020
MEMBER NEWS
OSGP presents at Smart Grid Cybersecurity 2020 Virtual Conference - 7 October 2020
Emil Gurevitch, Member OSGP Alliance and Senior Security Architect, NES will represent the OSGP Alliance as speaker, jointly with Oleksandr Kabachynskyi, Head of System Administration & Information Security of JSC Khmelnytskoblenergo, Ukraine. The presentation will focus on Smart Metering Security – Developing a smart meter cybersecurity strategy that addresses the vulnerabilities of the existing install base and future complexities introduced by DER. Special discount tickets available for OSGP Alliance Members!
The accumulator storage of Fortum and Caruna improves the reliability of the electricity system
Climate change and the energy transition towards renewable and weather-dependent energy sources create requirements for the balance of the electricity system. Fortum and Caruna have together developed solutions for securing reliability of supply in the future.
As a result of the cooperation, the companies have together developed a significant accumulator system by Nordic standards, which will improve the reliability of electricity distribution and the quality of supply. The size of a shipping container, the accumulator operates connected to Caruna's medium voltage network in Inkoo. Deployment of the system is part of the smart electricity network. When Caruna does not need the electricity storage to repair a power outage caused by a maintenance or fault situation, Fortum will use the accumulators in the control electricity market to balance the national electricity system.
An Experienced Sales Leader Joins Networked Energy Services Senior Management Team
Artemy Voroshilov has been appointed as Chief Sales Officer at NES to further develop NES strategy and growth initiatives as the company rapidly expands its market share San Jose, CA, August 25, 2020: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), is pleased to announce the appointment of Artemy Voroshilov as its Chief Sales Officer (CSO). Artemy will be responsible for leading and further developing NES global sales operations.
Artemy joins NES with years of expertise in various ICT sales and partnership development roles across Europe, in particular, leading Nokia’s Smart Grid incubation effort in the region. Artemy brings a wealth of sales leadership experience across the telecommunications and utility space. He joins us from Smart Energy Water, a global SaaS leader in digital utility self-service, where he was responsible for sales and market development in greater Europe. Prior to that he led Huawei’s software sales and digital transformation engagement with a global telecommunications group headquartered in Amsterdam.
Duke Energy looking to roll out Solar Choice Net Metering program
Duke Energy is looking to roll out a new program in the Carolinas called Solar Choice Net Metering, which credits small customers with rooftop solar arrays for excess electricity they generate and provide to Duke Energy via the grid. The program is designed to provide pricing and incentive options for customers in North Carolina and South Carolina while allowing the company to address increasing electric demand periods in the winter. Duke Energy recently reached an agreement with leading solar installers, environmental groups, and renewable energy advocates to launch the program. It now seeks approval from regulators.
“This first-of-a-kind package completely modernizes the rooftop solar transaction,” Lon Huber, Duke Energy’s vice president for rate design and strategic solutions, said. “This new arrangement not only recognizes the value of solar and the enabling energy grid, but it unlocks additional benefits for all customers by addressing when utilities experience peak demand across their systems in the Carolinas.”
Powering up the transition to a new energy world - E.ON, AI and digitalisation
There’s a bold statement of intent on the homepage of the E.ON corporate website: "We are going to be the energy company that supplies energy for the digital age". In pursuit of that ambition, the energy giant has embarked on a number of digital transformation initiatives in recent years, both internally to transform the way it operates and externally to assist client organizations and consumers to transition to what it pitches as a new energy world. At the heart of all this is a dedication to using data as the foundation for change as Matthew Timms, CEO Energy at E.ON Digital, outlined as part of a keynote address during London Tech Week recently:
"We're putting AI, we're putting digitalization, at the heart of everything we do in our business. The reason that we're doing that is that we've got to make a significant impact on supporting us through this challenge that we have around climate. ..."
PROJECTS: Schneider Electric bags smart grid deal in Egypt
Top executive Walid Sheta said the company is eyeing new contracts in Egypt’s transportation and natural gas sectors Energy management and automation company Schneider Electric has signed an agreement with Egypt's Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy to establish distribution control centres in the country, a top company official told Zawya Projects. "The distribution control centres would be established in three phases within 30 months. Four would be operationalised in Phase 1, and five each in Phases 2 and 3 at a total estimated cost of 13.8 billion Egyptian pounds ($869 million)," said Walid Sheta, regional Cluster President of Schneider Electric Egypt, North Africa and Levant in an exclusive interview.
Schneider Electric would be involved in the first phase which would be completed over a 18-month period. He said the agreement comes within the framework of a national plan to establish smart distribution and control centres to raise the level and quality of electricity supply in the country.
MARKET NEWS
Combatting fraud and theft in the smart grid
Power theft in the smart grid is the menace of electric utilities from rural cooperatives to large investor-owned and municipal providers.
As early as 1899, the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies addressed the problem of tampering with screws that adjusted meter damping magnets. Over 36 years ago in 1984, the New York Times published an article citing ConEd and the potential of “1% of power customers of stealing services.”
According to estimates, theft and fraud of electricity costs the industry as much as $96 billion every year globally, with as much as $6 billion every year in the United States alone. This not only results in higher prices for paying customers and costly government subsidies but is also a public safety crisis in some countries with dangerous illegal power connections. In some countries, high non-technical losses threaten the financial sustainability of the energy utilities, with double-digit % energy losses through theft and fraud being estimated.
The Secret To A Scalable Distributed Energy Future
By Elta Kolo, Wood Mackenzie Grid Edge Research Content Lead, and Fei Wang, Wood Mackenzie Research Manager Leaning into a distributed energy future is a complex endeavour for utilities. Wood Mackenzie expects cumulative capacity of distributed storage and solar in North America, Europe and Oceania to double by 2025, while electric vehicle (EV) charging points are set to grow sevenfold by this date. The US alone will add 127 GW of distributed energy resource capacity between 2016 and 2025. In the same timeframe, the majority of new bulk generation capacity will be variable renewable energy: wind, solar and battery storage. The increasingly variable nature of both distributed energy resources (DERs) and bulk power generation will lead to operational and planning challenges for utilities.
Regulatory approval for grid expansion and reinforcement is a multi-year and often political process that results in bill increases for customers. At the same time, utilities are exploring ways to incrementally mitigate the rising complexities of their grids.This is where DER management systems (DERMS) and software solutions can help meet utility objectives and address DER-related issues swiftly and economically.
How smart metering infrastructure can help distressed power sector in India
When electricity demand is expected to rise by 95% by 2030, India’s power sector is marred with high Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses. Electricity demand is expected to nearly double by 2030, but high aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses mar sector. The reliance on postal services in sending bills to customers, delayed payments, and collecting tariffs from inaccessible geographical locations has prompted a need to look for an alternative. “AT&C losses are major contributors to overall power losses in the sector. As a result, distribution utilities lose almost 72 paise per unit of electricity they purchase,” said Vishal Kapoor, a director, Union Ministry of Power (MoP), in a webinar.
The country aims to cut AT&C losses under 12 per cent by 2022 and below 10 per cent by 2027. The losses are currently pegged at 20 per cent. India is also transforming its energy mix by installing more non-fossil fuel-based energy generation technologies. Smart grids are entrusted to both integrate renewable energy and reduce AT&C losses. The smart-grids are digitally augmented electricity grids which automate and manage the increasing intricacies on the supply as well as the demand side.
Using smart meters will lead to happy discoms and customers and pave the way to smart grid connectivity
The role of smart meters and its value proposition has come into a lot of focus during the Covid-19 pandemic, wherein distribution utilities are constrained in performing the basic tasks of meter reading and subsequently billing. Many utilities have been forced to resort to provisional billing (i.e. an estimate based on the actual meter reading pattern of the last few months of the same year or that of the previous year during a similar billing cycle). This has, however, caused a huge uproar in several cities where consumers have taken to social media and other mediums to vent their surprise and frustration at what they perceived as inflated bills. Distribution utilities have subsequently spent a huge amount of their resources and time in explaining the methodology of provisional billing and extending facilities such as instalments to ease the monthly burden for customers.
All this pain and stress for both consumers and utilities has been avoided where smart meters are installed. Such a meter communicates the meter reading to the utility without any manual intervention, thereby eliminating the need to do billing on a provisional or estimated basis. For example, in Delhi, smart meters have come to the rescue of discoms and consumers. As many as 200,000 smart meters across consumer segments—domestic, industrial, and commercial—enabled 350,000 bills to be raised with actual readings during the lockdown. They also helped prevent more than 150,000 visits a month to consumers’ premises during the lockdown.
State joint venture to support smart meter rollout in India
A joint venture company is being established to provide the infrastructure to enable India’s distribution companies to accelerate their smart meter rollout. Press reports indicate that the joint venture under the ministry of power will provide a ‘common backend infrastructure facility’ with a standardised and scalable architecture that the discoms can ‘plug and play’. Such an architecture should simplify the rollout of smart meters by avoiding duplication and enabling the meter data management to be scaled as required. The JV will be comprised of the four state energy organizations NTPC Ltd, the country’s largest power generation company, the Power Grid Corporation responsible mainly for transmission, the Power Finance Corporation and REC Ltd (formerly the Rural Electrification Corporation).
Each are reportedly putting in funding of Rs150 crore ($20 million). A debt component of Rs1,400 crore will bring the total available capital to Rs2,000 crore ($271 million). The facility will be offered to the discoms as a software-as-a-service and they will be charged a usage fee. India’s national smart metering programme aims to replace 250 million conventional meters with smart meters. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), the state agency implementing the programme, indicates that almost 1.4 million smart meters have been installed to date.
Ed’s note: Holding critical infrastructure to ransom(ware)
The global pandemic has been good for cybercriminals. There has been a significant increase in attempted and successful attacks since the beginning of 2020 – what’s behind the increase? The FBI has reported that the number of complaints about cyberattacks to their Cyber Division is up to as many as 4,000 a day. The World Health Organisation has said that efforts against their staff has increased fivefold. Interpol has said it has seen a shift away from smaller businesses and individuals to attacks targetting large corporations, governments and critical infrastructure.
As remote working as continued, criminals are taking advantage of the increased vulnerabilities – stealing data and utilising ransomware to extort money. Utilities have not been exempt from the impacts either. In fact, it has been reported that utilities worldwide were subject to 1,780 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)* attacks in the period 15 June – 21 August. This is a 595% increase in year-on-year attacks. In fact, the list of utilities or power sector related organisations which have been subjected to attacks in 2020 include...
UPCOMING
Smart Grid Cybersecurity 2020, VIRTUAL, 7 October 2020
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Energy Transition World Forum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 13 October 2020
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Solar Expo Chile Postponed to 2021
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IEC 61850 Global 2020, VIRTUAL, 28-29 October 2020
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The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020, Manila, Philippines, 28-30 October 2020
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MENA ENERGY MEET, Virtual Expo & Summit, 2-3 November 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 4-6 November 2020
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XIII International Trade Fair EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 10-12 November 2020
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SMART CITY LIVE 2020, Virtual Event, 17-18 November 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 18-19 November 2020
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Energy Transition North America, 19-20 November 2020
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Energy Transition Europe, Online & On-Demand, 23-24 November 2020
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African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa, Cape Town, South Africa, 24-26 November 2020
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GIS4Smartgrid 2020, Virtual Conference, 25 November 2020
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Future of Utilities Summit, Virtual Event, 30 November – 1 December 2020
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The European Power Strategy & Systems Summit, Prague, Czech Republic, 30 November – 2 December 2020
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Oman Energy & Water Conference & Exhibition, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 30 November-2 December 2020
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Digital Utilities Europe 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2-3 December 2020
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POWERGEN India & Indian Utility Week 2021, New Delhi, 27-29 January 2021
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Advanced Metering Infrastructure 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 24 February 2021
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-3 March 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 23-25 March 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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SMARTGREENS 2021, Prague, Czech Republic, 28-30 April 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 14-16 June 2021
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Fundamentals of IEC 61850 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Power China 2021, Guangzhou, China, Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Aug2020
MEMBER NEWS
Alliander: more work done despite COVID-19, but higher costs
Despite the COVID-19 crisis, Alliander has connected more customers, laid more cables and invested more in the power grid over the first six months of 2020 compared to the same period last year. This puts the network company on course to structurally increase its work rate. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and the higher tariffs charged by Tennet, costs were up. As a result, the net profit for the first half of 2020 came in €29 million lower than in the same period in 2019 (2019: €121 million, 2020: €92 million).
Maarten Otto, Alliander’s CEO: “Given that our energy networks are part of the Netherlands’ essential infrastructure, we have done everything within our power during the COVID-19 crisis to ensure our work could go ahead as much as possible and even to accelerate it. This is important, because without energy everything would come to a standstill. We have adapted to the situation and shown flexibility to help our customers as well as possible. We are unrelenting in continuing our work on the energy networks, so as to be able to keep offering a reliable and affordable energy supply, also in the future.”
Top students to present their ideas for a smarter and more sustainable future at Schneider Go Green global finals in September
Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, hosts its global student competition, Schneider Go Green, every year. Students are invited to submit their innovative and bold ideas on energy management and automation for a smarter and more sustainable future from around the globe. The company announced the top eight teams on August 10, 2020. They will present their ideas and compete against each other during the finals on September 10th, 2020. Schneider is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion which is why the 2900 submitted projects are chosen from Asia Pacific, North America, South America, China, Europe, India, and the Middle East & Africa. Teams are also asked to include at least one female to encourage a balanced representation.
At Schneider, we are deeply committed to diversity and inclusivity and as such, encourage a balanced representation at the leadership level. The finalists, supported by their Schneider Electric mentors, are now gearing up for the global digital finals, the ultimate stage of the competition. The teams will pitch their bold ideas in the form of business cases to an executive jury composed of eight Schneider Electric leaders from around the world. The teams will also participate in a pre-show event hosted digitally by Schneider Electric where they will attend career talks, presentations on innovation and incubation and a candid talk with the Group’s CHRO and other top management leaders.
Video: Grid Watch – NES Security Application
Even if you are aware of security events, you can be missing important indicators of attack, simply because they are lost in the background of low-level threat indicators and false positives. Common responses are to log everything or log nothing. In either case, you are unable to spot the key indicators that would allow you to adopt a modified security posture in response to a threat or react to block an attack or limit its impact.
Grid watch adds detection and response capabilities to established smart meter security layers. It strengthens the ability to prevent, detect, and respond to misuse of grid assets and malicious behavior through a unique intrusion detection system.
Egyptian state utility to create Middle East’s first-ever smart grid with Schneider Electric
State-owned Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) will transform its electricity grid into a smart grid with the help of Schneider Electric. EEHC and the French industrial group signed a $287,5 million contract on 12 July to implement the project. Schneider Electric will build four control centres, which will monitor and optimise the electricity network within the next 18 months. It will also install more than 12,000 smart ring main units through the national network during that time. They project includes the upgrade of 1,000 distribution points and substations to be able to connect them to the smart grid. The network will be protected by cybersecurity software that is built into the hardware.
When completed this smart grid will be the Middle’s East’s first-ever country-wide smart grid that should meet the electricity needs of Egypt’s growing population as well as its industrial development, said Schneider Electric in a press release. The four control centres will use the company’s Advanced Distribution Management System to monitor, control and reconfigure the network, through the use of big data and artificial intelligence.
Poland's Tauron lauds new record in renewables connections
August 4 (Renewables Now) - Renewable power plants with a combined capacity of 254 MW, mostly micro-systems, have been connected to TAURON Dystrybucja’s network in the first half of 2020. Polish energy company Tauron Polska Energia SA (WSE:TPE) announced this on Monday, pointing out that micro-installations in the period reached 34,632 with a combined capacity of 235 MW. This is more than TAURON Dystrybucja connected for the whole of 2019.
All but one of these newly added systems used solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. The one exception was an agricultural biogas plant. The table provides details on micro-installations in the network of TAURON Dystrybucja in the last few years.
E.ON selects SAP to build new platform for network operations
Germany energy company E.ON has selected SAP to build a new process and technology platform to optimise network operations. E.ON and SAP intend to set a new standard in Germany’s power grid business. The energy company will use cloud solutions from SAP to optimise billing and ensure information exchange processes are more efficient and consistent across its corporate group. The project will help subsidiaries of E.ON including energy suppliers, grid operators and metering point operators to share information faster, more accurately and more easily.
Having a standardised approach to data sharing will help E.ON to follow best practices and reduce the cost of developing custom software. Implementing innovative cloud solutions should save the group more than 40% in costs long term.
MARKET NEWS
Covid-19 impact on electricity: Impact of lockdown measures
In light of the extraordinary impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdown measures on the energy system, the IEA is publishing the most up-to-date possible electricity data. This report includes data through 31 July, 2020. It will be updated on 15 September with data through the end of August.
Electricity demand dropped quickly with confinement measures. It steadily recovered as measures were gradually softened; it was still 10% below 2019 levels in EU countries in June. In the last week of July, electricity demand was 5% below 2019 levels in EU countries except Italy. In India, recovery seems faster.
Protect, Detect and Respond: securing the smart grid
Find out how to keep pace with changing legislation, regulation, threats from cyber-criminals and consumer expectations when implementing and maintaining your smart grid.
Energy supply, revenue streams, operation efficiency, and your customer's personal information, are all under threat by a possible cyberattack. How can you be better prepared?
Join Smart Energy International and Networked Energy Services in a live webinar discussion on 23 September 13h00 GMT.
View programme and registration details…
Adani Electric Mumbai Limited Invites Bids to Implement Smart Group Metering for Its Power Consumers in Mumbai
Adani Electric Mumbai Limited (AEML) has issued a tender to implement a smart metering solution in its power distribution area of 700,000 consumers in the east division in Mumbai. Interested bidders are expected to make an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹25 million (~$0.33 million). The last date for bid submission is September 14, 2020. The tender stated that bids would only be accepted in electronic format.
Adani is planning to implement an automatic metering infrastructure (AMI) solution for 700,000 meters to smart group metering by setting up RF (radio frequency) communication canopy network across its distribution area spanning over 99 square kilometers. The scope of work includes the implementation of smart group metering. The bidders need to supply, install, test, commission and provide training of RF communication canopy network elements, RF nodes, group, and standalone smart meters, group smart meter cabin and field maintenance services, head-end system, meter data management system, customer portal and its integrations with the existing AEML systems along with IT infrastructure on the cloud. Bidders have to maintain the entire solution for ten years, and it must be scalable up to 3 million.
What might COVID-19 mean for DSOs in the long-term?
Anja Langer Jacquin, the CCO of DEPsys explains what might COVID-19 mean for energy distribution system operators (DSOs) in the long-term. Summer is here and COVID-19 is still with us. Though parts of society are reopening, full normality will be a slow, potentially irregular process – three steps forward, two steps back. Nonetheless, the situation has improved enough that we can start to think about the future. A shock as profound as the pandemic will spark lasting changes: some good, some bad, some simply different. Distribution system operators (DSOs) and distribution network operators (DNOs) will not be exempt from this. These utilities have had to rapidly pivot to handle the immediate challenges of the crisis, and now are in the midst of managing low- and medium-voltage grids through the transitionary phase as societies reopen.
Now they must ask themselves what is at the other end of that transitionary phase. It can’t be a simple return to life before – COVID-19 has changed the game and besides, the industry’s commitment to the energy transition means there can be no backwards movement. So, what will those changes be? What are the lessons COVID-19 has taught us? Above all, that grid digitalisation – what many call the smart grid – may already have been a long-time industry talking point, but in reality is more important and urgent than we ever thought.
Brazil's CPFL Energia makes another move to digitize processes
Brazilian energy company CPFL Energia, which is controlled by China's State Grid, invested 47mn reais (US$8.76mn) in a new integrated system for network operation as part of a broader strategy to digitize its processes. Supplied by Schneider Electric, the Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) platform was activated this month at the power distributor's CPFL Piratinininga unit, which operates in 27 municipalities in São Paulo state, serving approximately 1.8mn consumers, the company reported.
