The great digitization of the power sector is underway | Podcast

Digitization is transforming the way energy is produced, directed and spent. Power plants are using real-time data to drive efficiency, smart grids are directing energy where needed and data models are now essential to help us make sense of the market.

Across devices and sensors, we’re seeing an explosion of data which needs to be analysed to drive efficiencies. Machine learning and digital twins are tools which can be used for modelling, which in turn helps us make better decisions around where and how we direct energy. Optimizing the grid as best we can is key to moving forward in the energy transition. 

On the Interchange today, David Banmiller is joined by Ben Hertz-Shargel, Head of Wood Mackenzie’s Grid Edge. Ben explores the role of virtual power plants in managing energy demand in real time. Short-term forecasting and analytics typically benefit traditional power plants, so how can VPP’s use the same information? Grid sensors are another important part of the digital grid, and Ben examines the data they work with. 

How is that data analysed and processed? Matthew Boyda is Senior Vice-President of Global Power & Renewables Research at Wood Mackenzie, and he joins the show to explain the forecasting capabilities in the industry and the importance of a transition from data centres to the cloud. Digital twins are a term you’ll likely have heard before, but how do they actually work? Why are they so central to the digitization of the grid?  

It all comes down to driving efficiencies, and on the show today, we look at the technology that’s evolving at a rapid rate and enabling clean energy to flow to the right places. 

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Wood Mackenzie’s Solar & Energy Storage Summit is back, taking place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on June 21 and 22. Join expert solar and storage analysts for discussions with leading grid-scale utilities, solar and energy storage developers and federal policymakers.  

Expect two days of panel discussions, presentations and workshops, as we explore the opportunities for solar and storage in the coming decades.