Enabling technologies

Technological applications such as in smart devices and data services are a crucial amplifier of the energy industry transformation, enabling the management of large energy systems and optimizing increasingly complex energy systems. The growing emphasis of digitalization is a consequence of a growing trend derived from the rise of renewables - decentralization. Decentralization is led by the increased deployment of small distributed renewable resources (DERs), mainly in residential solar and small-scale solar PVs which are connected to the distribution grid. The increasing number of these DERs on the supply side are adding complexity to the conventional power sector, making real-time management and control a crucial factor in the success of renewable-led energy transformation.

Digital technologies can support renewables by offering methods for better monitoring, operations and maintenance, and less reliance on human interactions. Data-driven services, new market designs, and new business models can also arise as data from renewable assets can be acquired in mass quantities in real-time. Of the many recent advancements, internet-of-things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain are often highlighted as the new tools to optimize the operations of the increasingly complex power system based on renewable energy.