How you can implement smart grids successfully
Authors of this article include: Deven Chhaya, Partner, Infrastructure Advisory, KPMG in Singapore; Nicolas Leonetti, Associate Partner, Operations and Performance Strategy, KPMG in France; Ciarán Rabbitt, Associate Director, Sustainable Infrastructure, KPMG in Ireland: Sophie Shen, Partner, Management Consulting, KPMG China.
The IEA’s Net-Zero by 2050 Roadmap concluded that limiting average global temperatures in line with the Paris Agreement requires tripling global renewable generation capacity by 2030.1 Achieving this ambitious target and successfully integrating such high levels of intermittent renewable energy generation is dependent on delivering electricity grids that provide unprecedented levels of flexibility and intelligence. Transitioning electricity grids to net-zero emissions requires adopting zero-emission power sources and transforming networks to handle electrification across heat, transportation, and industry, as well as shifting from centralized power plants to distributed energy resources. From our perspective, this will be a highly disruptive system, requiring digital technologies to generate and analyze the data critical for network operators to plan and operate ever more sophisticated smart grids, and for consumers to capture the benefits of decentralization. In short, a net-zero grid should first become a smart grid.
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Download PDFSmart grids represent a pivotal shift in how the world manages and distributes electricity. By integrating digital technologies and data analytics, they enable consumers to play an active role in the energy ecosystem and equip network operators with the means to maintain system adequacy with very high levels of renewable penetration. No longer mere energy consumers, individuals can become producers by harnessing renewable energy sources and storage solutions in their homes and businesses. The IEA estimates that realizing the potential of digitalization in grids could reduce the curtailment of variable renewable energy systems by more than 25 percent by 2030, increasing system efficiency and reducing costs for customers.2 This democratization of energy supply diversifies our energy sources, helping to make energy systems more resilient and sustainable.
Moreover, as we increasingly rely on intermittent renewable energy sources, the demand for advanced grid management systems grows. Smart grids tackle this challenge by granting network operators the capacity to handle the variability of renewable energy supply, maintaining the balance between supply and demand. With their real-time monitoring and adaptive control capabilities, smart grids optimize energy distribution, bolstering grid stability and reliability amid the electrification of various economic activities like transport, heating, cooling, and industrial energy demand. Integrating battery storage within smart grids further enhances these benefits by maximizing the value of stored energy and facilitating seamless integration of renewables, thus contributing to a more sustainable and resilient energy infrastructure.
Without the integration of digital and data technologies with physical infrastructure to deliver smart grids, the energy landscape will likely face significant challenges across multiple critical aspects, including:
Smart grids use technologies, including connected sensors, 5G mobile networks, AI, and digital platforms, to collect and analyze data then communicate with producers, system operators, and consumers to optimize the overall system. Adoption of these technologies enables system operators to implement pioneering decarbonization solutions while allowing consumers to take control of their energy use and interact proactively with energy markets. Some of the benefits can include:
Many electricity grids are planning rapid increases in renewable generation. Previously, given the intermittent output of renewable sources, such a shift would require utilities to use a lot of copper in new cabling and transformers. However, digital technology-driven interventions mean that less physical equipment is needed to manage issues of voltage frequency and harmonics in some cases cutting costs.
China uses real-time data from its new 2,383-kilometer Jiuquan-Hunan transmission line, used to link green electricity generation in the Northwest to consumers in the east, to improve efficiency and minimize loss.
Digitalization can allow faster and more efficient asset development, then replace periodic visits with predictive maintenance that aims to lessen or prevent power cuts while allowing more of this work to take place remotely. Such maintenance can use digital twin technologies that create virtual simulations of equipment, helping to reduce operational risks. In general, smart grids are more resilient and able to heal themselves or require less human intervention to do so.
Smart grids present many benefits for both consumers and utilities, ranging from cost-effective electricity, improved reliability, enhanced grid management and integration of renewable energy. Despite these advantages, some utilities lag in recognizing the significance of smart grids, failing to grasp the implications of renewable intermittency and the transformative shift towards consumer-provider dynamics.
As the energy landscape rapidly evolves, we believe it is imperative for utilities to embrace smart grid technologies wholeheartedly, leveraging them to help improve grid management, reduce operational costs and accelerate the energy transition.
By systematically addressing the following key areas, utilities can pave the way for a successful implementation and adoption of smart grid technologies, helping to unlock their potential.
Transform culture:
Enhance cybersecurity:
Consider ethics and data protection:
Integrate digital platforms:
Monitor and evaluate:
Commit to collaboration:
Start your grid development strategy:
KPMG professionals have deep levels of expertise in energy markets, energy regulation, energy infrastructure development and the challenges faced by different stakeholders within the energy industry and digital landscape.
As a global network, we can draw on experience from other countries and effectively support multinational organizations. We offer an intelligence data platform designed to generate analysis, provide information on assets and carry out forecasting and planning. We can help provide baselining, maturity assessment, support with change management and planning for new networks.
Whether you are facing obstacles in implementing smart grids or looking to explore emerging technologies, our seasoned professionals can help provide insights and approaches that align with your commercial objectives.
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