Later this year, CPFL intends to activate the platform at the CPFL Paulista unit, which covers 234 municipalities in the interior of São Paulo state, serving 4.6mn consumers; and CPFL Santa Cruz, which serves municipalities in São Paulo, Paraná and Minas Gerais states, serving approximately 457,000 consumers. For 2021, the goal is to take the system to distributor RGE, which is responsible for distributing 65% of the electricity consumed in Rio Grande do Sul state, serving 2.9mn residential and corporate customers.
Opportunities in the Global Smart Electricity Meter Market: A $16 Billion Industry
DUBLIN, Aug. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Smart Electricity Meter - Global Market Outlook (2019-2027)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Smart Electricity Meter market accounted for $10.22 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $16.53 billion by 2027 growing at a CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period. Some of the key factors propelling market growth include increased need for efficient data monitoring systems coupled with favorable government policies for smart meter rollout, improved cost savings, and increasing emphasis on renewable energy sources globally. However, high initial investment and delays in smart meter rollout projects are likely to hamper the market.
By end user, the residential segment is anticipated to grow at significant rate during the forecast period, due to the widespread use of sophisticated electrical, electronic, and data equipment and growing importance of power management solutions. The installation of smart electric meters in residential places would help in reducing the dependence on fossil fuels, as the smart electric meters can assist the consumers to monitor, regularize, and reduce their consumptions from the grid, and generators, and further integrate their consumptions from renewable energy sources such as solar installations.
Sanwo Olu introduces smart meters to improve electricity in Lagos
Despite significant investments and resolutions around power generation and distribution, there is still a huge metering gap of over 60 percent of electricity consumers in Lagos and Nigeria. In Nigeria’s commercial hub, most residents do not have access to meters in measuring the consumption of electrical energy in individual households. This has caused a series of disagreements between residents and power distribution companies. In a bid to overcome the problems of traditional electricity meters and address the metering gap, the Lagos State government developed a Smart Meters initiative tagged, “The Lagos Smart Meter Hackathon 2020.” The smart meter initiative unveiled by Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, and the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, is a collaboration between the Lagos state government and Eko Innovation Centre.
In a bid to overcome the problems of traditional electricity meters and address the metering gap, the Lagos State government developed a Smart Meters initiative tagged, “The Lagos Smart Meter Hackathon 2020.” The smart meter initiative unveiled by Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, and the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, is a collaboration between the Lagos state government and Eko Innovation Centre.
Power Sector To Spend $5 Billion on Software by 2025
August 13, 2020 New BloombergNEF research shows that the power sector will spend $3.2 billion on software in 2020 to optimize the performance, costs and revenues of generation and grid assets. BNEF believes this will grow to $5.2 billion by 2025, driven by the sectors decarbonization mandate. For power generation software, China and Europe will be the biggest markets, accounting for 26% and 24% of the global market respectively. We estimate the market for power grid software in 2020 is split roughly evenly between China (28%), the U.S. (21%), Europe (25%) and the rest of the world (26%). The market share of Europe and the U.S. erodes toward 2025 due to growing demand for software in the rest of world.
The falling cost of IoT sensors and communications networks has helped expand the use of advanced analytics such as asset performance management (APM), and also the use of in-field digital tools such as augmented reality. While the growth in cloud computing and artificial intelligence use is making predictive maintenance (PdM) and computer vision popular. Smart-grid technologies have also become more real-time and automated thanks to IoT and analytics. This market size is only for software spend, with the total digitalization cost being about double this due to upfront hardware and services fees. Power plant and system operations will also spend millions of dollars on software for weather forecasting, predicting power demand, and operating trading platforms.
PRESS RELEASE
An Experienced Sales Leader Joins Networked Energy Services Senior Management Team
Artemy Voroshilov has been appointed as Chief Sales Officer at NES to further develop NES strategy and growth initiatives as the company rapidly expands its market share
San Jose, CA, August 25, 2020: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), is pleased to announce the appointment of Artemy Voroshilov as its Chief Sales Officer (CSO). Artemy will be responsible for leading and further developing NES global sales operations.
Artemy joins NES with years of expertise in various ICT sales and partnership development roles across Europe, in particular, leading Nokia’s Smart Grid incubation effort in the region. Artemy brings a wealth of sales leadership experience across the telecommunications and utility space. He joins us from Smart Energy Water, a global SaaS leader in digital utility self-service, where he was responsible for sales and market development in greater Europe. Prior to that he led Huawei’s software sales and digital transformation engagement with a global telecommunications group headquartered in Amsterdam.
UPCOMING EVENTS
AI&ML for the Smart Grid 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 8 - 10 September 2020
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MOVE Asia, Singapore, 9-10 September 2020
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4th Smart Mobility Congress & V2X 2020, Shanghai, China, 9-10 September 2020
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Utility Cloud 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, VIRTUAL, 16 September 2020
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Powering Iraq, VIRTUAL, 20-22 September 2020
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Smart Grid Innovation 2020, VIRTUAL, 23 September 2020
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Nigeria Energy, Lagos, Nigeria, 22-24 September 2020
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Grid Asset Management 2020, VIRTUAL, 30 September 2020
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Smart Grid Cybersecurity 2020, VIRTUAL, 7 October 2020
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Energy Transition World Forum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 13 October 2020
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Solar Expo Chile 2020, Casapiedra, Chile, 13-14 October 2020
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IEC 61850 Global 2020, VIRTUAL, 28-29 October 2020
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The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020, Manila, Philippines, 28-29 October 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 4-6 November 2020
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XIII International Trade Fair EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 10-12 November 2020
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Smart Grid Network Planning, Virtual Conference, 17-19 November 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 18-19 November 2020
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Energy Transition North America, 19-20 November 2020
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Energy Transition Summit, London, UK, 23-24 November 2020
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GIS4Smartgrid 2020, Virtual Conference, 24-26 November 2020
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African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa 2020, DIGITAL EVENT
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The European Power Strategy & Systems Summit, Prague, Czech Republic, 30 November – 2 December 2020
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Oman Energy & Water Conference & Exhibition, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 30 November-2 December 2020
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Advanced Metering Infrastructure 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 24 February 2021
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-3 March 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 15-17 March 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 23-25 March 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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Fundamentals of IEC 61850 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Enlit Europe, Milan, Italy, 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Jul2020
MEMBER NEWS
Thüga - Digital measurement of house connections
Click and (go): With new apps, the measurement processes for connecting cables should become significantly faster. To this end, Veolia, the start-up Vaira and Thüga Energy Networks have teamed up. The solutions should be ready for the market in 18 months. Measuring, documenting, creating orders: Connecting new houses or commercial properties to electricity, gas, heating or data networks is one of the core tasks of network operators. An alliance of developers and users now wants to significantly simplify and accelerate the required measurement processes for connecting cables using new apps based on a digital platform.
The environmental service provider Veolia, the start-up Vaira and Thüga Energienetze, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thüga Aktiengesellschaft, have joined forces in the alliance. The partners are confident that, over the next 18 months, they will be able to bring field-proven apps onto the market for creating dimensioned sketches and for measuring x / y coordinates for house connections and the installed components. These should then be made available to all network operators across Germany.
New NES report explores COVID-19 impacts on the smart energy transition
Networked Energy Services Corporation has completed its industry survey related to the impact of COVID-19 on smart metering and smart grid projects. The report Smart Metering and the Smart Energy Transition in the New Normal has found that the impacts of COVID-19 have been both positive and negative on the smart energy transition, with the balance being towards the positive.
The report, which is available at https://bit.ly/3h3E7fa, summaries the results of a dedicated survey and presents a perspective on how smart grid and smart metering solution providers can help the energy industry and consumers to mitigate the risks and ameliorate the impacts of similar pandemics in the future. Ben Gardner, the president of market intelligence firm Northeast Group, said: “Utilities (and hopefully regulators) are now seeing first-hand the importance of smart metering deployments as the pandemic and ensuing lockdown reinforce the need for improved automation and resiliency.”
German E.ON to invest EUR 210 million in power business in Romania
E.ON earmarked EUR 375 million for capital expenditure by 2023 in Romania, of which EUR 210 million is for the electric power division. It is also developing energy products and services and electric mobility infrastructure. Marking 15 years since the entry into Romania, E.ON said its priority has been the rehabilitation and modernization of distribution networks in order to increase safety and quality and develop products and services. Germany’s second-largest utility revealed it intends to invest EUR 375 million in the Southeastern European country by 2023, of which EUR 210 million is earmarked for the power distribution and supply division.
E.ON’s plan for electricity networks implies the further implementation of the SCADA system – supervisory control and data acquisition. It said it would continue with automation efforts, the expansion of smart metering, improvement of overhead network and substations and replacement of transformers. As for smart grids, 13 stations are up for a makeover this year in the Moldova region. E.ON runs 133 units and 118 have already been integrated, at least partially, with SCADA.
Schneider Electric to upgrade DP World’s Sokhna Basin 2 with EcoStruxure Power smart energy distribution system
(MENAFN) Schneider Electric has been selected by DP World, a leading enabler of global trade, to implement an end-to-end smart energy MV, LV distribution system at DP World''s Sokhna Basin 2 Terminal, situated near the southern entrance to the Suez Canal on the Red Sea. The solution will improve safety, save on electricity and maintenance costs, and reduce carbon emissions at one of Egypt''s largest ports. The EcoStruxure Power solution is Internet-Of-Things-enabled, which will allow DP World to run a variety of digital applications, analytics and other technologies across the system, to further improve operations and ensure business continuity.
The full installation will include both hardware and software to manage, monitor and optimize the power across Basin 2''s electrical distribution network. The system will give DP World Sokhna''s staff, both those on-site as well as people working remotely,
Tauron is testing a new live tool
Tauron Dystrybucja is testing modern methods of live work. The modular tensioning tool is a technology that has not been used in Poland so far. It allows you to improve the work on the power grid, without the need to turn off the power supply for customers. The live work technique (PPN) is necessary and useful from the point of view of both electricity consumers and the energy supplier. Its use in Tauron Dystrybucja has increased by approx. 10% annually in recent years. This is because the company implements new technologies and tests devices that allow to extend the scope of works and increase the safety of the works performed.
A modern, innovative solution on a Polish scale, is used to maintain tension during works. The device is currently being tested in the Legnica branch of Tauron Dystrybucja, where also thanks to it the number of works carried out in PPN technology has increased sixfold in the last two years.
Mitsubishi Electric Accredited for Substation Design and Installation Management System
Mitsubishi Electric Power Products recognized for demonstrating ongoing commitment to quality by satisfying customer requirements and industry specifications. Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. (MEPPI) recently announced it has received accreditation for its Substation Design and Installation Management System.
"For years, MEPPI customers have benefited from our IS09001-certified quality systems for manufacturing equipment. We are also now proud to carry the ISO9001-2015 certification for our organization performing Substation Design and Installation Management, which assures our customers that we adhere to our turnkey procedures," said Brian Heery, MEPPI president and CEO. "The MEPPI quality system provides our customers assurance that our designs will meet their requirements, they will experience systematic repeatable project management, and we will adhere to our own rigorous safety practices during the substation construction process."
MARKET NEWS
How to cut network losses?
Equipment failure, degradation and small-scale outages cost utilities money - an estimated $150bn every year in the US alone, according to research by the US Department of Energy. So how could a suite of smart grid applications help improve grid reliability? Efficient and timely service-problem identification gives a distribution system operator (DSO) the ability to predict and pre-empt outages and poor service eliminating the need for the customer to call and report an outage. Proactive maintenance, triggered by improved visibility of the network operation and performance, can lead to avoidance of outages due to failed equipment.
Exemplifying the benefits of smart grid applications in a use-case scenario, Mark Ossel, Chairman of the Board of the OSGP Alliance, will present at the European Power Strategy & Systems Summit on Monday 30 November, Prague, Czech Republic and demonstrate the potential advantages of using distributed intelligence and smart grid applications.
Shipments of smart electric meters in Europe to hit record level in 2021
The annual shipments of smart electric meters in Europe will reach a record level in 2021, according to a new report issued by Berg Insight. Up to 34.8 million units are expected to be installed in the bloc in 2021, compared to the 20.9 million smart electric meters and 8.5 million smart gas meters installed in 2019.
However, installations are expected to decline by 10% in 2020 compared to 2019 due to temporary postponements being made to rollouts as a result of COVID-19. Major first-wave rollouts in countries such as France and the Netherlands are expected to be completed according to timelines in the next couple of years, while the largely delayed UK rollout is forecasted to ramp up during the same time period.
Cameroonian startup Ndoto Sarl develops a smart meter that helps reduce fraud
(Business in Cameroon) - Douala-based startup Ndoto Sarl announces that it has just completed the development of a smart electricity meter, after 5 years of research. According to the promoters of this start-up, this smart meter is adapted "to the challenges of energy distribution management in Cameroon." "Our solution allows users to both optimize the operating costs related to the management of energy distribution and to monitor their electricity consumption, through our mobile application," says Wolf Njitia, co-founder of Ndoto Sarl.
The solution developed by this start-up digitalizes billing, geolocalizes the electricity consumers, and thus helps reduce fraud. Thanks to these smart meters, we learn, energy consumers will be able to access their consumption in real-time. They will also be able to remotely turn their meters on and off and instantly pay their bills via mobile payment platforms. They will also receive alerts on their mobiles before any service interruption. The innovation of this start-up comes at a time when Eneo, concessionaire of Cameroon's electricity utility, is testing the first smart meters on its grid. This is intended to limit frauds responsible for the loss of 20% of the energy distributed in the country in 2018, i.e. around 200 megawatts.
Virtual power plant in Loenen shows the future of electricity
A virtual power plant is running in Loenen, which tracks the generation of sustainable energy and demand and coordinates it. The project was set up together with the citizens and is unique in the world. The community-based virtual power plant was awarded last month. The matching of supply and demand is one of the major challenges for the large-scale local generation of sustainable energy. A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) that collects all generation and usage data can help to gain insight, which can better match demand with supply.
At the end of last month, Eindhoven University of Technology (TUe) and the Sustainable Projects Loenen (DPL) foundation received awards for the international project on the Community-based Virtual Power Plant (cVPP) - a European Interreg project , in which the TU / e looks at how citizens can hook up locally with their own Virtual Power Plant for their community. Because of the way citizens in Ghent, Tipperary (Ireland) and Loenen (on the Veluwe, ed.) Have been involved in their own VPP in recent months, TUe took home the 'engagement' public award of the EUSEW Awards (EU Sustainable Energy Week). When developing a cVPP, proper monitoring of a community's electricity generation and consumption is crucial. The cVPP in Loenen works via the P1 port of smart meters in matching supply and demand. The aim: to achieve a better balance so that more electricity is used locally and the grid is less burdened.
Must all Transformers be Smart?
Transformers are one of the most ubiquitous and critical assets on our T&D systems. Must they all be replaced to meet the demands of a modern grid? Electric utilities are spending hundreds of millions of dollars per year to replace aging infrastructure. Those following the industry know the principal reasons: many grid assets are well past their service life, there is a growing need for greater reliability and resiliency, goals related to higher system efficiency and the need for more flexible performance in a more complex grid environment. Transformers are one of the most ubiquitous and critical assets on our T&D systems. Must they all be replaced to meet the demands of a modern grid? What are the options for the millions of transformers that have a remaining useful life and for the applications where it is time for a replacement?
Research and Markets recently reported that the global market for power transformers would reach a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.4% by 2023. That does not sound all that impressive, although the spending level in 2023 is projected at $12.84B annually. Another study made available by Market Research Future projected that the smart transformer market would achieve a CAGR of 11.5% by 2023. Given similar geographic coverage and timeframe, these reports imply there is a modest, but growing preference for smart transformers.
What might COVID 19 mean for DSOs in the long-term?
Summer is here and COVID-19 is still with us. Though parts of society are reopening, full normality will be a slow, potentially irregular process – three steps forward, two steps back. Nonetheless, the situation has improved enough that we can start to think about the future. A shock as profound as the pandemic will spark lasting changes: some good, some bad, some simply different. Distribution system operators (DSOs) and distribution network operators (DNOs) will not be exempt from this.
These utilities have had to rapidly pivot to handle the immediate challenges of the crisis, and now are in the midst of managing low- and medium-voltage grids through the transitionary phase as societies reopen (we discussed these stages respectively in parts one and two of the series). Now they must ask themselves what is at the other end of that transitionary phase. It can’t be a simple return to life before – COVID-19 has changed the game and besides, the industry’s commitment to the energy transition means there can be no backwards movement. So, what will those changes be? What are the lessons COVID-19 has taught us? Above all, that grid digitalisation – what many call the smart grid – may already have been a long-time industry talking point, but in reality is more important and urgent than we ever thought.
Egypt to create the Middle East’s first-ever smart grid
State-owned Egyptian Electricity Holding Company (EEHC) will transform its electricity grid into a smart grid with the help of Schneider Electric. EEHC and the French industrial group signed a $287,5 million contract on 12 July to implement the project. Schneider Electric will build four control centres, which will monitor and optimise the electricity network within the next 18 months. It will also install more than 12,000 smart ring main units through the national network during that time.
They project includes the upgrade of 1,000 distribution points and substations to be able to connect them to the smart grid. The network will be protected by cybersecurity software that is built into the hardware. When completed this smart grid will be the Middle’s East’s first-ever country-wide smart grid that should meet the electricity needs of Egypt’s growing population as well as its industrial development, said Schneider Electric in a press release.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The 9th Asia-Pacific Biomass Energy Exhibition (APBE2020), Guangzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Power China 2020, Guangzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Solar PV World Expo 2020 (PV Guanzhou) Power China 2020, Guangzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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AI&ML for the Smart Grid 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 8 - 10 September 2020
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MOVE Asia, Singapore, 9-10 September 2020
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4th Smart Mobility Congress & V2X 2020, Shanghai, China, 9-10 September 2020
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Utility Cloud 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 15-17 September 2020
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Smart Grid Innovation 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 22-24 September 2020
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Nigeria Energy, Lagos, Nigeria, 22-24 September 2020
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Grid Asset Management 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 29 September - 1 October 2020
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Smart Grid Cybersecurity 2020, Berlin, Germany, 6-8 October 2020
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Energy Transition World Forum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 13 October 2020
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Solar Expo Chile 2020, Casapiedra, Chile, 13-14 October 2020
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Advanced Metering Infrastructure 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 13-15 October 2020
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IEC 61850 Global 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 26-30 October 2020
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The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020, Manila, Philippines, 28-29 October 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 4-5 November 2020
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XIII International Trade Fair EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 10-12 November 2020
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Smart Grid Network Planning, Virtual Conference, 17-19 November 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 18-19 November 2020
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Energy Transition North America, North America & Online, 19-20 November 2020
Energy Transition Europe, London, UK, 23-24 November 2020
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GIS4Smartgrid 2020, Virtual Conference, 24-26 November 2020
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African Utility Week, Cape Town, South Africa, 24-26 November 2020
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The European Power Strategy & Systems Summit, Prague, Czech Republic, 30 November – 2 December 2020
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Oman Energy & Water Conference & Exhibition, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 30 November-2 December 2020
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-3 March 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 15-17 March 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 23-25 March 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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Fundamentals of IEC 61850 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Enlit Europe (Formerly European Utility Week), 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Jun2020
MEMBER NEWS
First Thüga real smart city laboratory: Koblenz gets climate road
Energy suppliers Mittelrhein (evm) and Thüga are testing innovative smart city solutions for Koblenz in a joint real laboratory. The "Klimastraße" will connect several applications: parking space monitoring, charging infrastructure, emissions and other sensors. The first plants are scheduled to go into operation in September.
With the "Klimastraße" the evm was able to prevail in the tender for the real laboratory. At the beginning of 2020, the Thüga competence center for innovation asked Thüga partner companies to apply. The 39 members of the innovation platform chose the winner by vote. The goal of the real laboratory is to pilot cross-application smart city projects under real conditions on site.
