New and emerging technologies suÂch as internet of things (IoT), digital substations, blockchain and reÂmote monitoring solutions are revamÂping the way utilities operate and maintain their assets. Power utilities are incÂreasingly deploying sensors and intelligent electronic devices that gather data, which can be integrated and analysed to derive meaningful insights. FurtherÂmoÂre, artificial intelligence (AI), machine leÂarÂning (ML), big data analytics and preÂdictive maintenance tools are emerging as key trends in the technology space. Overall, these technologies are being adÂopted across the generation, transmission and distribution segments for autoÂmation, remote operations, asset management, predictive maintenance and faÂult assessment, among others.
IoT devices
IoT refers to a system of interconnected devices that transmit data. IoT devices enÂable seamless data interaction by using sensors and actuators to gather data in real time and store it in the clÂoÂud. The system can detect flaws immediately and take suitable action by using IoT. Going out and physically inspecting the distribution and transmission network and power plant system takes a lot of human effort and time. Using IoT systems and devices minimises this human intervention. The location of the equipment in need of repair may be determined by utilising online monitoring. Further, insights gained from IoT device data may be applied in a variety of ways to increase productivity, facilitate inforÂmed decision-making, undertake preveÂnÂtive and fault maintenance, and boost asset performance. For instance, in an IoT-connected power plant, a rise in boiÂler temperature would trigger an alÂarm across the entire unit and solutions woÂuld be recommended to mitigate the issue in real time with limited delay.
Asset performance management is one of the most prevalent use cases of IoT. IoT enables condition-based maintenaÂnce, predictive maintenance and risk-baÂsed maintenance. A transition from reactive maintenance to IoT-enabled proactive maintenance can improve the reliability and availability of assets; reduce mainÂtenanÂce cost; reduce or eliminate unÂplaÂnÂÂned downtime, thereby reducing prodÂuctivity loss; reduce the need to keep an inventory of spare parts for emergency reÂpairs; and improve the productivity and safety of repair crews.
IoT solutions have immense potential in operational optimisation of poÂwer plant assets. With the increasing share of variable generation in the overall energy mix, the balancing act of managing maÂny generators becomes difficult and theÂre is a need for active congestion management of the transmission and diÂstriÂbution network. IoT can play an important role in this regard through deÂployÂment of digital power plants and digital substations.
Smart metering is another application of IoT systems, which enables bidirectional energy flows. The abilities of smart meÂters include providing adaptive poÂwer pricing, and enabling real-time monitoring and remote control of systems. TheÂse features enhance energy efficiency, imÂprove reliability of the grid, increase its interoperability with other systems, reduce outages by improving communications with it and provide net metering capabilities. Furthermore, with smart meÂters, data on power outages, power quaÂlity, energy usage, billing pattern, meÂtÂer tampering events, etc., can be avÂailed in real time. Meanwhile, discoms can aggregate smart meter data to a central repository so that the data can be analysed for better insight such as distribution operation analytics and distribution asset analytics. Further, consumer data can be used for load research analytics and demand response analytics. Meanwhile, revenue data can be used for energy theft analytics and revenue modelling analytics. Smart meters are an imÂportant component of a smart grid.
An emerging IoT application includes home-based smart energy management solution with integrated management of generation, storage and consumption. Further, with increased uptake of electric vehicles, IoT can provide electric flÂeet systems with metrics such as charÂge status, charging session information and charge/discharge cycles.
Communication technologies
Wireless systems connect sensor devices to IoT gateways and perform end-to-end data communication between these IoT elements. Wireless communication systems play a major role in enabling IoT, and hence, a lot of considerations need to be accounted for before finalising the communication technology. Wireless systems are developed based on different wireless standards and the use of one depends on the requirements of the application, be it communication range, bandwidth or power consumption. For example, renewable sources of energy, including wind and solar power plants, are mostly located in very remote areas. Employing IoT systems at these sites requires the selection of a suitable communication technology that can guarantee a continuous connection and support real-time data transfer in an energy-efficient manner.
Short distance power communication syÂstems include the use of Wi-Fi for enÂergy metering and building energy management systems. However, due to the high power requirements of Wi-Fi, this technology is not the most ideal solution for the energy sector. Other communication technologies include low-power wide area network (LP-WAN) technologies. LP-WAN solutions such as long-range WAN, Sigfox and narrowband IoT are better suited for the energy sector, given that they can reliably send small paÂckets of data continuously over long distances. These emerging LP-WAN soÂlutions enable the establishment of reliable, low-cost, low-power, long-ranÂge, last-mile technologies for smart enÂergy management.
