2022 was a year of change and upheaval in the energy sector. But as a result, it was also the year the energy transition became turbo charged. This has led to a clear shift in focus for utilities. Today, what I’m hearing from energy professionals across the world is that Grid Modernization is now a priority.
Over the past year, the conversation around energy has entered the mainstream, propelled by the energy and climate crises. What this means is we’re seeing the rapid increase in parties involved in the sector. Prosumers are taking an active interest in their real-time energy use and production to help lower their costs. Governments are driving the switch to distributed energy resources and encouraging the move to e-mobility. Retailers are increasing their pace of innovation to attract and retain clients in a volatile market.
The increased focus on energy services and innovation is bringing (and I believe will continue to bring) many new players into the energy market, including companies from other sectors like banking and consumer goods. But the impact of all these changes is also intensifying. DSOs face the growing challenge of balancing the grid with actionable insights from the Grid Edge.
So, what does this mean for utilities as we head towards 2023?
Real-time data is now essential for the day to day running of the grid. And as flexibility becomes increasingly important and grid balancing more difficult, Utilities have to focus on Grid Modernization driven by data.
Utilities now need a holistic view of all the various systems and IoT devices helping day-to-day operations and energy services. And they need a modern platform to integrate and harmonize the growing volume of real-time data across the enterprise.
No doubt this is a big challenge. But many grid operators are now looking at their IT architecture and asking for solutions to help solve their integration challenges. This is why more and more utilities in Europe and around the world are evaluating and selecting a modern iPaaS for their mission critical integrations.
Wishing you all a happy holiday and a transformative 2023.