Energy Theft and Fraud Reduction
Power theft is the menace of electric utilities from rural cooperatives to large investor-owned and municipal providers. Utility companies have been plagued with non-technical losses almost since their inception. As early as 1899, the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies addressed the problem of tampering with screws that adjusted meter damping magnets. Over 36 years ago in 1984, the New York Times published an article1 citing ConEd and the potential of "1% of power customers of stealing services." As power generation and electric utility proliferation moved into developing countries, many more providers confronted new challenges and obstacles to combat non-technical losses and the issues it causes. No utility provider is immune to attempts to steal power.
The financial losses, also known as non-technical losses, include metering inaccuracy, non-payment, billing, and rate class errors and simple to complex energy theft. The two dominant components of non-technical losses are non-payment and energy theft. Non-payment refers to customers who are unable or unwilling to pay for their electricity, which can lead to significant revenue loss if the utility fails to handle nonpayment situations quickly. However, electricity theft usually impacts a utility more than non-payment problems.
Tauron forms the Smart City bridgehead in Chorzów
Tauron, the Upper Silesian Fund and the management of the Silesian Park in the largest downtown park in Europe are planning to install smart benches with chargers, launch a network of electric bicycles and scooters, as well as a new alley. Electric car charging infrastructure is to be built in the car parks around the park, and park buildings will receive energy from renewable sources.
The green revolution planned in Park Śląski will be carried out through a project to build an ecological infrastructure. Tauron, Górnośląski Fund and the Silesian Park Board will prepare a change plan so that the Park will become even more friendly to the residents and nature. Thanks to the latest green technologies, this largest downtown park in Europe will become an even more attractive place of rest for the inhabitants of Silesia - says Filip Grzegorczyk, president of the board at Tauron Polska Energia. - Our activity is focused on Silesia - our employees and clients live here, and we connect our future with this region. We want the Tauon energy transformation to accompany the transformation of Silesia - adds Filip Grzegorczyk.
Video: The new "Network Building" of the Linz AG
From water to energy to fast broadband internet and waste collection - this is how the citizens of the state capital are served perfectly.
Romanian electricity holding Electrica to merge its regional networks
Romanian electricity distribution and supply group Electrica, whose biggest shareholder is the state with nearly 49% of the shares, has initiated the merger of its three regional electricity distribution networks. Thus, Electrica plans to merge Electrica Transilvania Nord, Electrica Transilvania Sud, and Electrica Muntenia Nord in a single company. This initiative is one of the main pillars of the group’s strategy for the period 2019-2023.
The three power distribution companies together hold over 196,000 kilometers of power lines and serve 3.71 million customers. They have more than 6,600 workers.
Mitsubishi Electric Announces Development of Cooperative AI Technology for AGVs
In a recent press release, the Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced its development in artificial intelligence (AI) integrated automated guided vehicles (AGVs). The company has developed a cooperative AI technology that enhances work collaboration between humans and machines by using inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) to learn and imitate the actions of skilled workers.
IRL is a prime feature of Mitsubishi Electric’s Maisart (Mitsubishi Electric's AI creates the State-of-the-ART) AI technology, which is a machine learning technology that allows machines to mimic and learn human-like actions based on relatively small amounts of data. IRL is the field of learning an expert or skilled worker’s behavior by observing their rewards, objectives or values. The new cooperative AI technology will be further refined through the use of prototyping, persistent field testing by test deployment, and finally commissioning the technology into AGVs and robots alongside human workers at production and distribution sites. Mitsubishi Electric speculates that in the future, this technology will be used in autonomous driving vehicles and other applications.
MARKET NEWS
Operating DSOs in the pandemic; transforming asset investment; risk management
Operating a distribution network during a pandemic: the challenges and threats. Overnight, COVID-19 lockdowns have transformed our economies and societies. How are DSOs responding?
Transforming asset investment processes. Creating integrated investment planning, management and governance approaches which are fit for the future.
The operational impacts of C-19 on utility operations
Philip Gordon examines the operational implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on utility operations. This article is largely derived from opinions expressed by panellists during the COVID-19: Utility Crisis Management series of webinars hosted by Smart Energy International and Clarion Energy. It’s been hard to find stable footing in 2020. Even the most surely-laid plans, based on the best available research, under the scrutiny of the most astute in our global economy have been unable to say with any consensus how our world has changed in just a few short months; nor how it will change as we look forth to leaders around the world to help us navigate our next cautious steps.
These disastrous few months however have seen so many put principle ahead of personal interest and hold the line in a fight so large it threatens even our global efforts to protect the climate. In the utility sector though, maintaining a balance, and navigating emergencies is nothing new. As climate shifts gather momentum, natural disasters have seen utilities do the extraordinary on an everincreasing basis.
Ukraine’s energy sector faces its moment of truth
Opinion by Andrian Prokip. Ukraine’s energy sector is undergoing one of the most profound crises in its history. It is no surprise therefore that solving this crisis is a priority for officials and industry. In doing so, they will have to take a fundamental decision; whether to pursue a pragmatic or a populist approach to policy and regulatory change. Various factors have coalesced to create the current crisis in the energy sector. The extremely warm winter and the COVID-19 pandemic have both had a profound and negative impact on energy demand. These events have taken place against a backdrop of poor policy and regulatory decisions and issues. These include issues with renewable producers receiving the feed-in tariff, overregulation in the energy sector and the fact that energy price subsidies have wreaked havoc in the power sector.
However, while rarely discussed, two further issues, if left unresolved, will further undermine Ukraine’s energy sector: the future of its electricity distribution grids and the price determination mechanism for power distribution services. At present, Ukraine’s power grid suffers from extensive wear and tear. According to the national Association of Electricity Distribution System Operators of Ukraine, the depreciation rate for the grid is 60%, This is all the more alarming when one considers that in 2019 Ukrainian consumers on average faced outages up to 683 minutes, while neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania faced 260 and 474 respectively. This is clearly not acceptable.
North East Slovenian electricity grid bolstered by EIB funding
Elektro Maribor, the distribution company in the 2nd largest Slovenian city, will be using the funding to upgrade and renovate its infrastructure. Elektro Maribor, the main distribution company of Slovenia’s 2nd largest city and one of the country’s five main electricity distributors will be responsible for bolstering the capacity of the North-eastern segments of its power grid. The task will be accomplished thanks to some 31 million euros that were granted by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to the company in the form of a loan that will be used for improving the already existing power supply chain and maintaining its capacity.
Providing essential support to local efforts. The loan provided by the EIB comes on top of Elektro Maribor’s own funding amounting to a total of 81.2 million euros. Combining their capabilities, the company will be much more up to the task and will be able to ensure that Slovenia’s north-eastern power grid will prove more resilient to blackouts and will be able to mitigate the costs of blackout-related damages and emergencies.
Now is the Time for Smart Meters in India
The infrastructure overhaul required for smart metering systems will also serve to bring the country one step closer to a digital ecosystem. The ongoing coronavirus crisis and the poor financial performance of power distribution companies (DISCOMs) have shown that the power sector needs a serious revamp, and smart meters have to become part of the solution. There is no better time to implement smart meters than now.
Social distancing regulations and the nationwide lockdown have prohibited DISCOMs from physically collecting electricity bills as conventional metering systems require readings to be checked in person. This, along with its other problems, including aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses, low tariffs, and other internal inefficiencies, has left DISCOMs in a tough spot financially.
Behind the firewall: a discussion on the evolution of cybersecurity in the utility industry
The utility sector is being transformed - and this process has opened the industry up to a new range of cyber-threats. Attacks will continue to escalate in frequency and complexity.
Here, two industry experts give their views on this new paradigm - and what the sector can do to protect itself and its customers.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The 9th Asia-Pacific Biomass Energy Exhibition (APBE2020), Guangzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Power China 2020, Guangzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Solar PV World Expo 2020 (PV Guanzhou) Power China 2020, Guangzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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AI&ML for the Smart Grid 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 8 - 10 September 2020
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MOVE Asia, Singapore, 9-10 September 2020
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4th Smart Mobility Congress & V2X 2020, Shanghai, China, 9-10 September 2020
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Utility Cloud 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 15-17 September 2020
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Smart Grid Innovation 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 22-24 September 2020
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Grid Asset Management 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 29 September - 1 October 2020
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Smart Grid Cybersecurity 2020, Berlin, Germany, 6-8 October 2020
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Energy Transition World Forum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 13 October 2020
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Solar Expo Chile 2020, Casapiedra, Chile, 13-14 October 2020
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Advanced Metering Infrastructure 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 13-15 October 2020
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IEC 61850 Global 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 26-30 October 2020
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The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020, Manila, Philippines, 28-29 October 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 4-5 November 2020
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XIII International Trade Fair EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 10-12 November 2020
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Smart Grid Network Planning, Virtual Conference, 17-19 November 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 18-19 November 2020
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Energy Transition Summit, London, UK, 23-24 November 2020
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GIS4Smartgrid 2020, Virtual Conference, 24-26 November 2020
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African Utility Week, Cape Town, South Africa, 24-26 November 2020
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-3 March 2021
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The European Power Strategy & Systems Summit, Prague, Czech Republic, 30 November – 2 December 2020
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-3 March 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 15-17 March 2021
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 23-25 March 2021
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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Fundamentals of IEC 61850 2021, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 30 March – 1 April 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Enlit Europe (Formerly European Utility Week), 30 November – 2 December 2021
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Nigeria Energy, Lagos, Nigeria, postponed to 2021, new dates to be announced
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May2020
MEMBER NEWS
Networked Energy Services successfully completes OSGP smart grid project in Albania
Networked Energy Services Corporation has announced the successful completion of the deployment phase of its smart grid project with OSHEE (Electricity Power Distribution System Operator) in Tirana, Albania. NES is achieving exceptional high SLAs delivering its smart metering solution along with its smart grid applications to improve revenue generation and reduce energy distribution losses.
The previously announced project with OSHEE, provides for “investments in the balance metering system and re-construction of ABC cable network”, as per Buletini Nr. 9 dated 04 March 2019, Agjencia e Prokurimit Publik. The project included OSGP (Open Smart Grid Protocol) compliant smart meters for residential, business and light industry consumers in Tirana, in conjunction with OSHEE’s ongoing project to renew its distribution cable infrastructure.
E.ON tops €500 million in investments to accelerate the energy transition
German multinational energy company E.ON has announced an additional €500 million ($547 million) in investment for smart infrastructure and climate-friendly solutions as part of efforts to accelerate the energy transition. The utility says the investment will help accelerate recovery from the COVID-19 crisis at the same time addressing climate change in Germany and Europe.
The investment will be used to fund projects such as digital economy and e-mobility and will be implemented in partnership with customers to promote a better energy system. Despite COVID-19 having limited impact on the utility’s operations and financial results in the first quarter, E.ON says it will not rule out or undermine the overall impact of the virus in the near short term or long term, hence the additional investment.
Duke Energy standing by customers, employees during pandemic; company also moving toward greener future, CEO tells shareholders
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Duke Energy’s purpose has never been more important than it is right now, Chair, President and CEO Lynn Good told investors during the company’s annual shareholders meeting online today.
“This pandemic is unlike anything we’ve experienced – and it’s required us to dramatically adjust how we operate. Yet, our purpose has never been more important. We provide an essential service, powering the lives of our customers and the vitality of our communities, no matter the circumstances,” Good said.
evm group and Thüga: Closer together in smart metering
The evm group and Thüga SmartService are expanding their cooperation. Thanks to the SmartClient from Thüga SmartService, the Koblenz energy service provider relies on independence in its market role as a measuring point operator.
evm relies on a Thüga platform for smart meter gateway administration. Smart street lighting, trash cans that report their fill level and parking lot guidance systems: this and much more awaits people in smart cities. At the same time, the rollout of intelligent measuring systems begins. This lays the foundation for smart metering and smart grids. The number of sensors and data is continuously increasing. In order to bundle these technologies and to be able to process them efficiently, the Energieversorgung Mittelrhein group of companies (evm group) relies on Thüga SmartService. Together with it, it has been offering municipalities in the region individual solutions for Smart City and LoRaWAN under the umbrella brand "SmartMacher" since the end of 2019. In the future, the two partners will also work together on the Smart Meter Gateway Administration. "Thüga SmartService is already one of the market leaders in gateway administration nationwide and we want to benefit from this know-how here in the region", Benjamin Deppe, Head of Measurement Service in the evm Group, explained the decision.
Billon launches blockchain PoC project with Tauron
Billon launches blockchain PoC project with Tauron Tuesday 12 May 2020 10:46 CET | News AddThis Sharing Buttons Share to LinkedIn Share to TwitterShare to EmailShare to Facebook Billon Digital Services, a fully owned subsidiary of Billon Group, has been testing blockchain storage and delivery of contracts for Tauron, an electricity provider based in Poland. The project is based on Billon’s enterprise DLT system functionalities to store complete high-value documents on blockchain, together with remote signing and proof of delivery. The documents would be stored and available for any future reference, with the embedded immutability and tamper protection provided by the nature and architecture of Billon’s distributed ledger, according to the official press release.
The pilot project is supported by Microsoft which delivers Azure cloud infrastructure to host blockchain nodes. The Polish branch of the Redmond company is Billon’s technological partner in building solutions to publish high-value documents, such as diplomas and certificates, on-chain. The pilot project includes a selected group of 100 Tauron clients who were testing the solution until the end of April 2020. Apart from individual contracts, Tauron can use Billon’s enterprise DLT to publish public documents, such as terms and conditions and general tariffs.
COVID-19 Impact survey Energy & Smart Grid Sector
Over the past few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented global economic and social crisis. Adapting to the “new normal” is becoming increasingly important to the Energy Sector and Smart Grid. We are already facing several challenges regarding changes in investments, technology and maintenance to adapt to new circumstances.
Networked Energy Services (NES) is conducting a Survey to provide insight across a wide range of participating companies and assess the impact of COVID-19 on their operations. Defining the impact is crucial in preparing the best solutions addressing the key challenges faced by the Energy Industry.
All participants that register with their contact details will receive the Survey Results.
Complete the questionnaire here...
MARKET NEWS
Report: Smart Electricity Metering – the current state of play
In this IoT Now Analyst Report, the author Levi Östling, an IoT analyst at Berg Insight, explores the adoption and penetration rates of smart meters in different regions of the world, how different types of utilities are and have been rolling out smart meter deployments, the state of different markets around the globe and what the future holds for smart meter communications. Read about these topics and more by downloading the report - fill out the form below.
IoT Now selected Berg Insight, an IoT analyst house based in Sweden, to produce this bespoke report due to its acknowledged global expertise in smart metering and the Internet of Things. The report is published by IoT Now, a Media Partner of Enlit Europe, which co-sponsors the report.
European trade bodies team up to map need for distribution grid investment
The European electricity sector is in the midst of a fundamental transformation. The drive towards climate neutrality, combined with rapidly falling prices for renewables generation costs, has triggered an accelerated decentralisation of European power. It also resulted in new and more complex flows of electricity and an additional need for distribution grid reinforcements over the coming decade. The European trade bodies E.DSO. and Eurelectric are now teaming up to assess the investment needs.
Strong trends of decentralisation of the power sector and increased electrification of end-use sectors are set to continue and intensify. The agreed political targets for climate and energy for 2030 will require connecting between 350 GW and 400 GW of additional renewable energy capacity in the coming 10 years. At the same time, plans to progressively electrify transport, buildings and industry are expected to add significant load to the distribution grids. Specifically, more than 30 million electric cars are expected to hit the road in Europe over the next decade. Already by 2025, the EU plans to have installed at least 1 million public EV charging points.
IEA brings together leading global figures to discuss the role of energy efficiency in Covid-19 stimulus packages
The IEA today coordinated a meeting of the Global Commission for Urgent Action on Energy Efficiency to discuss the vital role that energy efficiency can play in improving the effectiveness of stimulus packages that governments are developing in response to the Covid-19 crisis. The Global Commission is an independent high-level body that was established to advance global progress on energy efficiency. It has 23 members and is composed of national leaders, ministers, top business executives and global thought leaders.
Senior figures from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas discussed the potential for energy efficiency to create jobs and provide economic stimulus while also ensuring long-term improvements in energy systems. These include enhanced economic competitiveness, lower energy bills and major reductions greenhouse gas emissions.
IREC publishes guide for assessing economic and environment benefits of distribution grid upgrades
A new guide has been published in the US to “help stakeholders assure prudent use of funds by electric utilities” when it comes to upgrading the distribution grid, from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and GridLab. Called the GridMod Playbook, an abbreviation of its full title: A Playbook for Modernising the Distribution Grid; Volume 1: Grid Modernisation Goals, Principles and Plan Evaluation Checklist, the publication is intended as a toolkit for stakeholders to evaluate and ensure that proposals to modernise the US grid have a meaningful impact and will be done efficiently.
Intended as the first volume in a series, the document has been developed by IREC, which provides state-by-state regulatory policy engagement and best practise resources, together with GridLab, which offers technical expertise and services. It includes principles for modernising the grid as well as an evaluation checklist and builds on a concept developed at an accelerator programme hosted by the Colorado-headquartered Rocky Mountain Institute think-tank. "Grid modernisation plans and investment proposals are complex regulatory filings, full of technical jargon and acronyms,” Curt Volkmann, president of distributed energy consultancy New Energy Advisors and one of the report’s co-authors, said.
Grid “Health Check” reports for power grid managers
The first set of free quarterly grid Health Check reports to power distribution system operator (DSO) customers have been provided by Depsys to its customers. The technology company uses real network data collected by its GridEye grid optimisation solution, to highlight trends, anomalies and outliers, delivering individual reports that will help them to better understand and manage distribution networks.
Anja Langer Jacquin, chief commercial officer, comments on the launch: “Our goal is to simplify the energy transition for grid managers; to help them improve and maintain operational excellence in the face of the challenges it will bring. Whereas we already do that with real-time, ongoing grid monitoring, we realised that we could use that same data to give grid managers additional insights into how their networks are performing over time. So, we did – and feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive.” The Health Checks were created on behalf of seven DSO customers in Switzerland, Germany and Ireland. The ambition is to extend the free service across Depsys’ entire customer base – which currently stands at around 40 DSOs around the world.
Million investment in smart meters threatens to be nullified by frequency auctioning
Two major network operators have lost a lawsuit filed against the Ministry of Economic Affairs. They expect to lose more than a billion on investments in smart meters that hang with some five million Dutch households.
The Ministry wants to redistribute the frequency at which these are read out via an auction, the Financieele Dagblad found out. The ministry sees that there are more parties that are interested in the frequencies in the 450 MHz band. These include municipalities and water and rail companies. The two grid operators STEDIN and Liander are now using these frequencies to remotely read smart meters that they have installed since 2016. They did not want to be dependent on third parties and bought the network from Utility Connect, a subsidiary of KPN. That purchase also included the antenna infrastructure and the frequency license
Read more… (in Dutch)
PRESS RELEASE
IEC Publishes New International Standard Defining OSGP Communication Profile for the DLMS/COSEM Suite of Standards
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 26 May 2020: The OSGP Alliance, a global non-profit association dedicated to promoting the adoption of the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) and infrastructure for smart grid applications towards a future proof modern smart grid, is pleased to announce that IEC recently published a new International Standard defining the OSGP Communication Profile for the DLMS/COSEM suite of standards. This new standard was originally initiated under the EU Smart Metering Mandate M/441 and the associated project was managed by IEC’s TC13 WG14.
