INGENIEUR
managers and operators to monitor the well-being and performance of plants , machines , equipment and even people .
Hardware manufacturers that supply sensors , actuators and communications devices will continue to refine their products and reduce costs . For example , the electricity power systems for smart grid application could include hundreds of thousands of devices , sensors and other hardware that will need to be reliable , maintenance-free , and interoperable . Some of the best-positioned companies may be suppliers of big data and analytical software that can help to extract meaning from the enormous amount of data flows that the Internet of Things will produce for the power systems . With sensors , networks and computer systems controlling these critical power systems , the consequences of cyber-attacks could be staggering . It will take a great deal of thought and planning , as well as collaboration with private sector vendors to create proper safeguards and keep them up to date as these technological advances continue .
In terms of data security and personal privacy / autonomy , both business enterprises and Government policy makers will have to come together to craft the necessary regulations to protect the consumers and society at large . Only when these issues are addressed in parallel with adoption of these technologies can widespread adoption of IoT be successful .
In terms of public policy , Government will need to establish clear understanding of the privacy risks that accompany the Internet of Things . The ability to put sensors virtually anywhere — to observe the traffic on a residential street or to monitor a home ’ s electricity use — will undoubtedly raise serious concerns about how all that information will be used .
8 . Conclusion
This article discusses at length the issues and challenges of the four identified disruptive technologies that can significantly impact Malaysia ’ s future energy scenario / outlook in terms of electricity grid infrastructure demand-supply development planning and the associated national power system grid operation security .
From the author ’ s viewpoint , the most impactful disruptive technology for Malaysia ’ s future electricity infrastructure is the anticipated substantial integration of renewable and distributed solar photovoltaic generation ( greatly characterised by its high variability and uncertainty ) into the energy mix portfolio of the generating systems . This in turn will greatly affect the national electricity / energy security in terms of demand-generation balance , both for real-time power system operation and short-term / medium-term operational planning resource dispatch . If there is a lack of rigorous power system security assessment strategic studies , there is increased probability of partial or full system collapse of the infrastructure as System Inertia is expected to decrease in tandem with increase in the levels of solar photovoltaic / distributed renewable energy generation . Thus , the current power system grid resiliency and capability need to be greatly enhanced to support the integration of this variable renewable energy solar PV plants to mitigate this increased probability of power system ‘ blackout ’.
This Renewable Energy ( RE ) Solar PV disruptive technology plus the other three disruptive technologies , namely , Energy Storage , Knowledge Automation Smart Grid , and Internet-of-Things will , however , bring about the so-called Energy Transition period for Malaysia , just as for other world economies . This Energy Transition will accelerate the decarbonisation of the electricity generation supply sector , particularly phasing out the coal-fired power plants projects . The LCOE of RE Solar PV are already competitive against gas combine-cycle plants , meaning building new RE Solar PV plants has economic imperative for energy system costs . And , by 2025-2030 , RE Solar PV plus Grid-storage BESS is projected to reach price parity with marginal cost of gas-fired power plants .
Over the much longer-term horizon , from 2035 to 2050 , the Government should seriously revisit / reconsider the Nuclear Power option scenario recommendation ( which was temporarily shelved in 2018 ) as contained in the Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development Plan Feasibility Study undertaken by Malaysia Nuclear Power Corporation . This Nuclear Power option will certainly improve further the fuel mix diversification index of the generation supply ,
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