AI

manage their own energy use , whilst simultaneously making the billing process less labour-intensive for providers .

Walsh adds that a comprehensive virtual model of entire electrical grids can be achieved with IIoT , “ creating a common shared view of the network that every employee – from the field to the control room – can access , update and maintain in real-time .” Furthermore , IIoT can enable the following benefits :

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• Remote-working : Particularly pertinent in the ‘ new normal ’ or post-COVID-19 working environment , decentralised systems mean that data can be accessed by authorised personnel at home .

• Faster reactions : IIoT provides operators with a constant stream of real-time data . Therefore , faults or potential incidents can be picked up quickly and dealt with decisively far quicker than before .

• Better prioritisation : Owing to the up-to-the-second data feed , opera tors can more accurately prioritise workloads in order of importance , thus increasing efficiency without detriment to safety .

— Jim Walsh , GE Digital

OCTOBER 2020