OSGP is targeted at utilities that want a multi-application Smart Grid infrastructure instead of a meter centric Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI). OSGP enables independent implementation of interoperable meters and other smart grid devices from multiple vendors on the same network, and helps utilities lower cost and enhance functionality by enabling multiple smart devices and applications to share a common infrastructure while avoiding vendor lock-in.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Energy Storage & Charging Electric Vehicles, London, UK, 22-26 June 2020
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Smart Mobility Congress Asia, Singapore, 23-24 June 2020
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7th Residential Energy Storage Forum, Sydney, Australia, 23-25 June 2020
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The 9th Asia-Pacific Biomass Energy Exhibition (APBE2020), Guangzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Power China 2020, Guangzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 20-21 August 2020
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jakarta, Indonesia, 26-28 August 2020
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AI&ML for the Smart Grid 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 8 - 10 September 2020
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MOVE Asia, Singapore, 9-10 September 2020
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Utility Cloud 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 15-17 September 2020
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 22-24 September 2020
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Smart Grid Innovation 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 22-24 September 2020
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Nigeria Energy, Lagos, Nigeria, 22-24 September 2020
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Smart Metering in Energy Systems - ERRA Energy Regulation Conference, Tbilisi, Georgia, 28-29 September 2020
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Grid Asset Management 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 29 September - 1 October 2020
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Smart Grid Cybersecurity 2020, Berlin, Germany, 6-8 October 2020
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Energy Transition World Forum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 13 October 2020
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Solar Expo Chile 2020, Casapiedra, Chile, 13-14 October 2020
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Advanced Metering Infrastructure 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 13-15 October 2020
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IEC 61850 Global 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 26-30 October 2020
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Enlit Europe (Formerly European Utility Week), 27-29 October 2020
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The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020, Manila, Philippines, 28-29 October 2020
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XIII International Trade Fair EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 10-12 November 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 18-19 November 2020
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Energy Transition Summit, London, UK, 23-24 November 2020
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POWERGEN India, POSTPONED TO JANUARY 2021
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-3 March 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 15-17 March 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Apr2020
MEMBER NEWS
How Europe’s Energy Sector Is Responding to the Coronavirus
Power sector “won’t be as hard-hit as other industries,” but it can’t expect to escape the crisis unscathed, said E.ON CEO Johannes Teyssen.
Europe's electricity giants are grappling with the demanding challenge of safeguarding staff, keeping the lights on and contributing to the relief effort — all while rolling ahead with their own energy transition plans.
As Europe's utilities, project developers and network operators take stock, early speculation and guesswork on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak are giving way to more informed forecasts and detailed assessments. Some companies, including Ørsted and Total, have established dedicated task forces to deal with the ever-changing circumstances.
The energy sector "won't be as hard-hit as other industries," but it cannot expect to escape the crisis unscathed, said E.ON CEO Johannes Teyssen, as the company announced its full-year results.
Mitsubishi Electric Develops "BLEnDer ICE" Battery-powered Wireless Terminal to Collect Meter Data and Control Networked Sensors
TOKYO, March 16, 2020 - Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced today that it has developed the BLEnDer® ICE battery-powered wireless communication terminal for use in sensor networks to collect gas and water meter data and remotely control sensors in the networks. This terminal will enable meters to be automatically read and both monitored and controlled remotely to achieve greater efficiency in the maintenance operations of utilities and infrastructure operators. Various tests conducted so far have demonstrated that the terminal operates and communicates stably in the field.
BLEnDer (short for Bid Liaison and Energy Dispatcher) is a packaged software developed by Mitsubishi Electric in response to the changes in the power industry and support utilities to realize smarter and more efficient operations. The BLEnDer Intelligent Communication Edge (ICE) terminal will work together with the BLEnDer HE (Head End) software which manages and controls smart meters through various communication methods and the BLEnDer MESH software which utilizes wireless multi-hop communication to realize a wide range smart meter communication network at a low cost.
NES Receives Silicon Valley’s 2020 Best Smart Energy Software Company Award
Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Patagonia Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), announced today that it has been selected for the Silicon Valley 2020 Best Smart Energy Software Company Award by the San Jose Award Program.
Each year, the San Jose Award Program identifies companies in the Silicon Valley community and business area that they believe have achieved exceptional market success. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of business through service to their customers and involvement in the community. The program selects exceptional companies who help make the area a great place to live, work and play.
Eltel’s Power business in Finland signs a five-year frame agreement worth EUR 90 million
Eltel’s Power business in Finland has signed a five-year frame agreement with Helen Electricity Network Ltd, one of Finland’s largest power distribution companies, to construct and maintain the electricity distribution network in Helsinki. The contract is worth about EUR 90 million.
The scope of the agreement includes grid design, construction, fault repair, maintenance and documentation. Eltel and Helen Electricity Network Ltd. will work in close partnership to ensure efficient and reliable construction and maintenance of Helsinki’s electricity distribution network. The agreement starts 2 April 2020 and is valid for a period of five years, with a possibility to continue for an indefinite period.
Thüga SmartService and EMH metering offer a practical all-round carefree package for a safe rollout
The rollout of intelligent measuring systems in Germany began with the official market analysis in January. Just in time for the start, Thüga SmartService and EMH metering offer the market an efficient solution. This also includes an alternative for the secure supply chain of the measuring point operators.
The smart meter gateway CASA from the manufacturer EMH metering GmbH & Co. KG (EMH metering) has been certified as the third device according to the Common Criteria of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and clears the way for the nationwide rollout of intelligent measuring systems . As part of a multi-year development partnership with Thüga SmartService GmbH (TSG), the "Secure Supply Chain" (SiLKe) with the so-called "Safebag" was developed for the safe transport of the gateways.
Alliander: Smarter Grids Pave the Way for More Open Grids. Linux Foundation bets open software will underpin grids of the future
As the sun sets across the Netherlands, streetlights twinkle on, town by town. But it’s not in lockstep: some city managers can set their lights to respond to local sunset time or a schedule of their own or they can control individual lights for local events. That’s because in 2017 those cities adopted a smart grid software-powered service built by Dutch public utility Alliander that may be the first open smart grid platform in everyday use.
Before, these cities could only operate their lights collectively because they used ripple control technology, a widespread control method that sends a pulse over the grid. While smarter control of streetlights may be handy for cities and save them some energy and cash, Alliander has also re-used the platform to manage a growing number of additional services and, earlier this month, placed it under the umbrella of LF Energy, part of the Linux Foundation.
NRGi ready with financial hand
The East Jutland energy company, NRGi, will come to the rescue of economic operators, institutions and other cooperatives during a difficult time of shutdown and crisis as a result of the corona eruption. NRGi's online company KONSTANT provides free internet tarifs and subscription in June, and NRGi earns funding for sustainable projects whose implementation is challenged by the current situation. The prevalence of coronavirus in Danish society is wide and severe. This also applies to the local business community in East Jutland, where government restrictions and general consumer care are felt directly on the economy.
Therefore, NRGi will now make their contribution to local traders and other cooperatives through a number of new initiatives. Among other things, the co-owned energy company's network company KONSTANT has decided to drop both grid tariff and subscription in June, which gives the shareholders a saving of DKK 23 million in June. In doing so, the grid company supports the approx. 40,000 companies in the supply area that may be squeezed as a consequence of the shutdown.
MARKET NEWS
Coronavirus prompts crisis measures in electric power systems in Balkans
Power producers and distributors in the Balkans have been introducing emergency procedures to contain the fallout from the spread of COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic has put a spotlight on the electric power system together with other infrastructural pillars, essential for meeting the citizens’ basic needs and security overall.
Of note, measures of social distancing and the slowdown in economic activity will likely result in a drop in demand for power worldwide and thus in Southeastern Europe. Warmer weather may contribute to the easing of the pressure before the season of air conditioning sets in.
Croatia’s national power conglomerate HEP Group has instructed employees to perform all activities they can at home, especially those in the headquarters in Zagreb. A worker there was one of the first people in the country whose contagion was confirmed, three weeks ago. At the time, the person’s close coworkers were told not to come to their workplaces.
The Smart Grid Security Market - Drivers and restraints, competitive analysis, and growth trends for 2020 to 2027.
Types of Smart Grid Vulnerabilities and Attacks: Cyberattacks are mainly classified topology wise, component wise, or protocol wise. Topology-wise attacks target the smart grid topology by launching a denial-of-service (DoS) attack that stops operators to have a full view on the power system causing inappropriate decision-making. Component-wise attacks target field components that include the remote terminal unit (RTU). The RTU is majorly used by engineers to remotely troubleshoot and configure smart grid devices. Protocol-wise attacks target to attack communication protocols using various methods such as false data injections and reverse engineering. Some of the other attacks are as follows:
Malware spreading: The attacker develops malware and injects it into the smart meter and company server to replace or add any function to a device. Access through database links: If a company's database management has not been configured properly, the attacker can access the business network database and use it to exploit the control system. Communication equipment: The hacker directly affects the communication equipment, for example multiplexers, to directly damage the equipment or use them for further attacks. Injecting false information: The attacker sends a false information package to inject in the network, such as fake price, wrong meter data, and so forth. Fake information directly affects the financial department of the electricity market. Network availability: As a smart grid works on IP protocol, the attack of DDoS affects network flow, delaying, blocking, or corrupting information transmission by making smart grid resources unavailable. Eavesdropping and traffic analysis: The hacker can access sensitive information by monitoring network traffic.
DSO Models Promise a More Digital, Distributed Grid
(Part 2 of a two-part series based on the findings of Black & Veatch's 2020 Strategic Directions: Smart Utilities Report)
It simply does not make financial sense for small energy producers — businesses and homeowners — to invest in distributed energy technologies. A more dynamic model, including a distribution systems operator (DSO) function, is needed to achieve a return on their investments. In Part 2 of this two-part series based on the findings of Black & Veatch's 2020 Strategic Directions: Smart Utilities Report, we will discuss how the DSO function benefits utilities when it comes to managing and coordinating distributed energy resources (DERs) and fast-approaching distribution markets.
The flood of DERs is changing how traditional electric power and consumers interact with the grid and their utility provider. Utilities are facing hundreds of thousands, or even millions of digital assets that require new business models and advanced technologies on the distribution system and behind the meter. New markets are also on the horizon, promising to deliver more efficiency and resiliency while allowing DER market participants to monetize their investments.
Is Europe getting ready for 1 million public charging points?
The road to net zero CO2 emissions across the economy passes through the electrification of transport. 63% of the transport sector can be powered by decarbonised electricity, thus substantially reducing CO2 emissions and improving air quality. What does it take to get there and to put the first million public charging points on Europe’s roads? Eurelectric releases today a list of five policy priorities that must be addressed during the review of the TEN-T Regulation and Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive, to enable the electrification and decarbonisation of transport.
First, policymakers should introduce new and separate ‘sustainable fuels’ definitions for light and heavy-duty vehicles as well as for maritime, in line with the carbon neutrality ambitions. The current definition of “alternative fuels” hampers the transition to e-mobility, as it puts fossil fuels and clean energy vectors on an equal footing. Second, the coverage criteria for charging infrastructure must be revised. Eurelectric supports the creation of an EU-wide ‘safety net’ along the TEN-T core and comprehensive networks. In addition, the power sector recommends increasing the number of chargers at single locations, such as high occupancy roads.
Kick-off of new E.DSO project – Education for Digitalisation of Energy
In January the new ERASMUS+ project EDDIE had its kick-off with E.DSO onboard. The project is led by Comillas, with the aim to create a Sector Skill Alliance (SSA) by bringing together all the relevant stakeholders in the Energy value chain, from industry, education and training providers including legal authorities. E.DSO will lead the work package which involves Implementation tasks to create Stakeholder’s map as a database of sector occupations and job profiles, with skill content analysis. This will set ground for a strategic sectoral cooperation in order to design and build a strategic network, in close relation with WP4 – “Assessment of policies and requirements for VET and beyond”.
The main objective of this SSA is to develop a long-driven Blueprint for the digitalisation of the European Energy sector to enable the matching between the current and future demand of skills necessary for the digitalisation of the energy sector and the supply of improved Vocational Education and Training (VET). An interdisciplinary approach is also sought, including green and soft skills with a high collaboration of workers by using participatory approaches through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) methodologies.
New EU rules for external power supplies will enable household energy savings
A new EU Regulation on external power supplies aimed at making a range of household appliances more energy efficient - from laptops to electric toothbrushes – enters into force as of 1 April 2020 within the context of EU ecodesign measures. As a result, European consumers will be able to save on their household bills, help reach significant EU-wide energy savings and reduce emissions.
The new rules will make the external power supplies more efficient, aligning them to the highest standards worldwide. It is expected that electricity savings across the EU of over 4 TWh/year will be generated by 2030, enough to power the whole of Latvia for a month. This will result in avoiding greenhouse gas emission of more than 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year by the end of the decade.
PRESS RELEASES
Electrica Expands its NES System by Executing Option for Smart Grid Project in Romania
SOCIETATEA DE DISTRIBUTIE A ENERGIEI ELECTRICE (SDEE) MUNTENIA NORD exercises additional option for 32,000 more NES smart meters as part of its installed NES Patagonia Energy Applications Platform San Jose, CA, April 02, 2020: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), announced today that Electrica's SDEE Muntenia Nord has exercised an additional option to purchase and install an additional 32,000 NES smart meters and associated data concentrators and software associated with the NES System and solution. Electrica is a utility in Romania with three DSO companies, including SDEE Muntenia Nord, and about 3.7M electricity customers. This project further expands the NES infrastructure and project with Electrica, which includes cooperation with local project partner Adrem Engineering as well as integration with the IDSpecto MDM System from Görlitz AG.
This enacted optional order provides confirmation of the success and performance of the NES System for Electrica, which follows several previous successful projects in Romania with SDEE Transilvania Nord and SDEE Muntenia Nord, where the NES System is effectively delivering 15 minute load profile data for the installed meters at a daily availability rate that is greater than 99.7%. This outstanding daily availability is achieved through the use of the industry leading OSGP (Open Smart Grid Protocol) based power line communication technology. The 15 minute load profile data provided by the system includes billing consumption data and power quality voltage data (minimum, rms values, and maximum) for each phase connected to the meter – providing a rich source of information to support low-voltage grid operations, capacity management and transmission loss reductions.
BNP Paribas, Glennmont Partners and EIC on Financing the Energy Transition in Reuters Events Podcast
LONDON – 23 March – Reuters Events - today announced the second episode of their ETS Pivot Podcast Series, Financing the Energy Transition (April 14th, 15:00 GMT)
The Energy Transition team at Reuters Events brings you a panel including Join Joost Bergsma (CEO and Managing Partner, Glennmont Partners), Olivier Warnan (Investment Director, BNP Paribas) and Stuart Broadley (CEO, Energy Industries Council) to explore transition opportunities for the investment and energy communities alike!
The episode will both reflect on the past 20 years of investment, whilst deep-diving into ESG through the age of transition, and exploring the sustainability of future investment models.
“At Glennmont we expect the energy transition to continue to gather pace. New investment opportunities will continue to emerge across the risk / return spectrum. Over the past decade, renewables have helped lead the efforts of European economies to decarbonise and it is vital that we maintain strong levels of institutional investment going forward” – Joost Bergsma, CEO & Managing Partner, Glennmont Partners
UPCOMING EVENTS
9th International Conference on Smart Cities and Green ICT Systems (SMARTGREENS) 2020, Prague, Czech Republic, 2-4 May 2020
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African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa (Virtual Event), 11-15 May 2020
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Energy Storage & Charging Electric Vehicles (EVs), Singapore, 1-5 June 2020
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7th Residential Energy Storage Forum, Sydney, Australia, 23-25 June 2020
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Energy Storage & Charging Electric Vehicles, London, UK, 22-26 June 2020
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Smart Mobility Congress Asia, Singapore, 23-24 June 2020
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Energy Transition World Forum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 7 July 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 8-9 July 2020
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The 9th Asia-Pacific Biomass Energy Exhibition (APBE2020), Guangzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Power China 2020, Guanzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Solar PV World Expo 2020 (PV Guangzhou), Guanzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 20-21 August 2020
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jakarta, Indonesia, 26-28 August 2020
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AI&ML for the Smart Grid 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 8 - 10 September 2020
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Professional Enhancement Certificate in SMART METERING advances in technology and applications, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 8-9 September 2020
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MOVE Asia, Singapore, 9-10 September 2020
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Utility Cloud 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 15-17 September 2020
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Smart Grid Innovation 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 22 - 24 September 2020
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 22-24 September 2020
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Smart Grid Innovation 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 22-24 September 2020
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Nigeria Energy, Lagos, Nigeria, 22-24 September 2020
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Smart Metering in Energy Systems - ERRA Energy Regulation Conference, Tbilisi, Georgia, 28-29 September 2020
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Grid Asset Management 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 29 September - 1 October 2020
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Energy Transition Summit, London, UK, 1-2 October 2020
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Smart Grid Cybersecurity 2020, Berlin, Germany, 6-8 October 2020
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Solar Expo Chile 2020, Casapiedra, Chile, 13-14 October 2020
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Advanced Metering Infrastructure 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 13-15 October 2020
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IEC 61850 Global 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 26-30 October 2020
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Enlit Europe 2020, Milan, Italy, 27-29 October 2020
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The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020, Manila, Philippines, 28-29 October 2020
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XIII International Trade Fair EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 10-12 November 2020
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POWERGEN India, POSTPONED TO JANUARY 2021
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 2-3 March 2021
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Middle East Energy Dubai, Dubai, UAE, 22-24 March 2021
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Mar2020
MEMBER NEWS
Tauron will ensure security of electricity and heat supply during coronavirus
Tauron introduced various preventive measures and maintains the continuity of electricity production and distribution. Failures were handled immediately and Tauron distribution and technical services are continuously supervised 24/7 over the entire power distribution network. The company's employees are divided into permanent teams with no possibility of rotation between them. The company also limited its planned work. The company's employees read meters and other work only if the meter is in a public place and its service does not require access to a residential premises. In other cases, the Company asks customers to provide the meter reading by phone to the number indicated in the read notification or by e-mail via the form: https://www.tauron-dystrybucja.pl/uslugi-dystrybucyjne/odczyt-licznika-online. Technical service of measuring and billing systems inside the premises will be carried out in emergency cases regarding power failure.
Planned works related to the need to shut down sections of the power line and associated with a power outage have been temporarily suspended. In the event of emergency shutdowns, removal work will be carried out in compliance with the increased rules of personal safety of employees and customers.
Eltel installs 236,000 smart meters in Sweden for EUR 22 million
Eltel’s Power business Smart Grids has signed a contract with Vattenfall Eldistribution AB, one of the largest Distribution System Operators in Sweden, to replace 236,000 electricity meters in Sweden. The contract is worth about EUR 22 million. Eltel will be responsible for the rollout and implementation of 236,000 smart meters and technology for 15,400 secondary substations metering in the middle and western part of Sweden. The scope includes planning, installation and logistics of new and old meters, and related infrastructure.
The project is the first of Vattenfall’s four phases to replace and install a total of about 900,000 electricity meters in Sweden in order to meet new requirements from both the EU and the Swedish government by 1 January 2025.
Caruna takes care of the electricity distribution even under abnormal circumstances
We take the coronavirus situation seriously and we have already taken steps to ensure the electricity distribution even under abnormal circumstances. We ensure that electricity will be transferred to our customers and possible faults will be taken care of. In our preparations we follow not only our own instructions but also those of the authorities and we closely monitor the situation. We will update our operations as needed.
We have also given our own staff instructions on how to deal with the current situation and how we can reduce the risk of disease through our own actions. In our electronical and costless self-service Caruna+ you can follow up on your own consumption, order messages of power cuts, see power cuts on our outage map and take easily care of issues related to invoices and paying.
Vattenfall seeks 200 new talents in digitalisation and innovation
Vattenfall aims to take on 200 new employees for its IT operations until 2022, to develop smart, innovative services and solutions. The recruitment phase has started and in September a trainee program will commence.
"We want to see what we can do to contribute to a reduction in emissions and a more efficient use of energy. Digitalisation will play a major role in the energy transition, and smart IT solutions are essential. Our focus is on speeding up automation and to benefit from the digital opportunities," says Anna Zolnowska, responsible Human Resources at Vattenfall IT.
Kiwa and Alliander building demo hydrogen house
To enable professionals to learn how to make the current natural gas supply suitable for hydrogen in residential areas, testing, inspection and certification (TIC) leader Kiwa and Alliander are building a hydrogen house together in the Netherlands. Located in Apeldoorn, the training residence will be designed a residence and the demo house is expected to be operational by next fall.
Kiwa and Alliander said they are currently busy with the construction and furnishing of the hydrogen house, which will have a heating system, kitchen and meter cupboard. There will also be a course and meeting room for training and other meetings. Dutch company Alliander handles the distribution of energy in a third of the Netherlands and is currently preparing a hydrogen pilot project in Lochem, which will see homes with natural gas transferred to hydrogen.
