CONNECTED ENERGY
“ Utilities tend to have good communications connectivity to their mid-to-large substations . Much of the renewable energy expansion , however , is happening in places where utilities have limited or no connectivity ”
DOMINIQUE VERHULST GLOBAL HEAD OF THE UTILITIES , NOKIA
Another emerging trend that has farreaching implications for renewables are microgrids . By virtue of them being localised , microgrids operate independently from the traditional grid . They offer flexibility and efficiency , especially when it comes to distributed energy resources such as solar . Since microgrids can operate during outages , it reinforces grid resilience and helps mitigate disturbances .
Utilities operating water distribution systems can also use private wireless networks to connect their sensors and metres to that of the power utility . On average between 20 to 30 percent of drinking water is lost due to leakage which is undetected for the most part .
The IEA has calculated that , in 2022 , about one TerraWatt hour ( TWh ) of energy is used globally to produce drinking water . With the effective utilisation of IoT in detecting and preventing leaks , this means over 300GWh can be saved annually .
42 August 2022