Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 6TH - 12TH MARCH 2020 | 19 Operations & Assets Operations & Assets Market view Data can drive sustainability By updating their legacy systems and investing in IoT, utilities can make a real change in how customers consume their services with an efficient ecosystem across energy, water and waste, says Phil Skipper. G rowing populations and increasing personal wealth are driving up consumption of energy and other resources. Water demand alone is predicted by the OECD to increase by 55 per cent by 2050. This is a fundamental challenge to people and businesses alike. Utilities have been alert to these changes for many years and have been investing in infrastructure that reduces distribution losses, improves availability, increases recyclability and most importantly, changes the genera- tion mix from fossil fuels to renewables. These solutions require different ways of working and the data generated by them pro- vides the insight to not only manage the core supply issues but also to drive improved oper- ational efficiency and customer experience. In this new world, the customer experi- ence will no longer be measured by satisfac- tion in the call centre, but how consumers take more responsibility for their consump- tion. And ultimately, how they invest in the distributed utility of the future – be this through local generation such as heat pumps, water harvesting or gas from waste. Efficient utility systems will increasingly become distributed, more complex and circu- lar as they endeavour to maximise reliability, minimise wastage and operate within tighter environmental, regulatory and supply limits. Data will be the critical common denomi- nator in bringing all these parts together to create a single, stable and homogeneous network across all core utility services. Becoming data-designed A data-designed business collects, collates and analyses information including asset utilisation and performance, supply and demand, employee productivity, customer interactions and back-office processes. By turning data into insight, an organisation can make smarter decisions in real time, col- lect evidence to shape strategy, and drive innovation. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the technology to provide the granular data. There are few industries where the value of data is better understood than utilities where SCADA, GIS and smart metering have provided the operational insight to monitor, control and maintain the networks. of the electric buses supports the Greater Cambridge Partnership's vision to improve air quality: "Over the years we have steadily reduced the environmental impact of our diesel buses and now 32 per cent of the fleet have the most efficient Euro 6 engines. The addition of the electric vehicles is a further step forward." If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, please send pictures and details to: paulnewton@fav-house.com. Now, with advanced IoT devices that can operate for longer and in hostile environ- ments, and the ubiquity of connectivity for field force automation, network visibility rises dramatically. This allows a faster response to changing demand and supply conditions. This comes at a time where three other technologies are reaching maturity: 5G, mobile private networks (and edge compute) and data analytics. The combination creates a plethora of new opportunities to use video and virtual reality in applications such as drone-based network inspection, and to con- trol complex distributed systems in real time. Driving operational efficiency As networks become more distributed and customer contracts become more complex (e.g. through community energy schemes, local generation, storage, load optimisation and industrial load management), the IoT provides valuable insights to help optimise and balance networks effectively. Smart grids, for instance, give utilities the means to meet their everyday challenges but also create opportunities for the expansion of other new low-carbon technologies such as smart homes and digital cities. However, the effective use of smart home technology requires homes to be instrumented with IoT devices and for utilities to ideally be able to use the data to manage the public network. Today, smart metering is used to provide greater insight, influence behaviour and improve the customer experience. This sim- plifies billing, improves cash flow and creates fewer enquiries about billing and payments. Building a sustainable future By updating their legacy systems and invest- ing in the IoT, utilities can make a real change in how customers consume their services with an efficient ecosystem across energy, water and waste. The IoT will ena- ble even greater agility to react quickly and adapt to new regulations or changes. And they'll be able to deliver a standout customer experience. This all adds up to happier cus- tomers, more advocates and greater revenues – and a more sustainable future. Phil Skipper, head of strategy IoT, Vodafone Business

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