Digitalization and switchgear: From foundation to value creation
Non-operational data can and should be exploited by nearly every working group within a utility.
by John D. McDonald
The digitalization of the power grid initiates an irreversible journey from the reactive practices of the past to a safer, more reliable, and resilient approach that is initially proactive and then becomes predictive, and, ultimately, autonomous. I call this one-way path “The Journey to Digital Transformation”.
As each device or node on the grid becomes an intelligent electronic device (IED), every piece of grid equipment, its function, and its behaviour provides operational data that brings the power system into sharp focus in real time – a boon to operators, the enterprise, and its customers.
Yet these very same devices, nodes, and networks also produce streams of non-operational data. (See Fig. 1 for non-operational data’s distinct characteristics.) If these data streams are properly extracted, routed, stored, analysed, and acted upon, they can provide actionable intelligence that contribute to a utility operation’s safety, reliability, resiliency, and customer satisfaction.
To read the article, subscribe and choose the option which suits you best. We offer both free and paid options, and the registration takes only a minute.
Subscribe to Switchgear Magazine
