As a part of Cisco Stay Las Vegas 2023 we organized a Utilities Management Summit for prime leaders within the {industry}. Our objective was to achieve deeper perception into our clients’ challenges, talk about improvements, and construct strategic relationships. We explored high-level questions corresponding to:
What are the highest challenges and alternatives on the minds of utilities leaders within the US?
Which applied sciences have them hitting the accelerator?
And what do they worth when constructing methods and architectures for modernizing the grid?
We anchored the summit on three key matters: substation automation, distribution automation and utility wide-area networks. Throughout Cisco Stay US, purchasers, companions, and Cisco colleagues mentioned these matters.
Since then, I’ve been reflecting on each formal discussions and informal conversations at Cisco Stay US and contemplating the implications for different utilities. I’ve distilled my considering into 5 takeaways.
Takeaway #1: Utilities need fewer units with extra performance
After we surveyed utilities leaders about their prime challenges, they have been clear that assets are constrained. Given the dearth of money and time, they worth {hardware} that may carry out a number of features.
The Cisco Catalyst IR8340 Rugged Collection Router is a superb instance. In a single piece of {hardware}, it presents a change and router plus safety (Cisco Cyber Imaginative and prescient sensor, Zone-based firewall and IDS/IPS functionality) and a timing module for substation synchronization. It helps utilities save on energy and warmth whereas serving to optimize rack area within the substation. The summit reaffirmed why the IR8340 has been very effectively acquired as a key platform for substation automation.
Within the quest for effectivity and worth, utilities leaders additionally informed us they need end-to-end options confirmed to work. We’re in a position to present that assurance to utilities with Cisco Validated Designs – for instance, our designs for Substation Automation and SD-WAN for Distribution Automation are particularly developed for utilities.
Takeaway #2: Utilities are shifting quickly on SD-WAN
Summit attendees shared that they’re appearing rapidly to undertake SD-WAN for substation automation. There appeared to be consensus that SD-WAN shall be an excellent match for distribution automation, too. From my perspective, SD-WAN has gained vital momentum over the previous six months. I attribute that to higher collaboration between IT and operational expertise (OT) groups. Whereas OT nonetheless owns closing choices, IT is exhibiting OT the facility of enterprise networking instruments. These enterprise instruments are very acquainted to IT leaders, who can present OT leaders the potential ease of use, safety, and automation they create.
Takeaway #3: Virtualization within the substation is coming quicker than you may suppose
It was mildly shocking to listen to about quickly growing adoption of SD-WAN; it was virtually surprising to find how rapidly some utilities are shifting forward on virtualization within the substation. There seems to be basic acceptance that conventional functions will ultimately be virtualized. In spite of everything, virtualization makes it attainable to automate and centralize all of the units and programs inside a substation. It allows higher safety, visibility, and operational effectivity. It additionally unleashes new ranges of intelligence. Though utilities are nonetheless early on this journey, they appear dedicated to creating it occur.
Takeaway #4: First shock: Utilities see the advantages of effectively accessing and securing non-critical property with the cloud.
Cisco’s Safe Gear Entry service allows a company’s employees and contractors to entry related units in a extremely managed and environment friendly method. As a result of Safe Gear Entry is cloud primarily based, I assumed utilities can be unable to make use of it to assist sure substation property. Conversations throughout Cisco Stay US revealed that I used to be unsuitable. Utilities leaders I spoke with see nice potential in utilizing Safe Gear Entry to assist ancillary non-critical tools – for instance door entry management and hearth detection programs – inside their substations. Streamlining the processes wanted to maintain these programs up to date, safe and working easily is a strong benefit.
Takeaway #5: Business-specific partnerships matter
Cisco maintains strategic relationships with a number of industry-relevant companions, together with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL). Utilities clients on the summit have been vocal in regards to the worth of such Cisco partnerships.
As utilities proceed investigating mobile connectivity for substations and distribution community property, there’s rising curiosity in personal LTE and 5G. Cisco options already assist each, and we proceed to spend money on testing and proof-of-concepts. Actually, we shared our ongoing collaboration with Verizon to deliver a joint resolution for connecting substations and distribution property—information that was effectively acquired through the occasion.
Finally, the summit demonstrated that utilities are not expertise laggards; (shock no. 2) a few of the most progressive are rising as expertise leaders. To study extra about how Cisco is collaborating with utilities, hearken to the replay of my session from Cisco Stay US, The New Digital Substation.
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