Emerging technologies
AI/ML: Other digital technologies integrated by utilities in their system architecture include AI for granular visibility at the appliance level and ML for distilling actionable patterns from data aggregation. For instance, studying the feasibility of integrating renewable energy sources into the transmission network without destabilising grid frequency reÂquires extensive high fidelity simulations under various loads, generation prÂÂoÂÂfiles and weather conditions. For this, AI/ML-based forecasts of grid deÂmaÂnd will increasingly acquire more importance, given the rising penetration of variable renewable energy systems in the electricity mix. Further, AI can help detect faults, reduce transmission losses, enhance energy efficiency and accelerate the integration of clean energy soÂurces in power grids. AI can also aid poÂwer distribution strategy, supervision and monitoring.
The scope of data analytics and decision-making based on AI/ML, IoT, etc., is enÂhanced by using digital twins. In reÂceÂnt years, several plants have been incorporating digital twins in their plant systems to optimise operations, and estimaÂte and diagnose potential issues in adÂvaÂnce. Digital twins replicate the beÂhaviour of physical systems and help in optimising plant performance by detecting physical issues in real time and predicting outcomes more accurately.
Robotics and drones: The increasing solar installations face the issue of high dust concentration, necessitating operators to employ maintenance workers to clean photovoltaic panels periodically, so as to maximise performance. In recent years, operators have started deploying robotic cleaners that are enÂhaÂnced with ML algorithms and AI techniÂqÂues such as artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms. The roÂbots will soon be more commonly depÂloyÂed across several areas of the power sector. In the coming years, generation companies with operations in harsh and inaccessible reÂgions will prefer to deploy robots for performing maintenance tasks.
Nowadays, the adoption of drones is gaÂining traction. Drones are a cost-effectiÂve, efficient and safe solution for the inÂsÂpÂection of power systems. They also imÂÂprove safety, increase reliability and reÂÂÂduce downtime. Drones can also be usÂÂÂed by transmission utilities to assess potential site locations, design site layouts, generate 3D visualisations and maÂke estimates for RoW.
Blockchain: Blockchain technology, with its emphasis on verifiable transparency, will facilitate the adoption of green energy trading, renewable energy certificates, carbon certificates, etc. The introduction of blockchain technology will help discoms or bulk buyers directly verify the source of the energy they purchase. AdÂditionally, such verification will help convert energy resources into digital assets, so that they can be traded on the blockÂchain. For instance, in March 2021, Tata Power Delhi DistribuÂtion Limited and Power Ledger, in association with the India Smart Grid Forum, rolled out the first peer-to-peer solar energy trading pilot project in Delhi, wherein prosumers can sell excess energy to other residential and commercial consumers in a dynamic pricing environment.
Battery energy storage system: To manage the seasonality of renewable energy, a key technology that will be used is the energy storage system (ESS). An ESS usÂes devices (a battery or accumulator) thÂat stores energy in forms such as chemical, electrical potential, electricity and elevated temperature, and then converts it from these forms. Robust energy storage systems can help mitigate the intermittency of power and increase the utilisation of transmission assets. An ESS is key to energy transition as it can add flexibility and resource availability to an otherwise uncertain system. It can also defer capex for transmission companies. Further, renewable energy management centres for forecasting and scheduling can make the grid more reliable and manage demand-side integration.
Issues and the way ahead
Lack of financing is a major bottleneck that hinders the uptake of IT-OT technologies. Most of these systems require substantial investments across several components in a coherent and composite manner in order to yield synergistic benefits. Additionally, the payback period for these technologies ranges from 8 to 10 years, thereby making many financial institutions sceptical about extending funding for them.
IoT devices must be desigÂned robustly to function in a variety of settings. For insÂtance, power grids and networks often operate under harsh conditions such as high or low temperatures, high voltages, exposure to electromagneÂtic waves and exposure to water. TheÂreÂfore, IoT deviÂcÂes must meet reÂquirements such as reliability or compatibility under such conditions. Further, a variety of communiÂcaÂtion technologies based on Wi-Fi, bluetooth, RF net, cellular communications, etc., are available. However, thÂere are issues, as most of these technologies do not completely satisfy the conditions of affordability, reliability, speed and interoperability.
With a shift towards distributed generation, increased trading and bidirectional energy flows, finding a solution to overcome these challenges is necessary. GoÂing forward, integrating IT systems with OT systems will not only help utilities in increasing their business efficiency but also enhance their profitability.