Mitsubishi Electric Develops "BLEnDer ICE" Battery-powered Wireless Terminal to Collect Meter Data and Control Networked Sensors
TOKYO, March 16, 2020 - Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today that it has developed the BLEnDer® ICE battery-powered wireless communication terminal for use in sensor networks to collect gas and water meter data and remotely control sensors in the networks. This terminal will enable meters to be automatically read and both monitored and controlled remotely to achieve greater efficiency in the maintenance operations of utilities and infrastructure operators. Various tests conducted so far have demonstrated that the terminal operates and communicates stably in the field.
BLEnDer (short for Bid Liaison and Energy Dispatcher) is a packaged software developed by Mitsubishi Electric in response to the changes in the power industry and support utilities to realize smarter and more efficient operations. The BLEnDer Intelligent Communication Edge (ICE) terminal will work together with the BLEnDer HE (Head End) software which manages and controls smart meters through various communication methods and the BLEnDer MESH software which utilizes wireless multi-hop communication to realize a wide range smart meter communication network at a low cost.
MARKET NEWS
Digitalisation provides line of defence in coronavirus response
Every day the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic become more apparent. No sector will remain unscathed. While plunging oil and gas prices following reduced demand are wreaking havoc with certain energy sector financials, the impact on electricity suppliers and networks may be less negative but more complex as they scramble to respond to not just lower demand but vastly different demand patterns.
A large proportion of the population have started working from home and up to 40% of their workforce could be out sick, quarantined, or might stay home to care for sick family members, predicted the Edison Electric Institute in a bulletin on how to handle operations during the pandemic. While data centres may be using more energy, other companies are pausing their production, and peak consumption has dropped. “This means that even more than usual, the energy system needs to be able to respond to changes quickly. Flexibility from distributed energy resources will be very much needed, also for short periods of time, to build our resilience in the most cost-effective way possible,” says Layla Sawyer at digital solution association smartEn.
Smart grid security and defensive military architecture of the middle-ages; an interesting comparison
Why are our castles now just romantic ruins? Part of the answer is gunpowder and the eventual victory of the iron projectile over stone walls. But, a more fundamental reason is their static nature, their focus on layers of defensive perimeters and their inability to adapt to more agile and fluid forms of warfare. In many respects, the battle against the cyber-attacker is similar, especially as it relates to the low-voltage smart grid.
Both vendors and utilities in the low-voltage smart grid industry have focused on multiple lines of defensive positions to secure their smart grid, using technology to create barriers. The underlying concept is that the more barriers you have, the better you can block an attack. If the attacking force was an ill-equipped and poorly educated rabble, led by a few unimaginative iron-clad knights, then that is probably enough.
Smart Meters Set for $30B Gusher of Investment Over Next 5 Years
By mid-decade the world will have almost 1.3 billion smart meters in place, bringing many countries to full deployment, according to Wood Mackenzie. Utilities around the world will invest a total of around $30 billion over the next five years to install more than 300 million smart meters, bringing many of the world’s most populous countries to full deployment but leaving other parts of the globe with relatively low penetration.
Cumulative investment in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) will rise to $127.6 billion by 2025, up from $97.4 billion this year, according to a new report from Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables. Over that period, total smart meters deployed will rise from about 1 billion to nearly 1.3 billion.
How Electricity Use Changes During a Pandemic
This week on The Interchange podcast: What does the load curve look like during a global crisis? We are in the middle of a sudden, jarring economic shift. Storefronts, sports arenas and office buildings are dark in many cities. Homes are becoming the center of our activity — and for many of us, our work. That is causing sudden shifts in the way we consume energy. We’ve seen it play out in China, France and Italy.
So what is happening to the daily shape of electricity load here in the U.S.? And what are the long-term consequences to power providers if this goes on for a long time? Shayle Kann and Stephen Lacey talk with someone who knows how to read a load curve: Nick Chaset. Nick is CEO at East Bay Community Energy and on the board of the California Community Choice Association. He’s worked as chief of staff to the head of the California Public Utilities Commission and was special adviser to Governor Jerry Brown on distributed energy resources.
Advanced Distribution Management Systems Market Set for 19% CAGR through 2029; Smart Grid Applications to Influence Developments: Future Market Insights
Major advanced distribution management systems vendors are focusing on the needs of energy and utilities businesses to expand their product offerings and improve performance.
Future Market Insights, Dubai, UAE, March 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global advanced distribution management systems market will witness an exponential growth outlook with a projected 19% CAGR during the forecast period (2019 – 2029). According to a new study by Future Market Insights (FMI), the market for advanced distribution management systems is largely influenced by upsurge in demand for energy conservation and optimal distribution management.
PRESS RELEASE
NES Invests and Dedicates Resources to Better Enable Transition to Smart Sustainable Energy
NES reshapes its software development centers in readiness for major expansion of its smart grid solutions.
San Jose, CA, March 5th, 2020: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Patagonia Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), announced today that it is reshaping its software development centers as part of preparations for major expansion of its smart grid solutions.
EAP provides the foundation for a suite of innovative smart grid solutions. These applications focus on increasing security through awareness of the rapidly evolving threats DSO face, reducing time and cost to deploy new smart grid solutions, reducing cost of long-term maintenance and cap-ex, increasing flexibility and agility of the deployed infrastructure, and increasing visibility of the performance and energy supply quality in the smart grid.
UPCOMING EVENTS
8th International Istanbul Smart Grid & Smart Cities Congress and Fair 2020, Istanbul, Turkey,POSTPONED, NEW DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED!
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Metering China 2020 (MC), Beijing, China, 26-29 April 2020
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Procurement & Cooperation Strategy Summit 2020 (PCSS), Beijing, China, 26-29 April 2020
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9th International Conference on Smart Cities and Green ICT Systems (SMARTGREENS) 2020, Prague, Czech Republic, 2-4 May 2020
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Energy Storage & Charging Electric Vehicles (EVs), Singapore, 1-5 June 2020
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7th Residential Energy Storage Forum, Sydney, Australia, 22-25 June 2020
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Energy Storage & Charging Electric Vehicles, London, UK, 22-26 June 2020
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Smart Mobility Congress Asia, Singapore, 23-24 June 2020
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POWERGEN India, New Delhi, India, 23-25 June, 2020
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Energy Transition World Forum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 7 July 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 8-9 July 2020
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The 9th Asia-Pacific Biomass Energy Exhibition (APBE2020), Guangzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Power China 2020, Guanzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 20-21 August 2020
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jakarta, Indonesia, 26-28 August 2020
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AI&ML for the Smart Grid 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 8 - 10 September 2020
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Professional Enhancement Certificate in SMART METERING advances in technology and applications, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 8-9 September 2020
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MOVE Asia, Singapore, 9-10 September 2020
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Smart Grid Innovation 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 22 - 24 September 2020
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 22-24 September 2020
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Nigeria Energy, Lagos, Nigeria, 22-24 September 2020
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Smart Metering in Energy Systems - ERRA Energy Regulation Conference, Tbilisi, Georgia, 28-29 September 2020
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Grid Asset Management 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 29 September - 1 October 2020
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Smart Grid Cybersecurity 2020, Berlin, Germany, 6-8 October 2020
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The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020, Manila, Philippines, 28-29 October 2020
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Residential 6th Energy Storage Forum, Munich, Germany, POSTPONED TO November 2020
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XIII International Trade Fair EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 10-12 November 2020
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Feb2020
MEMBER NEWS
Linz AG: Research Project "Urcharge" about E-Mobility starts in April
What happens if the half of all the cars of a whole neighbourhood change to a Electric Vehicle? What are the challenges for the grid, the load management and the usage? In order to provide answers to these questions the Linz AG set up the research project "Urcharge" in collaboration with TU Wien, Neue Heimat Oberösterreich, KEBA and ETA Umweltmanagement. The participants of the experiment will give up on their conventional car and get a Renault Zoe or a Nissan Leaf.
The goals of Urcharge are: 1) the development of a dynamic software for load management for at least hundret charging stations. 2) Simulation of various charging scenarios to detect economic and technical specifications for the grid. 3) Test phase to discover the real user behaviour and acceptance. 4) Reccomendations for further implementations in the grid.
Thüga SmartService and EMH metering offer a feasible all-in-one package for a secure implementation
Naila/Gallin. With the official market analysis in January the rollout of new measuring systems in Germany has begun. Now Thüga SmartService and EMH metering offer a feasible all-in-one and efficient solution.
New, innovative solution for ultra-fast charging electric vehicles
Cooperation between E.ON and Volkswagen Group Components makes a significant contribution to the development of ultra-fast charging infrastructure. Ultra-fast charging in the future – simple, inexpensive and possible everywhere
The establishment of a dense public network of ultra-fast e-vehicle charging stations can be realized much faster than previously assumed. E.ON and Volkswagen Group Components are giving a new impetus with the prototype of a new, flexible ultra-fast charging station that will be presented in Essen. By integrating a battery system, it will be possible to install ultra-fast charging stations almost anywhere and at significantly lower cost without civil engineering or mains connection.
Sønnico merges with OneCo
OneCo has entered into an agreement to acquire Sønnico AS, which provides technical services and solutions in electrical and energy related areas. Subject to the approval of the Competition Authority, Sønnico becomes part of the OneCo Group. Through this merge the OneCo Group will be able to offer an even better range of products and services throughout Norway.
Networked Energy Services announces Jonathan Main as new COO
NES selects proven leader with extensive industry experience to help lead company as it begins new growth phase driving the smart energy transition. Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), announced today the appointment of Jonathan (Jon) Main as the new Chief Operations Officer. This announcement follows a comprehensive search process to find a new COO to help lead the company’s new growth phase and its continued commitment to be a recognised leader in the evolving energy industry.
Jon Main has more than 25 years of operational experience within various industries including energy and automotive. He has a broad range of audit & control, finance, operations, sales and IT experience having worked with both private and public companies in several global roles. In his most recent roles, he was an executive director with TMD Friction, and prior to that he was the Global SOX audit manager for Elster Group SE, where he was responsible for reviewing and auditing all business processes throughout the global group.
LF Energy and Alliander announce GXF to tackle interoperability on the Dutch power grid
LF Energy is working with Dutch distribution system operator Alliander to utilise, on its open-source community, Alliander’s Grid eXchange Fabric (GXF), a scalable and technology-agnostic industrial Internet of Things (IoT) platform that allows grid operators to securely collect data and monitor, control and manage smart devices on the grid.
LF Energy is a Linux Foundation project charged with accelerating the decarbonisation goals of the energy and electricity sectors through open-source technology. GXF is Formerly known as Open Smart Grid Platform (OSGP) and was created by Alliander. It is the first project contributed by the company to the open-source community since joining LF Energy last October as a Premier Member.
MARKET NEWS
Public consultation to establish the priority list of network codes
The European Commission has opened a targeted consultation of relevant stakeholders on the priorities for the development of network codes and guidelines for the period 2020-2023 for electricity and for 2020 for gas. Input on priorities beyond these time horizons is also welcome.
The Commission has identified two key areas, in the electricity sector, where new network codes could be required and contribute to achieve the goals set out in the European Green Deal.
Estfeed – safe use of smart meter data in order to lower energy costs
Estfeed is a highly secure and transparent data sharing platform developed by the Estonian transmission system operator, ELERING. It aims to connect smart meter data from various hubs and sources across Europe with energy services in order to integrate retail markets, offer new smart services and lower costs. End-consumers can keep track of their own energy consumption, and use it with comparison tools to receive personalized offers.
The story about the platform is brought by the European Technology and Innovation Platform Smart Networks for Energy Transition – ETIP SNET Energy Stories, designed to bring applications in energy transition technologies, often developed through public funding, closer to the citizen, highlighting whenever possible the direct benefits of the latest technologies to the energy consumer.
Cyberthreats could turn smart cities into dumb ones
Smart technology is making Europe’s cities more sustainable, but privacy and hacking risks are also growing. COPENHAGEN — In the capital's old harbor neighborhood, Denmark is experimenting with a city of the future, including a school covered in ocean-blue solar panels, fast-charging stations for electric cars, automated home heating and a large battery storing green energy. But the smart city vision comes with an Achilles' heel — cyber vulnerability.
Growing decarbonization efforts coupled with state-of-the-art technology are creating an increasingly wired energy infrastructure that poses a huge cybersecurity challenge. The risks range from hackers trying to crash the systems to snoops gathering data on people to extortionists and social media abusers like Cambridge Analytica — the defunct political consultancy that used data to shift elections.
Smart Grid Meter Data Management (MDM) System Market to Record an Exponential CAGR by 2023
Rapid growth in the global smart grid market is expected to propel growth in the global meter data management (MDM) system market. The increasing deployment of smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure technologies are likely to act as a catalyst to the market’s growth. A meter data management system allows easy information and technology integration of advanced metering infrastructure. It performs long term data storage and captures metering data from advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) head end systems and creates a complete system of record for the metering data. Furthermore, meter data management systems also facilitate the distribution of the meter data across the utilities.
ENCS publishes new distribution automation security requirements
ENCS has published a new set of security requirements for distribution automation (DA) RTUs. The requirements were developed in the ENCS member project on procuring secure equipment. They update the requirements produced in the member project on distribution automation in 2016.
The requirements have been split into two parts: First, DA-201-2019: Security architecture for distribution automation systems: a security architecture that provides guidance for departments implementing a distribution automation systems (access for ENCS members); Second, DA-301-2019: Security requirements for procuring DA RTUs: security requirements for procuring new DA RTUs (public). The requirements are based on a risk assessment for distribution automation systems.
Video: The future of cyber security
By 2050, smart cities and homes will be the norm. Your fridge will tell a drone to pick up fresh milk when you run out and lampposts will change the intensity of streetlights when your smartphone is nearby. In this hyper-connected world, the threat cyber-criminals pose will only grow.
New tariff proposal could resolve a looming problem with grid expansion
The existing network tariff structure is not fit for purpose. A new bandwidth model proposed in the Netherlands and Norway could be a solution.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Fundamentals of IEC 618502020, London, UK, POSTPONED, NEW DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED!
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10th National Conference on Microgrids, Boston Massachusetts, 18-19 March 2020
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Future of Utilities Summit 2020, London, UK, POSTPONED, NEW DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED!
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Smart Grid Security 2020, Berlin, Germany, POSTPONED, NEW DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED!
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8th International Istanbul Smart Grid & Smart Cities Congress and Fair 2020, Istanbul, Turkey, POSTPONED, NEW DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED!
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Metering China 2020 (MC), Beijing, China, 26-29 April 2020
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Procurement & Cooperation Strategy Summit 2020 (PCSS), Beijing, China, 26-29 April 2020
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9th International Conference on Smart Cities and Green ICT Systems (SMARTGREENS) 2020, Prague, Czech Republic, 2-4 May 2020
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Smart Renewable Systems Conference, Munich, Germany, 16-17 June 2020
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AI&ML for the Smart Grid 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 16-18 June 2020
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7th Residential Energy Storage Forum, Sydney, Australia, 22-25 June 2020
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Energy Storage & Charging Electric Vehicles, London, UK, 22-26 June 2020
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Smart Mobility Congress Asia, Singapore, 23-24 June 2020
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POWERGEN India, New Delhi, India, 23-25 June, 2020
Smart Grid Innovation 2020, Brussels, Belgium, 30 June -2 July 2020
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Energy Transition World Forum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 7 July 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 8-9 July 2020
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The 9th Asia-Pacific Biomass Energy Exhibition (APBE2020), Guangzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Power China 2020, Guanzhou, China, 16-18 August 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 20-21 August 2020
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jakarta, Indonesia, 26-28 August 2020
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Professional Enhancement Certificate in SMART METERING advances in technology and applications, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 8-9 September 2020
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MOVE Asia, Singapore, 9-10 September 2020
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 22-24 September 2020
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Smart Metering in Energy Systems - ERRA Energy Regulation Conference, Tbilisi, Georgia, 28-29 September 2020
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The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020, Manila, Philippines, 28-29 October 2020
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Residential 6th Energy Storage Forum, Munich, Germany, POSTPONED TO November 2020
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XIII International Trade Fair EcoEnergy Expo, Kiev, Ukraine, 10-12 November 2020
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SPARK, London, UK, 22-23 June 2021
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Jan2020
MEMBER NEWS
OSGP Alliance Welcomes Griffin Group Energy as Board Member
The OSGP Alliance is very honored by Griffin Group Energy’s decision to join the Alliance as a Gold Member and very pleased to welcome Adam Zalewski, Executive Business Development Director of Griffin Group Energy as a Member of the OSGP Alliance Board.
Griffin Group Energy, which is part of Griffin Group SA, is active in the energy sector in both the public and commercial segments. With Griffin Group Energy’s wealth of experience in the energy industry and Adam Zalewski’s active role in promoting open standards for energy demand side management, smart grid and smart metering systems, the OSGP Alliance is very pleased to welcome Griffin Group Energy to help promoting the adoption of the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) and infrastructure for smart grid applications towards a future proof modern smart grid!
Conlog: Grand Opening of High-Tech Facilities
The day has finally arrived as global leaders in metering solutions Conlog opens its first high-tech facility Dube TradePort in Durban, South Africa.The strategic move into this new facility will strengthen Conlog's capabilities and most of all help fulfill the company's purpose, 'Enriching lives by connecting people and resources'.
Apator Provides Meters for Three Power Distributors
The management board of Apator has received news that its offer for the tender announced by Tauron Distribution, PGE Distrubtion and Enea Operator has been selected as the most advantageous.
Apator will supply static, direct three-phase electricity meters to the three companies mentioned above. The value of Apator's offer is PLN 77 million. Apator has reported that it will complete the contract for the delivery of the electricity meters by the end of 2020. The terms of the tenders also include an option with the possibility of extending the contract with 2 years. Therefore, the potential maximum value of the contract is PLN 95 million
Vattenfall retains Gold for sustainability performance
Vattenfall's sustainability work has once again proven to be of the highest quality and makes considerable strides in the labour and human rights category. This, according to EcoVadis, that rate over 55 000 suppliers sustainability performance in 155 countries.
The four themes that are assessed are: Environment, Labour and Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement.
MARKET NEWS
The E.DSO Sustainable Grid Charter Highlights the Contribution of DSOs to a Sustainable Future
In the presence of stakeholders from in and outside the energy sector E.DSO, the association of the largest and leading European DSOs, handed over its Sustainable Grid Charter to Director General Ditte Juul Jørgensen of the European Commission DG ENER and Deputy Director General of DG CLIMA Clara de la Torre.
Mrs Juul Jørgensen on the occasion said: "There is a lot of talk about policy, because it is central in the green transition and the green deal and in that context it is very welcome that you have worked on the E.DSO Sustainable Grid Charter and your role in the transition." Mrs de la Torre with reference to the green new deal said: "I am sure that E.DSO will be an important partner in our work for the climate pact."
Data Handling in the Smart Grid
Growing volumes of data along with the ever present threat of cyber attacks and the changing market requirements of GDPR are providing an ongoing challenge for the management and use of data as more and more advanced technologies are brought onto the smart grid and prosumers become players in the energy system. In order to get a handle on the main barriers faced with such data handling and the underlying communication infrastructure, the BRIDGE initiative is gathering information from across multiple EU Horizon 2020 supported smart grid projects as one of its four work streams. The others are business models, regulation and customer engagement.
BRIDGE has adopted a 'full data lifecycle' approach encompassing data capture, exchange, storage and access and is focussed on four data flows. These are DSO to aggregator, aggregator to prosumer, prosumer to aggregator and prosumer to DSO. The first three cover mainly flexibility requests and demand response commands and feedback, and the last mainly metering and grid quality measurements. In addition, other key requirements being addressed are interoperability to enable data exchange between multiple parties and cyber security and data privacy,
Addressing Cybersecurity in Distribution Network SCADA Systems
The SCADA protocols and communications infrastructure that was (and in most cases still is) used to control the electricity distribution grid is based on essentially insecure protocols with no inherent design to handle the threat of adverse action by internal players or third parties. It isn't the inherent fault of the existing systems, they are designed to operate reliably and robustly under challenging environments, providing control and data in an era before data management was the science that it is today, enabled by advances in information processing technology.
