Bridging the grid’s gaps with digitalisation
Gridspertise CEO Robert Denda sees digitalisation as the obvious answer for bridging the divide into a net zero future.
According to Denda, who spoke to Areti Ntaradimou during an exclusive Connect Interview at Enlit Europe, when it comes to Gridspertise’s vision of the grid of the future, digitalisation is paramount.
Said Denda on the European action plan for digitalisation of the energy sector: “It’s a really great move in the right direction…There’s a huge investment in digital grid technologies; €170 billion ($184.89 billion) for the digital part, alone, in Europe.”
From the global perspective, this figure is exponentially larger and only projected to increase to €500 or €700 billion ($543.8 or $761.4 billion) over the upcoming years into 2030.
These investments in the industry illustrate the importance of digitalisation as an energy transition enabler for Denda, who states that without digitalisation, changing the energy industry for a net zero future would be impossible.
“The grids, especially, were built 50 to 100 years ago. They’re old, built for a different type of energy distribution, generation and customer. To now be able to serve the modern customer and integrate renewable generation in real time…the grids will need to be revamped through digital technologies.”
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Digitalisation: enabling both distribution and generation
As net-zero targets are reached, immense amounts of renewable energy sources will have to come online. Their integration provides a complex puzzle for grid operators who need to manage peak loads and ensure the grids do not reach capacity.
For Denda, a digitalised grid is the obvious solution to the quandary, providing an outcome where both generation and distribution can be coordinated in as efficient a manner as possible.
Denda states digital grids as the true enabler of both, “especially when looking at the integration of generation – power flows varies a lot.
“In the morning, it might flow in one direction; in the afternoon, the other. At the same time, the customers change [their consumption]. They charge their electrical cars at a certain time during the day and then use it and move to charge at a different location.
“These dynamics bring a great challenge to the grid and this digitalisation of the grid is able to reconfigure the grid according to the need, making the grids robust and capable of hosting this renewable generation. And in this sense, digitalisation is absolutely the key to both.”
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Speed is key
This issue of demand response is but one of many challenges facing grid operators in their journey to a carbon-free grid. Another, commonly cited in industry, is speed. Things simply haven’t been transitioning fast enough, and here Denda again hails digitalisation as the flagbearer.
“The speed in which the grid needs to be renewed, updated and reinforced [is one major challenge]. Between scenario A without digitalisation and scenario B with it, scenario A will take much longer because [distribution operators] would need to put out additional transformers, lines and reconstruct the grid much more often than when [through a digital grid].
“In scenario B, the grid will still need to be reinforced incrementally, but it can be done intelligently with the help of digital technologies to make the grid dynamic. The grid then becomes more flexible, reconfigurable, and adjustable in real time.
“All of which is key to solving the challenge presented by speed.”
Listen to the full interview below for Robert Denda’s insights on a Pan-European grid of the future and how digitalisation provides ‘leapfrog’ opportunities for distribution system operators.
