Working at the intersection of technology and the utility industry for over a decade has taught me two things:
No industry is as glacial as the utility industry in adopting innovative technology.
Despite its reluctance, the industry inevitably adopts the technology it resists. Especially if consumers can be served and shareholder value can be created.
For an industry that is critical to our day to day functioning (you are reading this from a device powered by the grid) I stay amazed at how little attention is paid to this industry. Regardless, it is on the cusp of a world of change (otherwise known as 'hurt') in the three broad sectors of the i) grid (the wires and lines that get power to your home), ii) operations (the people and equipment that keeps your lights on) and iii) consumers services (billing/payments and customer services).
In futurecasting for this industry one does not need to take too much of a leap of imagination to determine what's about to happen because the industry borrows from other asset heavy (but technology friendly) industries, a key one being telecommunications. Investors and professionals interested in this space will do well to watch for the following trends that have consumer impact. I leave trends affecting the asset side of the industry (generation, transmission and distribution) for a subsequent post.
- Portfolio management software for distributed energy resources (DER): As solar panel prices continue to drop, as installations of Tesla Powerwalls start in markets where the kWh/price make the battery pack competitive and car manufacturers promise electric cars for the masses, the utility has to manage the variability in sources and demand for electricity. The utility will require software to manage these microsecond decisions on what you need and where your electricity should/is coming from. The corollary is the high frequency trading (HFT) software used in flash trading; it enables traders buy and trade stock in microseconds. Similar software, that enables the management of the grid to ensure quick responses and optimal grid performance, will start to make its way into the utilities arsenal for delivering electricity to you and I.
As is obvious from the list above, these technologies aren't new (even AR is not new) but they are new to the utility industry. These technologies are mature in their applications in other industries and, for those in the utility industry, this is an indication of their reliability. The utility requires robust, tried and tested products that will enable secure and stable delivery of power to you and I. That's always been the case and, regardless of how cool or trendy an applicable technology is, the utility is not about to change its criteria...
Any other trends or products you expect to make its way into the industry in 2016?
* LIDAR: is a portmanteau of 'light' and 'radar' which explains the means by which the equipment captures data and converts into 3D imagery.