Welcome to the Intelligent Utility Network roundup, Digital Digest. As always, your fellow network members are paying close attention to digital utility and mobile workforce trends and sharing their insights. This month’s selection includes information about innovation in digital transformation, unlocking the potential of digital twins, and more. All the items in this roundup are part of Energy Central’s Enhancing the Digital Utility special issue. Be sure to like and comment on your favorite posts. Happy reading!
How Innovation Takes Flight at PGE: An Innovation Process To Support Digital Transformation
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/iu/how-innovation-takes-flight-pge-innovation-process-support-digital-transformation
Portland General Electric (PGE) has embarked on a digital journey to meet its aggressive decarbonization targets for 2030. In this post, Allegra Hodges, Head of Strategic Innovation at PGE explains the key strategies being used to make this journey as successful as possible. They include developing an “air traffic control system” to manage and glean learnings from each development, creating a supportive ecosystem of external experts, using a process for rapid trials, and diligently measuring results.
Digital Transformation – Critical to the Energy Transformation
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/iu/digital-transformation-%E2%80%93-critical-energy-transformation
In this piece, Robert Austin, Senior Program Manager at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) points out that data is the driving force behind digital transformation. However, he notes, many utilities don’t have the capability to efficiently transmit data, such as maintenance orders from the M&D center to field workers. He likens the situation to islands of data that need bridges built between them. To help improve this situation and others, EPRI has developed the Digital Transformation Framework: Utility Strategy & Implementation Guide, which will be published in October, along with additional resources.
Unlocking the Potential of Digital Twins for Utilities
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/iu/unlocking-potential-digital-twins-utilities
Utilities are looking at how digital twins can help drive their sensor-driven operations. Here, Mark Damm, Founder and CEO at FuseForward notes that this technology has the capability to encompass a wide variety of functions, including continuous monitoring of networks and asset management. Abilities such as being able to foresee power grid failure are highly useful in making utilities more effective and responsive in power delivery. Ultimately, digital twins are useful for improving decision-making, something that can benefit utilities in innumerable ways.
Simplify Digital Transformation With a Smarter Network
Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/iu/simplify-digital-transformation-smarter-network
The drive toward digital transformation — and the monitoring and analytics it entails — requires a reliable communications system to facilitate it. In this article, Tom Sill, VP Technology at Alpha Wireless points out that modern systems enable more effective utility operations and provide support to face a variety of challenges, including cyberthreats, regulatory demands, natural disasters, and decarbonization. He suggests that delaying a communications system upgrade may seem wise. However, doing so may hinder utilities’ ability to adapt to changing needs.
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