But with the global democratisation of knowledge and information, the validity of SCADA systems that purport "Security by Obscurity" or claim immunity to cybersecurity threat through the use of serial communications are losing credibility. Fortunately, much work has been completed by the technical working groups associated with energy network SCADA communications protocols. With the release of the Distributed Network Protocol Secure Authentication Version 5 (DNP3-SA v5), legacy systems, even those based on serial communications, can deploy cost-effective strategies to raise the technical bar for would-be assailants.
Grid Operators to Establish Energy Data Access Alliance to Revolutionise European Energy Market
In Tallinn, Estonia grid operators from Spain, France, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Estonia signed a Letter of Intent to investigate launching an Alliance that will connect together the energy data of all Europeans, so that energy companies can securely access this data and operate in any European country without barriers.
Europe has set ambitions energy and climate goals. A key milestone to achieve these targets is retail market integration. Today retail and services markets are highly fragmented, due to differences in regulation and data access, which prevents the spread of energy retail, efficiency and flexibility solutions around Europe. The Clean Energy Package aims to fix this, requiring interoperability of data access methods. If successful, the initiative, led by Estonian electricity and gas system operator Elering, will achieve retail market integration in practice. A benefit assessment by Pöyry indicates that the value of integrating European data would be at least €200M each year.
A Look at the World's First Smart Grid Index
Modernizing the power grid through smart grid enhancements is essential for the development of a smart city. A smart grid enables the city to be more sustainable by integrating distributed energy resources (DER), such as solar photovoltaics, wind turbines and energy storage systems, enabling the production of clean, sustainable and renewable energy close to where it is needed. The rapid growth of these DERs together with technological advancements is transforming the global power industry.
Declining costs and meeting green targets are driving the proliferation of DERs. Over the last decade, the cost of DERs has been reduced drastically, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BloombergNEF). For example, solar energy now is cheaper than coal in some parts of the world and projected to represent 20% of the global energy consumption by 2040, up from 4% in 2015. Similarly, the price of Lithium-ion batteries has dropped by 80% over the last decade and is expected to fall an additional 52% by 2030.
Eurelectric is launching an international platform to aggregate research and activity on artificial intelligence in the electricity industry, in association with IBM
Engerati spoke recently with Kristian Ruby, secretary general of European electricity association Eurelectric, about the potential of AI to transform utility strategy, new roles that will emerge and the ethical risks that need to be managed.
PRESS RELEASE
Networked Energy Services Participates in Tauron’s 2019 Smart City Wroclaw Project Expansion
NES Patagonia EAP continues to be an integral component of the largest interoperable smart metering project in Poland
San Jose, CA, January 08, 2020: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Patagonia Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), is pleased to participate in Tauron’s 2019 smart metering expansion project in the city of Wroclaw. This on-going project, with the Polish utility industry leader Tauron Dystrybucja S.A., further expands upon the successful Tauron Smart City project in Wroclaw, where Tauron had already installed about 400,000 Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) compliant smart meters for their distribution customers.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saudi Smart Cities Summit and Expo, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 18-19 February 2020
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Smart Energy Summit, Austin, Texas, 17-19 February 2020
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Utility Telecoms 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 25-27 February 2020
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Smart Communications & Technology Forum – Power Grid Inventory, Warsaw, Poland, 27 February 2020
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Africa Energy Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa, 3-4 March 2020
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Middle East Electricity, Dubai, UAE, 3-5 March 2020
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India Smart Utility Week (ISUW) 2020, New Delhi, India, 3-7 March 2020
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Energy Storage & Charging Electric Vehicles, Singapore, 16-20 March 2020
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Future Cities Summit Saudia Arabia 2020, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 17-18 March 2020
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Fundamentals of IEC 618502020, London, UK, 17-19 March 2020
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10th National Conference on Microgrids, Boston Massachusetts, 18-19 March 2020
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Future of Utilities Summit 2020, London, UK, 24-25 March 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 31 March - 1 April 2020
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Smart Grid Cybersecurity 2020, Berlin, Germany, 31 March – 2 April 2020
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Smart Mobility Congress Asia, Singapore, 22-23 April 2020
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Metering China 2020 (MC), Beijing, China, 26-29 April 2020
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Procurement & Cooperation Strategy Summit 2020 (PCSS), Beijing, China, 26-29 April 2020
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SMARTGREENS 2020, Prague, Czech Republic, 2-4 May, 2020
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POWERGEN India, New Delhi, India, 5-7 May, 2020
The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020, Manila, Philippines, 18-19 May 2020
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MOVE Asia, Singapore, 19-20 May 2020
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Energy Storage & Charging Electric Vehicles, London, UK, 22-26 June 2020
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SPARK, London, UK, 30 June – 1 July 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 8-9 July 2020
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020, Jakarta, Indonesia, 26-28 August 2020
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 22-24 September 2020
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Dec2019
MEMBER NEWS
In Focus Q&A: Peter Söderström, Head of Digital Hub at Vattenfall Distribution Sweden
Peter is responsible for digital innovation at Vattenfall Distribution Sweden including portfolio manager for innovation projects. Peter is also chairman of CIRED session (6) covering markets and regulation.
Vattenfall Distribution Sweden is one of the largest Swedish DSOs operating the distribution and sub-transmission grid in primarily the mid and northern part of Sweden. Engerati asked Peter to share some insights on challenges facing DSOs today and to discuss the rationale behind some of the new projects his company is working on to address those challenges.
Enabling the Smart Energy Transition
Gain valuable insights into the importance of the smart energy transition for both DSOs and society. Watch the full interview at EUW 2019 with Jon Wells, VP Customer Solutions at Networked Energy Services (NES) Corporation. Jon walks us through the importance of the Smart Energy Transition and what NES is doing to support utilities in this transition.
Watch the interview conducted at European Utility Week 2019 in Paris.
Mitsubishi, Chubu to Take Over Dutch Energy Giant Eneco
Dutch energy company Eneco says it has agreed to a proposed 4.1 billion-euro ($4.5 billion) takeover by Japanese corporations Mitsubishi and Chubu. Eneco said in a statement Monday that Mitsubishi will fund 80% of the deal and Chubu the remaining 20%. The company, which is currently owned by a group of 44 Dutch municipalities, says Mitsubishi and Chubu support strengthening Eneco's sustainable energy strategy and will allow it to further expand internationally.
Mitsubishi CEO Takehiko Kakiuchi says Eneco "fits in perfectly with our current energy activities and provides us with a platform to further grow in the European market in which we intend to have a leading position in the energy transition."
ABB Technology in 40 Vattenfall Electric Vehicle Fast-Charging Stations Across Sweden
ABB is supporting European energy company Vattenfall develop a comprehensive electric vehicle charging network in Sweden, with a complete solution that includes both the fast-charging station and all the necessary grid connection hardware. The technology from ABB is now charging EVs at almost 40 public locations across Sweden for Vattenfall. As part of Vattenfall's strategy to make fossil fuel-free living possible in Sweden within a single generation, the company is installing electric vehicle chargers across the country.
ABB technology ensures the stations provide the reliability drivers need and the durability demanded by Sweden's harsh winter conditions. Frank Muehlon, head of ABB's global business for e-mobility infrastructure solutions, says: 'For e-mobility to flourish, drivers need fast-charging stations with a reliable power supply connection.' ABB's ability to provide this as an end-to-end solution is why we are the leading name in electric vehicle charging and is a key factor in our work for Vattenfall.
Lolland as the Green Energy Island
The island of Lolland is at the forefront when it comes to green energy solutions that are developed in the coming years. SEAS-NVE is joinging forces with focus groups to realize, among other things, a better balance between green energy production and green energy consumption. The project is called 'Ren Energi Lolland' (REEL), and has welcomed SEAS-NVE as its newest partner. Together with Lolland Municipality, HOFOR and the city of Copenhagen, SEAS-NVE will try out solutions to overcome some of the challenges that arise with the green energy transition.
Henrik Wej Petersen, construction director at SEAS-NVE, explains: 'Much more green electricity is produced at some times than it ce used locally in Lolland. Hence, it is a suitable place to test different models that may create a better balance between supply and consumption.' Besides, the imbalance only gets bigger as we get more green energy and more electric cars on the road, he adds.
OneCo Acquires Relacom in Sweden
OneCo has entered into an agreement to acquire Swedish Relacom AB, which provides technical services and strategic solutions in areas such as telecom and energy. The acquisition will take place as soon as it is approved by the competition authority. OneCo strengthens its position in Sweden as a complete provider of infrastructure services in the telecom and energy market.
"OneCo and Relacom AB complement each other in a good way. OneCo has socially critical infrastructure as an important focus area, focusing on expansion in electricity, telecom, energy and transport. With its employees, products and services, Relacom AB will contribute to complementing OneCo's telecom and energy capacity to our customers in the Swedish market, "says OneCo CEO Marvin Jensen.
Tauron Connected more than 30,000 Renewable Energy Sources
Tauron Distribution has connected 14,500 micro-installations to the power grid, with a total capacity of more than 158 MW, in the first three quarters of 2019. This is three times more in comparison with the same period last years. Of all the micro-installations, the vast majority included photovoltaic technology. In addition, three wind and three hydropower plants have been connected. The company also connected 59 renewable energy sources other than micro-installations, three of which were not made with solar technology. They were a hydroelectric power plant, a wind farm and a power plant using agricultural biogas.
For comparison, throughout 2018, over 8,000 micro-installations were connected to the company's network with a total capacity of 75 MW. Whereas in the three quarters of last year Tauron connected 4,900 renewable energy sources with a capacity of 46 MW. In the entire 2017, just over 4,000 micro-installations were connected to the company's network with a total capacity of 24 MW.
MARKET NEWS
The Global Penetration Rate of Smart Meters Is Expected to Near 60% by 2028
A new report from Navigant Research analyzes the global market for smart electric meters, or advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), providing an overview of market drivers and global market forecasts, segmented by region, through 2028. Smart meters have grown into one of the most polished business cases for the deployment of advanced communications networks across smart grids. Each meter is both a data collection point and a communications node, enabling greater returns on utility investment while maximizing benefits provided to utilities and their customers. According to a new report from Navigant Research, the global penetration rate of smart meters is 41.2%, which is expected to rise to nearly 59% by 2028.
"Smart meters have the highest deployment rates of any smart grid technology, and the global market, although slowing slightly, continues to expand," says Michael Hartnack, research analyst with Navigant Research. "Across all regions, the Middle East & Africa demonstrates the highest potential for growth in smart meter deployments, while Asia Pacific accounts for the highest percentage of overall global smart metering revenue."
TSO-DSO Cooperation in a Distributed Energy System
With new decentralised generation increasingly connected to the distribution grid and both distribution and transmission system operators (DSOs, TSOs) competing for flexibility resources, communication and cooperation between them is becoming ever more critical. While a lot of progress has been made by TSOs and DSOs in building trust over the past two years, some areas are still under investigation with various European projects under way to facilitate and advance the dialogue. One of these is the BRIDGE initiative, which is drawing information from across multiple EU Horizon 2020 supported smart grid projects in four key areas - regulation, data management, business models and customer engagement.
'Collaboration between TSO and DSO is mainly about data exchanges and their interoperability,' said Manuel Sanchez-Jimenez, smart grids team leader at DG ENER, at a recent BRIDGE workshop. 'Information and data are major topics in the value chain. This must lead to optimal utilisation of resources, efficient operation and facilitate market operation.' By early 2021, DSOs and ENTSO-E will go further in terms of cooperation and communication, he anticipates.
Twelve Reasons to Transform Utility Distribution Networks
Here we explore how electric utilities can transform their assets from utility-infrastructure to utility-telecom to optimise through the reuse of networks to generate alternative sources of revenue. Electric utilities are facing an increasing number of challenges evidenced by thinning revenues as a result of over-regulation, high competition, limited funding, changing demand, low customer satisfaction, disruptive technologies, high commercial and technical losses, ageing infrastructure, and increasing costs of infrastructure development. Opportunities in the transmission, distribution and last-mile grid segments are fully optimised for additional revenues. To this end, Kenya Power is benchmarking the utility-telecom model, which comprises the integration of broadband fibre optic infrastructure onto power lines from generation to consumers.
The model comprises aerial fibre optic deployments in existing and new power lines. The implementations are done in compliance with safety standards on clearance that are dependent on applicable line rates. The optical ground wire (OPGW) and all-dielectric self-support (ADSS) fibre cable types are the predominant types in aerial deployments. The OPGW fibre cable is used for grounding besides consideration as the telecom broadband infrastructure. The utility-telecom model empowers utilities to deploy fibre optic cables for internal communication/data networks, billing, automation/smart grid and extra capacity for telecom business.
The First Harmonised European Approach for Security Certification of Smart Meters has been Formally Certified
The first set of harmonised requirements for security certification of smart meters in Europe, developed by CEN/CENELEC/ETSI Coordination Group for Smart Meters with the support of the ESMIG, has now officially been certified under Common Criteria by the Dutch certification body NSCIB. Smart meter certification performed using this protection profile by any of the certification bodies members of the SOG-IS agreement, will gain recognition across the 17 European countries that have signed that agreement.
The development of smart energy grids is dramatically changing the grid as we know it today, and traditional energy services and markets are undergoing a significant transformation. Thanks to ICT, the grid of the future becomes smarter so as to improve the reliability, security, and efficiency of the energy systems through information exchange, distributed generation, storage sources, and the active participation of the end consumer. Internet of Things (IoT) communication networks are already in use and enable modern energy services provided by grid operators and energy service companies.
A Potential Solution for Protecting Customer Privacy when Sharing Smart Meter Data
By 2020, the European Union (EU) aims to replace 80% of household electricity meters with smart meters. This is because smart meters are widely regarded as a key to reducing both energy consumption and emission levels. Along with smart meter technology, however, comes some challenges in protecting consumer's data privacy. This blog describes these privacy concerns as well as a potential solution to address them.
With the help of machine learning and advanced data analytics, several load-monitoring techniques can deduce a customer's activity patterns just from their electricity metering data. Imagine a situation where a third party gets hold of your metering data and, using data mining algorithms, and can detect your presence or absence and other household activities. Wouldn't that be devastating? While the simplest solution to avoid this type of risk lies in not sharing your metering data with anyone, including your utility provider, which is easier said than done. The utility provider requires your power consumption data for billing, data aggregation and for estimating other physical elements critical to the grid operation that may not be measurable using sensors.
How European DSOs can Unlock New Value from Smart Grid Infrastructures
There is no denying that distribution system operators (DSOs) in Europe face a myriad of challenges today, but new opportunities to unlock added value and maximize efficiencies from advanced metering infrastructures (AMIs) are also emerging. The most promising new development is the availability of a new generation of scalable Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity platforms, which bring together intelligent endpoints, flexible communications, software and applications in a single network that can enable forward-looking DSOs to chart a seamless path towards smart infrastructures.
Before describing the composition of such new platforms, it is worth unpacking the specific problems that they address for DSOs. While it is difficult to generalize because there are so many energy market models across Europe, the core mission of a DSO is to manage a network that provides a secure electricity supply and quality of service between power generators and consumers. In each European country this has to be done within the risk and reward parameters of national and international regulatory frameworks, and wherever pricing is regulated there is naturally intense pressure on DSO operating margins. This pressure on margins means DSOs are under constant pressure to enhance the efficiency of their operations, but their challenges don't stop there.
PRESS RELEASES
Networked Energy Services Achieves First 100,000 Meters in its New Contract Electronics Manufacturing Facility in Romania
Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry's leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), is delighted to announce it has achieved production of the first 100,000 meters from its new global contract electronics manufacturing (CEM) facility in Romania. The facility is producing NES Generation 4 OSGP compliant single-phase and poly-phase smart meters, which incorporate advanced smart grid sensors, demand control and industry leading security features. Production lines will soon be extended to include the Distributed Control Node 3000 and NES CT meters.
These first 100,000 meters are being used in many smart grid projects around Europe in which NES plays crucial roles in helping DSOs (Distribution Service Operators) respond to the demands of the smart energy transition. The smart energy transition is driven by increased EV, green energy production, security demands and community energy projects - these applications require sophisticated smart meters; produced reliably, to high quality standards, at volume, and to operate without human intervention for many years in the field.
E.ON Digitizes Grid Information
Around 800,000 distributed systems producing green energy are already connected to E.ON's grids in Germany - and that figure is rising. In order to considerably speed up the connection process for these systems, experts from E.ON grid operator E.DIS teamed up with the start-up envelio, a spin-off of RWTH Aachen University, to develop a digital grid connection monitor. It's a self-assessment portal for planners of distributed generation systems and offers an initial indication of technically possible grid connection points within a matter of seconds.
It is very easy to use: You enter the location online along with the system type, such as photovoltaic or wind power, and the planned output in kilowatt. You then pinpoint the exact location in the aerial image on the screen using the mouse. Within seconds, there will be a green tick and the answer will appear like this, for example: "The system can potentially be connected to the medium-voltage grid. Distance from grid connection point is 200 metres".
UPCOMING EVENTS
Predictive Maintenance 2020: Berlin, Germany, 14-16 January 2020
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Common Information Model 2020: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 21-23 January 2020
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NextGen SCADA Global 2020: Berlin, Germany, 27 - 31 January 2020
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Saudi Smart Cities Summit and Expo, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 18-19 February 2020
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Utility Telecoms 2020, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 25-27 February 2020
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Africa Energy Indaba: Cape Town, South Africa, 3-4 March 2020
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Middle East Electricity, Dubai, UAE, 3-5 March 2020
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Energy Storage & Charging Electric Vehicles, Singapore, 16-20 March 2020
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Future Cities Summit Saudi Arabia 2020, 17-18 March 2020
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Fundamentals of IEC 618502020: London, UK, 17-19 March 2020
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10th National Conference on Microgrids: Boston Massachusetts, 18-19 March 2020
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Smart Mobility Congress Asia: Singapore,19-20 March 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 24-25 March 2020
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Future of Utilities Summit 2020, London, UK, 24-25 March 2020
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020: Jakarta, Indonesia, 26-28 March 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 31 March - 1 April 2020
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SMARTGREENS 2020: Prague, Czech Republic, 2-4 May, 2020
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POWERGEN India: New Delhi, India, 5-7 May, 2020
The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020: Manila, Philippines, 18-19 May 2020
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Energy Storage & Charging Electric Vehicles, London, UK, 22-26 June 2020
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SPARK, London, UK, 30 June – 1 July 2020
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Enlit Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 22-24 September 2020
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Nov2019
MEMBER NEWS
Schneider Electric Provides Grid Flexibility with the Release of EcoStruxure™ DERMS
Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, announces the release of EcoStruxure™ DERMS - Distributed Energy Resource Management System. The new energy landscape is becoming more decarbonized, more decentralized and more digitalized. Electricity consumers are seeking more control over their energy future and are driving the growing presence of Distributed Energy Resources (DER). This growth is disrupting utility operations, planning and the industry overall. Schneider Electric offers EcoStruxure™ DERMS as a grid-focused solution to assist in managing this disruption.
With grid constraint optimization at its core, DERMS models DER assets, calculates hosting capacity, monitors activity, forecasts future state, optimizes control and enables new services. EcoStruxure™ DERMS provides centralized analysis and control of all types of DER, regardless of ownership entity, to deliver value to the grid and all energy stakeholders. As the DER landscape evolves, DERMS enables utilities to orchestrate distributed generation and deliver electricity while improving the safety, reliability and quality of service.
Networked Energy Services Strengthens Smart Grid Security for Caruna
Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry's leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), announced today the successful completion of a project to upgrade Caruna's smart meters to the latest firmware versions. For Caruna, this enhances compliance to GDPR, sets the standard for security regulation in the smart grid, and anticipates some of the new security standards such as those being defined by ESMIG for the EU.
