INDUSTRY WATCH
technologies will in fact work in the field and to test the vendor ’ s ability to deploy them effectively .
Planning for failure and how to avoid it The road to smart grid rollout is littered with the bleached bones of failed pilot programs . The region has a host of examples of Advanced Metering Infrastructure pilots that led nowhere . The technology was proven , but the project still stalled . Why ?
As discussed above , the answer lies in planning beyond the pilot , whatever the outcome . It is every bit as important to provide guidance for failed pilots as it is for successful ones . Having answers to questions such as , do we sign up the whole country to the vendor that pilots successfully , or do we trial other vendors and technologies too , can help keep vital momentum behind the project .
Without clear answers to these questions , the roadmap is incomplete and the impetus to finalise the pilot is lost . Trialing multiple technologies and setting a mechanism from the beginning for decision-making , post-pilot , are integral parts of developing the roadmap and ensuring that it leads to the desired destination .
While it can be good practice to trial several technologies concurrently , this approach is not without its own challenges ; principally , keeping vendors committed to the project . Slicing the pie too thinly between too many potential suppliers , risks reducing the attractiveness of the eventual business , threatening the quality and price of the product in the process .
Smart-grid implementation is also likely to be reformative of the utility itself . The successful rollout of a smart grid will necessitate fundamental changes to the structure of the business , including the required skillsets and job descriptions of the staff . To reap rewards , each utility must draw up its own path and carefully consider their individual objectives . Utilities face one common reality : the smart grid rewards are bigger than ever for those who plan diligently and who stay plugged-in .
Excerpted from Switched On , How MENA Can Build Smart Grid Success , by Booz Allen Hamilton .
Benefits of smart grids
• Asset optimisation : Smart grid facilitates connectivity between intelligence and asset management applications
• Grid attacks : Smart grid detects and mitigates threats to utilities and is able to restore systems rapidly in the event of an attack
• Consumer participation : Smart grid gives consumers information to compare pricing plans and options to buy and sell
• Energy storage : Smart grid introduces storage options and integration of alternative energy sources including wind and solar energy
• New markets : Distributed generation enabled by smart grid benefits mature markets while developing new ones
• Operational efficiency : Interaction between intelligence and asset management results in efficiency across the grid
• Power quality : Smart grid offers range of power quality as well as price options
• Self-healing : When a problem occurs , the smart grid is able to minimise impact , and rapidly repair and restore its systems
56 INTELLIGENTCIO www . intelligentcio . com