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NETWORK / 17 / MAY 2017 Smart meters Are you aware that there is a government mandated scheme to offer smart meters to all homes in the UK? No | 26.68% Yes | 70.32% I already own other smart/connected homes | 2.09% I am not interested in getting a smart meter | 28.02% I would need to find out more... | 29.43% I am worried about it| 8.37% How do you feel about the idea of getting a smart meter installed? Please select all that apply. I like the idea of getting a smart meter | 44.83% Exclusive research undertaken for Utility Week by Harris Interactive IoT The revolutionary impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) has been a source of excitement across industries for several years. Utilities are only just starting to embrace the potential of a world of interconnected smart and autonomous assets and devices, but their learning curve will need to be sharp because the IoT and associated business opportunities are developing rapidly. There were 900 million connected devices in the world in 2011. This is predicted to increase to 26 billion by 2020, and Cisco believes more than 500 billion devices will be connected by 2030. This surge in IoT-linked objects is set to create $14.4 billion of value in global economies over the next decade. Early steps in the exploitation of the IoT have seen utilities adopt smart assets, equipped with a variety of sensors which communicate wirelessly with central asset management systems. This has enabled more detailed understanding of asset health which has supported a change maintenance approaches. Where utilities once relied on reactive schedules, now they can practice predictive maintenance. This pro-active approach supports more efficient use of field personnel and more accurate investment planning. IoT also enables for assets to help protect themselves from damage. For example, in a connected windfarm a leading turbine can detect the force and direction of a threatening gust of wind and instruct its peers to adjust the angle of their blades to prevent harm. But the IoT doesn't just promise benefits to infrastructure operators. There can also be direct customer and environmental benefits, as seen in the San Diego trial in its East Bay Municipal Water District. Here, IoT-connected smart water meters were installed to provide customers with hourly consumption updates. The meters also sent alerts to the household if 24 hours of constant consumption is detected, highlighting a potential leak. The result was a 5 per cent drop in consumption. As adoption of IoT-enabled devices grows, utilities could see benefits in operations, efficiencies, customer service and, ultimately, in their bottom line. IoT will be discussed in Network Theatre in the 'Transformation in action seminar' at 1pm on 24 May at Utility Week Live. For more information, visit: www. utilityweeklive.co.uk The Internet of Things has been a source for speculation and excitement across industries for several years now. number of IoT connected devices in 2011 900m predicted number of IoT connected devices by 2020 26bn number of IoT connected devices by 2030 according to Cisco 500 bn potencial value created by IoT devices $14.4bn Machine learning Machine learning is poised to transform asset management by reducing costs along the value chain, enabling better performance and mitigating risks. Such a transformation will deliver efficiencies that improve the cost of renewables compared to less sustainable energy forms. One application is remote condition monitoring. Technology improvements, such as in camera and remote sensing technology and controls systems, mean previous manual inspections can now be undertaken by drone. This will reduce the cost of operating and maintaining renewable energy assets. Moving into the mid-term future, we see huge potential for fully-automated and autonomous renewable energy value chains, with drones playing a central role. Thomas Hurst, senior consultant, energy and climate change, and Kate Jarritt, associate director, business performance and asset management, Arup Machine learning is set to be one of the topics discussed in the 'making innovation business as usual' debate at 11:15 on the Network Theatre on 23 May at Utility Week Live. For more information, visit: www. utilityweeklive.co.uk Smart meters are a gateway technology. On a basic level they will pro- vide accurate meter readings, but they open up the possibility for hings such as 24 hour switching, smart appliances within a connected home, and opening up smarter local network management solutions. Smart meters will be discussed at 2:15pm on 23 May on the Customer Solutions Theatre at Utility Week Live. For more information, visit: www.utilityweeklive.co.uk