Caruna has over 680,000 smart meters deployed for its customers in Finland. The project included upgrading meter and DCN firmware to the same up-to-date versions on all devices. Thanks to the reliable communications achieved by the NES meters, these operations were conducted remotely and automatically from the central Head End System (HES), with only a very small residual meter population requiring manual updates. The project was executed with oversight from Landis+Gyr, Caruna's Service Operations partner and provider of its MDM solution, over 5 months. Due to the nature of the mission critical environment, the project was managed to commercial and regulator SLAs in order to de-risk the whole activity. As well as providing the upgrade, NES conducted a training knowledge and tool transfer program to ensure Caruna and its Service Operations partner can independently perform future updates and security enhancements.
E.ON Puts Customer in Control of Energy Data with Blockchain Prototype
E.ON has developed a blockchain technology that says will allow its customers to have transparency and complete control over their own energy data. Developed by engineers at the E.ON Future Lab, E.ON has registered the IT-system for a patent and the European Patent Office has now made the application public. The technology is housed within a box the size of a ?5 note and can be fitted in a customer's home, in an administrative building or in a company.
The box collects data, for example from smart home applications, evaluates it and makes it usable. Only the customer is able to decide who can access which part of his data stream. In addition, the customer can use the box to earn money by releasing selected data analytics for use. E.ON acts as an intermediary and service provider - but only gains access if the customer expressly agrees. Highly-secure encryption in conjunction with blockchain technology prevents data from being stolen or manipulated.
Tauron Acquired more than 195 Million to Invest in the Electricity Networks
Tauron Distribution has acquired new EU funds to construct and modernize their medium and low voltage electricity networks. The main goal of the projects will be to prepare the power grid for an increasing amount of renewable energy sources that will be connected. In total, Tauron has obtained grants with a value of more than PLN 195 million for these investments.
In 2019 only, Tuaron has signed seven subsequent agreements for co-financing the construction and reconstruction of distribution networks with a total value of more than PLN 27 million. The main goal of the implemented projects will be to ensure the functioning of the power grid when distributed electricity generation units are connected. 'We connect more and more renewable energy sources to our distribution network. Only in the first half of this year we have connected more of them compared to the whole of 2018. This is a big challenge for the energy sector, because we have to make constantly sure that our infrastructure is adapated to the requirements of the connected installations.' - sas Jerzy, Topolski, Vice President of Tauron.
Vattenfall and Microsoft Pilot World’s First Hourly Matching (24/7) of Renewable Energy
Vattenfall and Microsoft have jointly developed a first-of-its-kind solution, providing customers a new level of transparency into their electricity consumption making it possible to go from year-based data to hourly based data on source of origin. The solution, 24/7 Matching, is being piloted at Vattenfall and Microsoft Headquarters in Sweden.
The new 24/7 solution is built with Microsoft Azure IoT Central platform that connects energy generation such as wind- and hydro power from Vattenfall, with data from smart meters that measure the consumption in real-time. “We are very happy to further develop our relationship with this advanced offering. Microsoft has high renewable ambitions and this solution shows how new digital solutions and technology can be used to enable a fossil free living. The solution gives us possibilities to offer customers specific data and unique precision, that can support them in decisions, environmental efforts and communication,” says Andreas Regnell, Senior Vice President of Strategic Development at Vattenfall.
Conlog CEO Explores the African Metering Landscape
Logan Moodley, the CEO of Conlog (PTY) LTD gives his expert insight into African metering solutions in a global context at European Utility week 2019.
MARKET NEWS
Cybersecurity Defense Workshop Highlights Grid Vulnerabilties
A high level technical workshop was organised by the Association of European Distribution System Operators (E.DSO), the European Network for Cyber Security (ENCS) and the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) to address the safety of the European electricity grid.
The aim of the workshop was to discuss how to maintain control over grid infrastructure now nation state online activities targeting power grids are no longer in doubt. Furthermore, the workshop focused on how best to overcome cybersecurity issues in light of new actors and technologies being connected to the grid at an ever-increasing rate. Attendees included cybersecurity experts from the grid operator community, public organisations and industry and discussion centered on the main threats requiring mitigation, strategic opportunities and how to stay ahead of the developments.
Joint Letter from E.DSO, Eurelectric and Geode Calling for Recognition of the Crucial Role of Electricity Distribution Networks in the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy
E.DSO jointly with Eurelectric and Geode is calling for the crucial role of electricity distribution networks, including their digitisation, for the energy transition to be recognized in the Sustainable Finance (Taxonomy) Proposal.
To this end we ask decision-makers participating in the ongoing trilogue negotiations to explicitly reference grid digitalisation investments in the Taxonomy's Art. 6(1) as well as to take distribution grid investments into account under Art 7(1) to acknowledge the key role of electrification for climate change adaptation.
Achieving Diverse Interoperability with Wireless Communications
Unfortunately, networking solutions are frequently deployed to serve a single project or application, leaving utilities with numerous wireless networks to manage different groups of connected devices. In fact, the majority of utilities are deploying and managing several communications solutions
Utilities are hard pressed to reduce operation and maintenance (O&M) costs while facing critical IT challenges, including massive growth in data and devices, supporting multiple applications, implementing effective network management and countering cyber security threats. To explore solutions to these issues, utilities must address the technology that links them all: the communications network. Unfortunately, networking solutions are frequently deployed to serve a single project or application, leaving utilities with numerous wireless networks to manage different groups of connected devices. In fact, the majority of utilities are deploying and managing several communications solutions.
The Energy Sector and Cyber Security: The Other Capacity Gap
Anjos Nijk, Director at European Network for Cybersecurity (ENCS), discusses the skills gap within the cybersecurity industry, delving into the energy sector specifically. We are familiar with capacity gaps in the energy sector. Here is a statement that I'm sure most of our industry leaders would agree with: Society needs energy, and demand will only grow. We need more power and to be smarter about how we use it to maintain security of supply. Now replace the word 'power' with 'cyber security resource'. Would as many people agree? They should, because it's true.
This resource gap is very real, and it's crucial we get to grips with it as our infrastructure becomes smarter and more connected. One part of this equation is the skills gap - the shortfall in cyber security professionals in the sector - which we have discussed before. However, aside from skills, we need to increase resources and be more intelligent about how we deploy them.
AMI Penetration and Communication Protocols
Smart Energy International looks at the penetration of smart meters, the different communication protocols used in various regions, reasons for their adoption and some of the challenges being faced in adopting the standards. Smart metering is widely regarded as the cornerstone for future smart grids and is currently being deployed all over the developed world, with a growing number of largescale initiatives now also being launched in developing countries.
The Asia-Pacific region constitutes the largest market by far while North America ranks as the third-largest market after Europe. The two highly dynamic market regions saw a wave of massive smart metering projects being launched or completed during the first half of the current decade. Several major utilities in these regions are thus now preparing for second wave deployments to take off, driven by new smart meter functionalities and smart energy use cases.
PRESS RELEASES
OSGP Alliance Announces EUW 2019 Smart Energy Awards
Paris, France, November 19, 2019: The OSGP Alliance announced the 2019 Smart Energy Award winners at European Utility Week (EUW) last week in Paris. The OSGP Alliance is a global non-profit association dedicated to promoting the adoption of the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) and infrastructure for smart grid applications towards a future proof modern smart grid. Each year, the OSGP Alliance provides awards to companies that achieve outstanding results with OSGP compliant smart grid/smart metering systems.
This year’s awards were presented by Mark Ossel, OSGP Alliance Board Member and Jon Wells, VP Customer Solutions of NES, Platinum Sponsor of the OSGP Alliance Pavilion at EUW. “We witnessed many outstanding achievements during 2019 by our members and utilities utilizing OSGP in their smart grid and smart metering projects, and we are once again extremely proud of the successful projects based on OSGP that continue to be delivered, said Mark Ossel. “This year’s OSGP EUW award winners demonstrated outstanding results in a variety of diverse OSGP based projects achieved by our partners and their customers.”
Networked Energy Services Awarded Another Smart Grid Project in Romania
SOCIETATEA DE DISTRIBUTIE A ENERGIEI ELECTRICE (SDEE) MUNTENIA NORD continues expansion of its use of the NES Patagonia Energy Applications Platform
San Jose, CA, November 7, 2019: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), announced today that Electrica's SDEE Muntenia Nord, will install the NES solution for an additional 40,000 customers with an option for 50,000 additional smart meters. Electrica is a utility in Romania with three DSO companies, including SDEE Muntenia Nord, and about 3.6M electricity customers. This project further expands the NES infrastructure and project with Electrica, which includes cooperation with local project partner Adrem Engineering as well as integration with the IDSpecto MDM System from Görlitz AG.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The 4th annual Regional Energy Summit: Senegal, West Africa, 2-3 December 2019
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Power Grids International Forum: Moscow, Russia, 3-6 December 2019
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2nd Edition Oman Sustainable Energy and Technology Summit: Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 09-10 December 2019
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Predictive Maintenance 2020: Berlin, Germany, 14-16 January 2020
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Common Information Model 2020: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 21-23 January 2020
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NextGen SCADA Global 2020: Berlin, Germany, 27 - 31 January 2020
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Utility Telecoms 2020: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 25-27 February 2020
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Africa Energy Indaba: Cape Town, South Africa, 3-4 March 2020
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Middle East Electricity, Dubai, UAE, 3-5 March 2020
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Future Cities Summit Saudi Arabia 2020
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10th National Conference on Microgrids: Boston Massachusetts, 18-19 March 2020
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Fundamentals of IEC 618502020: London, UK, 17-19 March 2020
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Smart Mobility Congress Asia: Singapore,19-20 March 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 24-25 March 2020
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Future of Utilities Summit 2020, London, UK, 24-25 March 2020
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020: Jakarta, Indonesia, 26-28 March 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 31 March - 1 April 2020
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SMARTGREENS 2020: Prague, Czech Republic, 2-4 May, 2020
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POWERGEN India: New Delhi, India, 5-7 May, 2020
The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020: Manila, Philippines, 18-19 May 2020
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Oct2019
MEMBER NEWS
Invitation to Visit OSGP Alliance Pavilion at European Utility Week in Paris - Visit us at Stand H130!
We are pleased to invite you to come visit us at the OSGP Pavilion at the upcoming European Utility Week in Paris, 12-14 November 2019. Please visit us at our OSGP Alliance Pavilion (Stand H130) to network with OSGP experts and our OSGP Alliance Pavilion sponsors and exhibitors including our Platinum Sponsor Networked Energy Services (NES), our Silver Sponsors GÖRLITZ AG and Develco Products, our Bronze Sponsors ETM MÄTTEKNIK AB and Griffin Energy Group and our Dinner Sponsor CIAC International Technologies. You will be able to explore the latest innovations and technologies that offer utilities additional benefits and new insights into future solutions.
ETM is Launching New Products with NB-IoT and CAT-M1 Support in the OSGP Alliance Pavilion at EUW
ETM is launching new products with NB-IoT and CAT-M1 support in the OSGP Alliance Pavilion at EUW. Since 1997 ETM, has concentrated on developing market leading 2G, 3G and 4G cellular IoT products and is a leading supplier of cellular modems for smart metering applications. Other key markets serviced by ETM include security, water and sewage, transport, environmental monitoring, building automation and agriculture.
The ETM-Purple modems have been a well-proven communication solution for the NES data concentrators DC1000 and DCN3000 since more than 6 years with support for 2G/3G and 4G cellular technologies. ETM is now launching the next generation of Purple modems with support for NB-IoT and CAT-M1 technology in order to gain advantages as underground coverage and cost effectiveness. In parallel, ETM is also launching the cellular signal quality analyser ETM770 supporting NB-IoT and CAT-M1 with worldwide coverage. This hand held battery operated device is an excellent tool for the smart meter installation crew in order to quality assure the cellular communication coverage at the smart meter site.
Survey Results - Feeding the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence "Information-Appetite" - from the Low-Voltage Grid
In an earlier white-paper, we questioned how to feed information into the ever-hungry maws of the big data and AI platforms, especially focusing on the information coming from the low-voltage grid. As the Smart Energy Transition picks up pace, the role of the smart grid is coming more into focus. A major driver are the initiatives of Electric Vehicle introduction, distributed and green energy production and storage, and energy community projects and micro-grid. These will have profound effects on the low-voltage grid, as this is where many of these initiatives are being delivered.
Historically, it has been a major challenge to provide cost effective monitoring, management and control into the low-voltage grid. The result we have now, is a low-voltage grid which is essentially passive in nature with manageability limited to the "edges" of a black box and limited means to see and then control what happens within that black-box.
More than One Million Meters Managed by New Smart Grid Network Operating Tool
Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry's leading Energy Applications Platform (EAP TM) announced the release of its latest software solution, Grid Operations. This coincides with NES achieving over one million meters managed through its smart metering and smart grid deployment and operations and maintenance (O&M) solutions.
Grid Operations is the latest version of NES's mature and established deployment and O&M solutions for more than 5 million smart meters that help DSOs maintain exceptional communications with their meters (>99.7%) and keep their investment operating with a high degree of availability, efficiency, visibility and control. The solution is based on NES Element Manager, initially released in 2008, and now with over 11 years of R&D investment, provides the most user-friendly and functionally rich solution of its type. Grid Operations is being used to rollout and manage over one million meters; around 600K in the US and around 450K in Poland, with other deployments in the Nordics and Balkans.
Manage Non-Technical Losses: Collect, Prevent, and Detect
Unpaid bills, electricity theft and meter tampering have challenged utilities since the installation of the first electricity meters. Now the market, facing enormous business challenges, is actively seeking some form of transformation to ensure sustainability. Revenue collection is fundamental to this strategy.
Faulty meters, meter bypassing, meter tampering, inaccurate billing, nonpayment and illegal connections are the most significant contributors when it comes to high revenue losses. A well-established plan will focus on three strategic areas: revenue collection, loss prevention, and the detection of fraudulent activities. Examination of each of these categories will determine the correct counter-measures.
Vattenfall and Nivos Energia Oy Launch New Partnership in Finland
Vattenfall and the Finnish energy company Nivos Energia Oy have signed a new electricity and partnership contract. It is Vattenfall´s first partnership agreement in Finland within the energy company segment and the partnership is an important step in the rapidly shifting energy market where cooperation and knowledge sharing are vital.
Vattenfall has operated in Finland since 1996 and is now the third largest electricity supplier in the country providing several smart energy solutions. Nivos Energia, located in Mäntsäla, 50 kilometres north of Helsinki, has been operating at the market since 1926 and has approximately 20 000 customers.
E.ON Signs Framework Agreement with MVM Magyar Villamos Muvek Zrt. and Opus Global Nyrt.
On September 18, E.ON SE completed the acquisition of RWE's 76.8% stake in innogy. This transaction is a major step in our goal to become a company that shapes the future of energy with a visionary focus. Customers are at the centre of the new, decentralised energy world, those companies that best understand the customer and have the innovative edge will prevail. The new E.ON has a clear focus on intelligent networks and customer solutions, achieving a favourable position to become one of the innovative drivers of the energy transition in Europe and responds to the needs of nearly 50 million of its European customers. The company provides more than 70,000 professionals with jobs and exciting career options and offers shareholders attractive value and growth prospects.
Today we are announcing a series of agreements including a strategic asset swap which pave the way for the foundation of a new E.ON Hungária group, a company that will play an active part in the implementation of the national energy strategy of Hungary, offering smart, affordable and sustainable solutions as well as outstanding customer experience to all our Hungarian customers. Being an integral part of the international E.ON Group and sharing its vision, E.ON Hungária will continue to focus its activities on providing customer-focused innovative and convenient energy solutions and on operating intelligent power and gas distribution networks, contributing to the well-being and the competitiveness of Hungarian people and economy.
Joint Energy Activities regarding the Cybersecurity of Poland
The Ministry of Energy and Tauron Distribution signed an agreement regarding the cooperation in the energy sector to increase the country's cyber security. The agreement was concluded during the National Economic Summit held in Siedlce. The agreement applies to the four largest power distribution operators in the country. The initiative is about joint actions which will contribute to increase the IT security of the energy distribution area and protect it against potential external threats.
The four companies that signed the agreement have agreed to extensive cooperation with other market participants to increase cybersecurity. In addition, they have also agreed to exchange experience and information on threats. At the same time, in the event of a cybersecurity incident, they agreed to exchange information that might be useful to detect a threat regarding other energy companies in Poland. 'Cyberattacks on IT systems and automation controlling energy infrastructure is one of the key identified threats that affect the level of national security. That is why all actions and initiatives taken to prevent and mitigate the effects of cybercriminals in this area are so important' said Robert Zasina , president of Tauron Distribution.
Eltel and Electricity Distribution Company Elenia Sign Cooperation Agreement for Four New Areas - Total Value €13 Million
Eltel and the electricity distribution company named Elenia are increasing their cooperation by signing a new agreement whereby Eltel will enter the distribution network of Elenia as a regional partner in the areas of Nokia, Orivesi, Laukaa and Jyväskylä. Due to this new cooperation agreement, Eltel will become Elenia's largest regional partner. Previous cooperation agreements were already signed for the areas of Lapua, Seinäjoki, Lempäälä and Kangasala.
The duration of the contract is from the beginning of january 2020 until the end of january 2022, with a total value of approximately €6.5 million per year. The contract also includes the possibility for an extension of two additional years.
MARKET NEWS
Taking the AMI Route to Market
In 2018, the city of Wroclaw, Poland, completed a four-year smart meter rollout, installing over 360,000 meter points to provide customers with reliable and secure communication for better energy management while improving the overall Distribution System Operator (DSO) service offering.
The AMIplus Smart City Wroclaw project is a multi-vendor project initiated by DSO Tauron Distribution, and is one of the largest advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and smart metering deployments ever implemented in Poland. With multiple meter suppliers on board, this project is also one of largest interoperable smart grid projects in the world. The total project comprises the AMI head end system (HES), delivery and installation of data concentrators and meters, logistic and warehousing to support the rollout, installation and commissioning process, and communication to customers regarding installation of the smart meters. The main technology is a PLC, OSGP standard, fully interoperable model.
Getting Ready to Operate the Smarter Grid: How Smart Grid Operations, Aligned to ITIL, Can Enable the Smart Energy Transition
In the past, the grid was not smart. Equipment was either unmanaged or managed through highly bespoke, isolated and dedicated systems. Equipment was only able to perform the task it was deployed to do and required a manual intervention to change configuration to perform a different task (or the same task with different parameters). There was very little opportunity to change the way equipment functioned remotely and dynamically.
Equipment was largely unable to notify monitoring teams about potential and actual performance degradations or critical alerts. Equipment was developed for a simple distribution model - energy was created centrally and then distributed out towards the consumer - always and forever. In a sense, the grid was "hard-coded" to a specification and was largely mute in terms of how it performed against that specification. Furthermore, that specification is now no longer fit for purpose, when viewed against the changes about to hit the grid.
Top Use Cases for Smart Meter Data Insights
Bidgely and Lumidyne Consulting have released the results of a study conducted to understand how utilities are leveraging smart meter data to optimise their operations. The 2019 AMI Innovation Study: Utility Perspectives on AMI End Use Disaggregation also looks at demand-side management programme operators are utilising smart meter data in planning their rates.
Some 19 experts from 11 utilities operating in North America have been surveyed to understand utility use of smart meter data. They revealed that customer data analytics, customer targeting and rate recommendations are the top use cases for smart meter data insights. Customer targeting has been found the most use case owing to the current priority placed on customer communications and personalisation.
Accelerating the Shift to Communicating Meters
Globally, legislation and the evolving grid are pushing utilities towards an increasingly data-heavy environment, which in turn is driving the demand for communicating meters. The electricity meter market continues the journey towards advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), with 109 million communicating meters shipping globally in 2018, according to IHS Markit's 2019 Electricity Meters Report. The electricity meter market continues to accelerate its shift from basic to communicating meters as utilities head towards a data-driven future. Nearly two-thirds of the 1.6 billion meters shipping between 2018 and 2025 will be communicating, boosted by several large smart meter rollouts within the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions.
