A Smarter Future A Smarter Future | Page 15

Content by The Buzz Business
15 technology
the power shift

From 2001 through 2005 ,

Enel , a multinational energy company that serves 61 million clients in 30 countries , began rolling out the world ’ s first Smart Grid . In five years , it installed 32 million smart meters across Italy , establishing two-way communication with its customers and collecting data on consumption , contract parameters and the quality of electricity supply .
Our future cities strategy is to leverage the smart grid to maximize convergence ” Livio Gallo , Head of Global Infrastructure and Networks , Enel
Today , it has seven million smart meters in Spain and plans to reach all 13 million customers in the near future . Meanwhile , Enel ’ s
Open Fiber group began laying a $ 2.8-billion , ultra-fast network in Italy in September that will reach 224 cities and towns nationwide by 2020 . This will connect the next generation of 32 million Enel Open Meters , permitting faster and more flexible data measurement to respond to its clients ’ desire to optimize energy use and efficiency .
As the global population migrates to urban areas and demand for services mostly powered by electricity increases exponentially , Enel ’ s vision of the Smart City is focused on convergence . Power networks , telecommunications , transportation and other infrastructure that makes cities tick will need to be upgraded in terms of capacity , responsiveness and quality service .
Once Enel has the high-speed hardware in place to connect millions of homes and businesses to its grid , it will be able to deliver almost any service required , now and in the future . “ Our grid has a very
Enel created the world ’ s first completely electric smart city for Expo 2015 smart architecture ; not just electricity but also water and heat ,” says Enel ’ s head of global infrastructure and networks , Livio Gallo . “ With intelligent substations , we can collect data from sensors about air pollution , wind speeds , temperature , even waste . Using these connections , we are creating an Internet of Things .”
The next step , Gallo says , will be redefining the relationship between power providers and consumers and transforming bilateral communication into commerce . Using decentralized storage and smart distribution , customers will be able to draw down power from the grid if they need it , and inject
energy back into the network when they have a surplus and when renewable generating capacity does not satisfy demand .
Analyzing big data , balancing usage and demand , providing on-demand power when possible and purchasing from prosumers as required , Enel aims to work with urban managers on smarter sustainable solutions for tomorrow . “ Municipalities have to have a clear plan . They play a major role in the development of infrastructure ,” Gallo says . “ When you talk about smart cities , you ’ re talking about smart customers and smart institutions .”
Thinking big about adding value to data

Big data presents an opportunity that has to be managed to not be missed . It can provide vital knowledge into how , in our connected world , everything works or fails . It is massive and rapidly-expanding , in hundreds of formats , yet virtually worthless without analysis and visualization . The challenge “ will come from keeping IT resources connected and coherent as deployment broadens ,” notes David Chalmers , vice president and chief technologist EMEA , Hewlett Packard Enterprise ( HPE ).

Since the 1960s , improvements to IT architecture have been driven by faster processors , but Chalmers points out that you can only go so fast in an old model before it breaks . HPE ’ s “ The Machine ” project aims to
revolutionize computing by putting data first . Driven by memory , connected by light and with limitless storage , it offers a scalable solution to transform data securely , efficiently , and cost-effectively into intelligence that customers can act upon .
“ At HPE , we see a dramatically larger need for sophisticated infrastructure that enables information to flow for the new world ,” Chalmers explains . “ Organizations have a critical role to play , putting in place the infrastructure at the heart of these solutions , talking to devices on the edge and the IoT , assimilating data , analyzing it , getting value from it , processing it and protecting it .”
HPE is committed to open-source standards rather than closed , proprietary solutions , because , Chalmers insists , it believes collaboration offers greater benefits to customers . The last company left
in the marketplace to sell the entire technology portfolio , HPE is working closely with peers and clients
Getting value from big data demands powerful analytics at the edge , the data center , and in the cloud ” David Chalmers , Vice President and Chief Technologist EMEA , Hewlett Packard Enterprise
to avoid potential roadblocks to currently unforeseeable demands .
With a projected 30 billion connected devices worldwide by 2030 generating more data than ever , the process by which we gain insight also needs to change . Instead
PROJECT DIRECTION : SIAN GODDARD Interviews : SIAN Goddard writing : james southeran
Produced by
of using data to confirm trends we think are already there , we need to dig deeper to discover “ gold dust ” where we did not expect to find it . Doing so will require ever more powerful analytics to combine and consolidate data .
HPE ’ s value proposition is all about seeing beyond big data to the bigger picture . “ The value from the pieces you do not expect is where I think we will see a lot of gains in smart cities ,” Chalmers says . “ You can only do that if you have enough ability to gather and look at all the data , from the center , the cloud and the edge . Our openness of approach , breadth of perspective , and willingness to partner really make a difference .”
EDITING : CARMEN MOURA ILLUSTRATIONS : VASAVA DESIGN : ANTONIO CAPARRÓS
for