Preparing for Electrification with Integrated Data

Introduction 

The world has arrived at a cleaner electrified future – and it’s here to stay. By 2035, half of all the world’s energy could be produced by renewables at lower costs than typical fossil fuel-dependent methods. Additionally, as electric vehicle (EV) adoption continues to accelerate, Bloomberg NEF projects that almost a quarter of all new cars sold will by EVs by 2025.  

For utilities, increased renewable adoption means the electrification of typically fossil fuel-dominated necessities like vehicles and heating is looking more enticing, but the corresponding increase in energy consumption is also going to bring some new logistical challenges to the table.  

What is Electrification? 

Electrification is, simply put, the process of powering or charging something with electricity. In recent years, consumers have seen the emergence of all kinds of electric tools and machines (including cars, trucks, furnaces, etc) that have historically relied on fossil fuels as a source of energy. These electric assets are becoming increasingly affordable, are cheap to maintain, and don’t produce harmful emissions, making them attractive choices compared to their gas-powered competitors.  

How Electrification is Affecting Utilities 

The most obvious way electrification is affecting utilities is in the demand for electricity. Due to the adoption of EVs and other electric assets, electric grids will soon start to see noticeably higher levels of consumption. Some utilities are already starting to respond to this change as demand for EVs continues to grow. At the same time, utilities are making greater use of intelligent technology to enhance customer experiences. Here’s how utilities are implementing these changes: 

 

• Preparing for the future of electric vehicles: As PWC found, adding just one EV to a household could raise energy consumption by 20%. EV sales are expected to pick up a lot of steam by 2030, so utilities are already preparing for higher levels of energy consumption in areas where EVs are popular. They’re offering credits and rebates to encourage the adoption of smart charging solutions and recommending that EV drivers charge during off-peak hours. Updating the electric assets that can support a busier electric grid will be vital, but so will smarter usage habits. 
• Improving customer experience through data: Now more than ever, customers expect access to all kinds of information from utilities. Customers want to see average energy prices, outage maps, the cheapest time to charge their EVs, and where their energy is coming from. Utilities’ mobile apps and websites are expected to include this information (and more), and the best way to implement these features is with the help of integrated data. 

Using Integrated Data to Manage Electrification Challenges 

The Geonexus Integration Platform (GIP), capable of integrating CIS, GIS, EAM, and RDBMS-based systems, is ready to help utilities through simple data integration. Referencing integrated data when adopting new technologies and operating procedures can streamline the electrification process while still allowing your organization to meet its goals in the following ways:  

 

• Integrating CIS, GIS, EAM, and more: If the goal is to electrify 50% of your fossil fuel-powered assets by replacing them with electric counterparts by the end of 2025, integrated data can help! Being able to see your assets’ identifying information (model number, manufacturer, purchase date, etc) in a system like IBM Maximo on its own is useful, but integrating that data with data from other systems is much more powerful. Synchronizing identifying information and the precise location of each asset in one unified system like GIP simplifies the process of tracking which assets have been replaced.  

• Providing valuable customer information: Integrated data also enables utilities to easily provide valuable information to customers. Utility apps (like DTE’s) that are built on top of integrated systems are hubs where customers can see their energy usage and billing information, get outage notifications, and submit work order requests at the tap of a finger. Fitting all these features in one app isn’t always easy, but it becomes much more achievable when integrated data is working together in unison.

• Simplifying asset management: Last but certainly not least, using an integration solution like GIP reduces the number of moving parts when it comes to asset management. Instead of manually entering updates in each system, changes made to integrated data through GIP will automatically be applied to each system you need them to show up in. Plus, when changes are made in one system, they’ll be reflected in the other one, keeping your data up to date. This feature gives your organization the ability to easily ensure your data is accurate across your entire organization; when you’re making big changes like those required for electrification, accurate data is invaluable. 

Conclusion 

The electrification of the utility industry is here, and there’s work to be done to prepare for more changes to come. If your organization needs to enhance its customers’ experience and is serious about preparing for the inevitable electric future with the help of integrated data, the Geonexus Integration Platform can help.  

Visit our collection of customer case studies to see how we’ve helped organizations all over the world with their integration needs.  

About Geonexus 

At Geonexus our mission is to ensure integrity and reliability of enterprise data to support effective decision making. Our Integration Platform is an enterprise-grade integration solution that is easy to use, reliable, and includes out-of-the-box connectors for Esri® ArcGIS®, IBM® Maximo, SAP®, ABB® Ellipse, Oracle® Utilities, and other leading enterprise systems. Asset-intensive organizations across the globe use the Geonexus Integration Platform in industries including utilities, telecommunications, pipeline, transportation, and government.