The report reveals that a short-term peak is likely to occur in 2020 before the market rebounds again through 2025. This will be as a result of the various rollout cycles that affect the overall forecast (particularly where ahead of schedule, such as Japan and South Korea). In contrast, the North American market maintains a steady growth with no major rollouts expected in the next few years, whilst Latin America continues to show potential for growth.
TechDispatch #2: Smart Meters in Smart Homes
To tackle climate change, the European Union has set itself a target to ensure that 80% of EU consumers are using smart meters by 2020. This should accelerate the move towards cleaner energy and reduce energy consumption. The European Commission issued a Recommendation on preparations for the roll-out of smart metering systems in 2012. Today, there are an increasing number of smart meters being used across the EU and integrated with other smart home appliances.
A smart meter is an electronic device that records energy consumption and exchanges consumption data with energy suppliers, which is used for monitoring and billing. While this TechDispatch focuses on electricity smart meters, smart meters can also measure the consumption of other resources, such as natural gas or water. A smart home is a home with a system that connects with certain appliances to automate specific tasks. It is typically remotely controlled. A smart home system can be used to program sprinklers, set and monitor home security systems and cameras, or control appliances like refrigerators, or air conditioning and heating.
Smart Meters: Who Wants One?
Smart meters are a key building block for a smarter energy system. In part of Europe, industry 'push' has already rolled them out. In others there's more reliance on customer pull. In this episode we focus on the 'pull', exploring how the benefits of smart meters are being framed and communicated to customers. Rob Cheesewright, Director of Corporate Affairs at industry body Smart Energy GB, Chris Fleck, CTO at Onzo and Delta-EE expert David Trevithick join Jon Slowe to discuss experiences in the UK and Europe.
Under-Frequency Load Shedding is the Power System’s Final Option
Fingrid is currently responsible for arranging under-frequency control, but this responsibility will be spread more widely. In the future, distribution network operators and industrial operators connected to the transmission system will be responsible for under-frequency load shedding. These parties need to get themselves up to speed now, as all changes must be made by the end of 2022.
Under-frequency load shedding is an essential aspect in securing the supply of electricity. If a major national electricity disturbance occurs, the first line of support will naturally be the contracted reserves. But what if – for one reason or another – the reserves are not enough or they do not work when it comes to the crunch? In this event, the last resort will be under-frequency load shedding, which automatically disconnects enough consumption from the network to allow the national electricity system to keep going. “Under-frequency load shedding is the final option. So far, there has never been call to use it,” says Reima Päivinen, Fingrid’s Senior Vice President of Power System Operations.
PRESS RELEASE
Networked Energy Services Expands Smart Grid Market Share in Switzerland
New system expansions of the NES Patagonia Energy Applications Platform, including Patagonia Security Suite, at Several DSOs in Switzerland
San Jose, CA, October 23, 2019: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM), announced today the successful operation and expansion of its grid modernization solution in Switzerland including a new customer order from TB Weinfelden and the award of an AMI system expansion order, along with an option for orders, as part of an ongoing project with Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB) in Basel, Switzerland. These new meters are in addition to the more than 200K NES smart meters already deployed in Switzerland for 11 different DSOs.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Kuwait Smart Grid: Kuwait, UAE, 30-31, October 2019
XII International Trade Fair Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy - 2019: Kiev, Ukraine, 05-07 November 2019
POWER & ENERGY AFRICA 2019: Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, 7-9 November 2019
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European Utility Week: Paris, France, 12-14 November 2019
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POWER WEEK ASIA: Singapore, 11-15 November 2019
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28th FORUM CROATIAN ENERGY ASSOCIATION _ WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL: Zagreb, Croatia, 15 November 2019
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Smart City Expo World Congress: Barcelona, Spain, 19-21 November 2019
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Developing Onshore Wind Farms Summit: Lille, France, 20-21 November 2019
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Grids of the Future Summit 2019: London, UK, 21-22 November 2019
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Digital Substations 2019: Berlin, Germany, 26-28 November 2019
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The Future Energy Show Thailand 2019: Bangkok, Thailand, 27-28 November 2019
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Future Cities Summit: Mauritius, 28-29 November 2019
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The 10th Annual European Power Distribution Systems Summit (EPD): Prague, Czech Republic, 27-29 November 2019
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Power Grids International Forum: Moscow, Russia, 3-6 December 2019
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2nd Edition Oman Sustainable Energy and Technology Summit: Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 09-10 December 2019
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Predictive Maintenance 2020: Berlin, Germany, 14-16 January 2020
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Common Information Model 2020: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 21-23 January 2020
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NextGen SCADA Global 2020: Berlin, Germany, 27-31 January 2020
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Africa Energy Indaba: Cape Town, South Africa, 3-4 March 2020
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Middle East Electricity, Dubai, UAE, 3-5 March 2020
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10th National Conference on Microgrids: Boston Massachusetts, 18-19 March 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 24-25 March 2020
Read more...
Future of Utilities Summit 2020, London, UK, 24-25 March 2020
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020: Jakarta, Indonesia, 26-28 March 2020
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Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 31 March - 1 April 2020
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SMARTGREENS 2020: Prague, Czech Republic, 2-4 May, 2020
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POWERGEN India: New Delhi, India, 5-7 May, 2020
The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020: Manila, Philippines, 18-19 May 2020
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Sep2019
MEMBER NEWS
OSGP Alliance Pavilion at European Utility Week 2019
Following up on last years’ successes, OSGP Alliance will join the European Utility Week 2019 taking place in Paris from 12-14 November 2019. OSGP Alliance is pleased to welcome the OSGP Alliance Pavilion sponsors Networked Energy Services (NES) as Platinum Sponsor, GÖRLITZ AG (Silver Sponsor), Develco Products (Silver Sponsor), CIAC IT (Dinner Sponsor) and Device Sponsor ETM Mätteknik AB.
European Utility Week brings together 18,000 of Europe’s smart energy professionals behind the world’s most successful utilities and solution providers. The exhibition floor is where you can explore innovations and technologies helping to transform the utility landscape and where you will be able to meet fellow utility leaders & professionals showcasing projects, intelligence, and insights into future solutions.
Have a look at the interviews of Networked Energy Services (NES) and GÖRLITZ AG and read about Develco Products’ participation in the OSGP Alliance Pavilion at EUW2019.
Energy Storage and Smart Grids
OSGP enables integration and interoperability with energy storage solutions for utilities and their customers.
Utilities worldwide are modernizing their electricity grids to enable highly reliable efficient and secure power infrastructure for the future. One of the key issues is how to enable the smart grid -- an energy infrastructure that runs from generation to distribution and includes millions of gridconnected devices and systems that consume energy.
Smart metering provides the foundation for a smart grid system, offering increased functionality via built-in two-way communications and smart grid applications, many of which provide improved and expanded customer service. However, thinking “beyond the meter” and toward an overall solution delivers dramatic improvements in utility operations, reliability, and customer-service capabilities by offering detailed usage information, demand metering, detailed power-quality data, timely outage information and flexible billing options.
Building a Weatherproof Electricity Distribution Network Progresses on Schedule and Improves the Reliability of Electricity Distribution to Customers
Caruna's projects to build a weatherproof electricity network progressed as planned in the group's network areas across Finland. The investments improved the reliability of electricity supply for some 13,000 customers by replacing old electricity network with underground cables, increasing network automation and clearing trees in the vicinity of overhead lines. In January-June, approximately 1,750 kilometres of the network was placed underground to protect it from the elements and the network cabling rate went up to 56 per cent.
Reliability of supply rate was 99.99 (99.98) per cent. The highest number of supply interruptions was caused by the storm known as Aapeli in January, during which the highest number of customers simultaneously affected by an interruption of supply was 28,900. The investments to improve the reliability of supply have reduced both the number of electrical faults and the time taken to rectify them. During the storm known as Tapani in 2011, there were more than 200,000 Caruna customers simultaneously without electricity and the day after the storm, there were still more than 100,000 customers without electricity.
Metering Is at the "Heart" of the Energy Transition, Says IoT Maker EDMI
EDMI, owned by Osaki Electric Company in Japan, has major smart metering deals with water, gas, and electric utilities in Asia and Europe. The Singapore-based company makes IoT modules for utilities, to provide the management platform for smart meter devices, connectivity, and data. EDMI struck a deal with UK-based chip design and IoT company Arm back in March, to integrate latter's Pelion IoT software platform and Mbed device operating system into its offer to utility providers. The pair share at least one major utility customer in Europe.
The partnership with Arm will enable utilities to secure, simplify and accelerate the deployment of connected smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solutions. Utilities taking EDMI meters will be able to use the Arm platform to identify and address outages, detect power thefts, track usage patterns, and plan asset upgrades and maintenance schedules. EDMI, also part of the US based uCIFI Alliance, along with connectivity provider Kerlink and lighting company Schréder, among others, told Enterprise IoT Insights, for a recent Making Industry Smarter editorial report on the energy and power sector (see Keeping the Lights on with Green Power) its solutions are at the "heart" of the energy transition, and gave a number of examples of its work.
E.ON Celebrates as Two Million of Its Customers Meters Are Now Smart
Following on from its announcement that it is now providing 100% renewable electricity to all customers' homes as standard, E.ON has now reached a new milestone with the installation of its two millionth smart meter. This important milestone supports E.ON's vision to help customers better manage their energy in a sustainable way, giving them greater control over the energy they need and use. Smart meters are the first step in a journey towards helping achieve a sustainable and personalised energy system and bringing Britain's energy market into the 21st century.
Michael Lewis, Chief Executive of E.ON UK, said: "The future of energy is smart, personalised and sustainable. It's a great accomplishment that we've now installed two million smart meters in Britain as this is a crucial first step for many householders in helping us, as a nation, reach our net-zero target. "Through a combination of transformational actions both large and small by customers we can take responsibility across society and take positive action to help combat climate change, ensuring a more sustainable future for the next generation. Smart meters are free to install and help give people real power over their energy efficiency, helping to create a smarter grid for us all."
Orsted Enters $3.2 Billion Deal to Sell Assets to SEAS-NVE
Orsted A/S, the world’s biggest offshore wind-park operator, has agreed to sell a number of assets in a deal that lets it focus on renewable energy. The company is selling its power distribution business, Radius, and two other units for 21.3 billion kroner ($3.15 billion), it said on Wednesday. SEAS-NVE, a Danish energy company which owns a minority stake in Orsted, is the buyer. The deal is expected to close in the first half of next year, with Orsted guiding it will book a divestment gain of about 11-12 billion kroner.
Orsted, which is roughly 50% owned by the Danish state, had put the businesses up for sale in June 2018. But a deal was delayed as Denmark headed for general elections. Lawmakers were also opposed to foreign buyout firms entering the process and tried to steer any sale toward local buyers. Shares in the company fell about 2.2% after the deal was announced. SEAS-NVE said it will sell part of its existing stake in Orsted in connection with the asset purchase, bringing its holding to around 5% from 9.54%.
Apator Implements a System with Energy Meters Based on LTE Technology
Apator, in cooperation with several partners, is implementing a 4Grid system that uses electricity meters based on new communication technologies in the LTE standard, the company said. "Successful pilot projects regarding intelligent solutions lead to an increased interest for smart meters and the wide application of breakthrough technologies. The value of pilot projects for both the supplier and the client is based on the possibility of testing solutions and technologies in real time. By doing so, it is possible to modify or improve different aspects of the technology such that it will effectively meet all customer expecations"- said the director of apparatus and measuring systems Artur Bratkowski
"Recently, Apator has been examining the practical application of the most commonly used communication technologies: LTE-M, NB-IoT and M-BUS. In the Lithuanian market, the company has carried out a pilot project, including the implementation of the 4Grid measurement data management system, which is used to read smart meters. As part of this project, Apator has delivered and tested meters equipped with the NB-IoT module "
MARKET NEWS
Are EVs an Energy System Concern or Savior?
The expected growth in plug-in EVs (PEVs) threatens the stability of electrical grids. Yet, proactive action by utilities in developing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities can mitigate these risks and lead to a range of benefits, including greater utilization of transmission and distribution resources and reduced grid investment costs.
V2G applications can be classified into four categories: transmission system services, distribution system services, wholesale market arbitrage, and behind-the-meter (BTM) solutions. Among these applications, grid ancillary services are currently best suited for V2G from technological, economic, and regulatory viewpoints.
Unlocking Flexibility in Smart Devices
The challenge facing distribution system operators (DSOs) as smart home devices proliferate is the absence of visibility on them. There are myriad different technologies being installed by different vendors, including electric vehicle (EV) and home storage charging, heating, hot water, flexible lighting, etc.
To address this issue, the Swedish Energy Agency is supporting what it calls a "bottom up approach" project with Upplands Energi and smart device providers in the Uppland County on the country's eastern coast. The scope is to integrate the various smart systems addressing technical, regulatory and psychological challenges to unlock their flexibility in order to optimise the distribution grid as renewable generation grows. "In the deregulated energy market in Sweden, the concern is that as these smart systems grow they could bring down the entire bidding process in the market, while simultaneously inducing severe power peaks in the local distribution grid if their use is based only on cheap hourly energy prices," explains Joachim Lindborg, the project technical lead at Sustainable Innovation Sweden.
Digital Project Aims to Cut Risk of Distribution Network Overload
Siemens and German utility Stromnetz Hamburg have launched a three-year pilot project aimed at avoiding extensive expansion of the low-voltage networks and preventing overload situations in secondary distribution networks. Applying a concept for resilient information and communication technology to digitalize secondary distribution networks, the project's goal is to facilitate stable and reliable operation of the low-voltage networks to ensure secure power supply as demand for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure grows.
With the extensive growth of electromobility and associated charging infrastructure, increased pressure is placed on distribution networks. Through the pilot project, network operator Stromnetz Hamburg aims to ensure secure, reliable network operation and increased integration of home charging stations, while maintaining specified voltage ranges. Until now, home charging stations have generally been integrated without external control or possibilities for intervention. As a result, distribution networks reach their capacity limits when a large number of electric cars are charged simultaneously, during peak periods such as the end of a work day.
Utilities Find Data at the Center of Operations, Launching the Grid Analytics Market to $2.31 Billion
As data becomes central to new business models in the energy utility sector, the global grid analytics market is expected to accelerate from $1.15 billion in 2018 to $2.31 billion in 2025, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4%. Energy utilities are generating massive volumes of data from smart meters, intelligent energy devices, and multi-sensing units but only 2% to 4% of data from the system is actually leveraged for analytics. This data, combined with a sophisticated analytics platform, can deliver valuable insights for utilities that can lead to improved customer service and operational metrics.
“The market will gradually switch to predictive and prescriptive analytics, especially as networks with low latency capabilities, such as 5G, are employed to minimize reaction times,” said Farah Saeed, Research Director, Energy & Environment at Frost & Sullivan. “Predictive and prescriptive analytics will incorporate statistical models that flag areas of inefficiency, evaluate and predict events in a timely manner, and eventually include Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver a holistic decision-making tool.”
What Does the Future Hold for Distribution Network Companies?
In the 'old energy' world, distribution networks managed the downwards flow of electricity and gas from the transmission system to customers. As the transition from 'old' to 'new' energy gathers pace, the role of distribution networks is changing. In this episode, we are joined by Pallas Agterberg, Director at Alliander and Dave Openshaw, Director at Millhouse Power, to discuss how they are changing, and where they are headed.
Increased Security Automation Supports Reliability, Efficiency and Compliance for Grid Operators
The energy sector has become a primary target for cyberattacks. This means that besides the ongoing transformation to smart grids there is, in parallel, an increased need for cyberdefense. However, deploying a smart grid without suitable cybersecurity might result in serious consequences; such as grid instability, utility fraud, the loss of user information - which would be a serious GDPR breach in Europe - or, in the worst case, could result in fatalities (if smart homes lose power in the middle of the winter and people get hurt by the cold).
Due to the various architectures that assure communication within the smart grid, it is a challenge to design an advanced and strong cybersecurity concept that can be smoothly deployed to protect as well as operate securely and efficiently. Smart grid operations also cannot be handled with the same amount of people as in the past due to a lack of cybersecurity experts in the market; as such, there must be another solution. This is where the latest cybersecurity technology around security analytics, orchestration and response (SOAR) comes in handy to achieve a higher level of automation and reduce the risks as well as response times in the case of incidents.
Our Learnings from Rollout Deployment
- Smart meter rollout deployment
Smart meter roll-out projects are running worldwide with different dynamics, approaches, and deadlines. It is an essential first step towards the digital transformation and provides invaluable benefits to electrical distributors worldwide. Not only does it reduce meter reading costs but also turns an outdated energy system into smart demand-driven, flexible and greener one.
- Planning and executing the rollout
Before performing roll-out deployment, utilities need to do their research and create a detailed and realistic plan considering time, budget, and risk management. It is also crucial that everyone in the team is working towards a common goal and is actively involved in the planning stage. DSOs should carry out pilots to assess new AMI technologies, mitigate the project risks, and receive some aggregated recommendations on how to make the smart meter roll-out a success.
PRESS RELEASE
Networked Energy Services Announces More Than One Million Meters Managed by New Smart Grid Network Operating Tool
NES Delivers Grid Operations Software to Help Utilities Operate Smart Grids
San Jose, CA, September 26, 2019: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAPTM) announced the release of its latest software solution, Grid Operations. This coincides with NES achieving over one million meters managed through its smart metering and smart grid deployment and operations and maintenance (O&M) solutions.
Grid Operations is the latest version of NES’s mature and established deployment and O&M solutions for more than 5 million smart meters that help DSOs maintain exceptional communications with their meters (>99.7%) and keep their investment operating with a high degree of availability, efficiency, visibility and control. The solution is based on NES Element Manager, initially released in 2008, and now with over 11 years of R&D investment, provides the most user-friendly and functionally rich solution of its type.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Smart Grid Flexibility 2019: London, UK, 1-3 October 2019
HOMER International Microgrid Conference: Cambridge, MA, 7-9 October 2019
The 12th Energy Storage World Forum: Rome, Italy, 8-10 October 2019
IEC 61850 Global 2019: London, UK, 14-18 October 2019
Future of Utilities: Smart Energy 2019: London, UK, 16-17 October 2019
Kuwait Smart Grid: Kuwait, UAE, 30-31, October 2019
XII International Trade Fair Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy - 2019: Kiev, Ukraine, 05-07 November 2019
POWER & ENERGY AFRICA 2019: Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, 7-9 November 2019
POWER WEEK ASIA: Singapore, 11-15 November 2019
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European Utility Week: Paris, France, 12-14 November 2019
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28th FORUM CROATIAN ENERGY ASSOCIATION _ WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL: Zagreb, Croatia, 15 November 2019
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Smart City Expo World Congress: Barcelona, Spain, 19-21 November 2019
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Developing Onshore Wind Farms Summit: Lille, France, 20-21 November 2019
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Digital Substations 2019: Berlin, Germany, 26-28 November 2019
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The Future Energy Show Thailand 2019: Bangkok, Thailand, 27-28 November 2019
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The 10th Annual European Power Distribution Systems Summit (EPD): Prague, Czech Republic, 27-29 November 2019
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Power Grid International Forum: Moscow, Russia, 3-6 December 2019
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2nd Edition Oman Sustainable Energy and Technology Summit: Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, 09-10 December 2019
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Common Information Model 2020: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 21-23 January 2020
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Middle East Electricity, Dubai, UAE, 3-5 March 2020
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10th National Conference on Microgrids: Boston Massachusetts, 18-19 March 2020
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The Future Energy Show Vietnam 2020: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 24-25 March 2020
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Future of Utilities Summit 2020, London, UK, 24-25 March 2020
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PowerGen & Renewable Energy Indonesia 2020: Jakarta, Indonesia, March 26 – 28, 2020
Power & Electricity World Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, 31 March - 1 April 2020
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SMARTGREENS 2020: Prague, Czech Republic, 2-4 May, 2020
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POWERGEN India: New Delhi, India, 5-7 May, 2020
The Future Energy Show Philippines 2020: Manila, Philippines, 18-19 May 2020
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