The development of distributed generation, the evolution of storage microsystem technology and the growth of the electric car market are growing phenomena in our country, which require the digital evolution of the management methods of the electricity grid, from the first planning phases to its operational management. This, according to Accenture, is the main phenomenon to be grasped in Italy in the world of Utilities, to guarantee the growth and efficiency of the electricity system and create new business opportunities with the evolution of Smart Grids towards a 2.0 system.
According to Accenture estimates – which accompany the presentation of the Agici Observatory 2016 – the scenario to 2020 for distributed production technologies and prosumers (consumers who are at the same time producers of energy) sees a doubling of cogeneration plants with power below 25MW, the growth of between 2,5% and 5,5% in other renewable energy plants, the doubling of prosumers from the current 600.000 and the significant increase in the diffusion of electric cars (7 times the current fleet).
This changing scenario will have a significant impact on the distribution networks, most affected by the development of distributed generation and the electric car market, determining the evolution of the current value chain. According to Accenture, this is an opportunity that the Utilities sector is called upon to seize by innovating the current supply chain, enabling the development of new business models and the evolution of the traditional sphere of intervention, while allowing end users to access the energy market with greater transparency and immediacy.
Accenture's analysis draws a near future in which the Smart Grid 2.0 will be characterized by the diffusion on the electricity grid (both transmission and distribution) of "intelligent" and "connected" systems, adhering to the Internet of Things model ( IoT): the world of electricity distribution will in fact be managed with monitoring and control systems adhering to open standards and protocols, based on Data Management systems and Advanced Analytics solutions, capable of exploiting the vast wealth of information generated by the systems spread over the network, but also protected by specific Cyber Security models and systems for smart grids.
Utilities will have to be able to combine this technological upgrade with new market mechanisms by modifying strategies, processes and human capital: the birth of new processes and responsibilities will in fact bring into play new professional figures with a set of fundamental skills to be developed both in within the business functions, and in the key roles of Information Technology. Indeed, the latter will become a strategic partner in supporting digital transformation.
Obviously, the role of the regulator will also play a crucial role in supporting the innovative drive in this area and the investment remuneration mechanisms, envisaged by the regulatory and regulatory framework, will have to stimulate the interest of operators in investing in the development of new technologies " capital intensive”, also enhancing the research and development phases if aimed at creating solutions shared by several operators.
The transformation of traditional electricity networks into Smart Grids, necessary for the achievement of the country's energy and environmental objectives, also has an induced potential for the entire national economy, given that the huge investments required in Italy are able to open new markets, increase business productivity, accelerate growth well beyond the utilities sector, and create new jobs.
“The development of smart grids represents a unique opportunity for the country to equip itself with a strategic infrastructure, which goes far beyond just the electricity sector – explains Pierfederico Pelotti, Accenture's head of utilities -. Compared to the diffusion phase of electronic meters a few years ago, in fact, smart grids can today represent a true general infrastructure of the country, assuming that their development is conceived in a coordinated way with the investments envisaged in other sectors. Thoughts cannot fail to go to the topic of the broadband network, and to the involvement of the electricity network operators in the cabling activities of the digital signal on optical fiber. Beyond the projects for the construction of new generation electricity networks, an exceptional opportunity could come from the development of value-added services that can be conveyed on existing networks".
