Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) is the Netherlands main agency for design, construction, management and maintenance for waterways and infrastructure. Their mission is to promote safety, mobility and quality of life in the Netherlands. They are the masterminds behind some of the most prestigious water projects in the world. In a recent panel
If you’ve switched on the news recently, you’ll have noticed how the words “supply chain” have now become part of Britain’s everyday vocabulary. From fuel shortages at petrol stations to the terrifying prospect of a Christmas turkey shortage, we’ve suddenly become aware of how precarious our society is, and how
Utilities all over the country are facing multiple disruptions, from climate change to distributed energy generation to a growing need to embrace digital transformation. These challenges are more pronounced for midsize public power utilities, which are community-owned, not-for-profit and often more vulnerable to economic challenges than investor-owned utilities. As new
Note: This is the second post in a series featuring analytics leaders in the utility industry. St. Louis is home to Anheuser Busch, the legendary Cardinals baseball team, and Ameren, where analytics rocks. More on this later. Ameren is a large investor-owned utility that serves St. Louis and the surrounding
Looking for use cases for analytics to derive value at an electrical utility? We have identified over 125 ways you can use analytics to improve the business processes at an electric utility. I recently posted a series of blog posts discussing four different use cases. Now I'd like to share
SAS works with utilities all over the world, helping these companies capitalize on the value of analytics and become "digital utilities." When we talk to utilities, we look at analytics use cases across: assets and operations; customers; portfolio; and corporate operations (see diagram below). In this fourth post of my four-part
Our company talks to utilities all over the world about the value of analytics and "the digital utility," and we share analytics use cases across: assets and operations; customers; portfolio; and corporate operations (see diagram below). In this third post of my four-part series, I'll highlight a customer analytics use case. Customer
During these hot summers in the southern US, many people regard Willis Carrier (the man who invented modern air conditioning) as a saint. But along with the comfortable indoor temperatures comes the high electricity bill at the end of the month. And how much does the electricity cost? That's a difficult
Our company talks to utilities all over the world about the value of analytics. We help utility executives understand what the "digital utility company" looks like and share use cases to illustrate how these companies are using analytics across: assets and operations; customers; portfolio, and corporate operations (see diagram below).
Our company talks to utilities all over the world about the value of analytics. We like to talk about "the digital utility" and break down analytics use cases across: assets and operations; customers; portfolio; and corporate operations. I plan to highlight a few analytics use cases for utilities across these four areas
When I was in Denver for SAS Global Forum 2018, one of our customers asked me for three use cases that show strong return on investment for analytics in today's electric utility industry. Since our energy team has identified at least 125 separate use cases that show how analytics can
As the old saying goes, the only constant is change. The corollary that I’ll add is this: and the pace of change feels like it's directly proportional to Moore’s Law. Utilities used to be favorites for conservative investors. Smooth. Steady. When there was change, it was incremental. But today, uncertainty
The paradigm in which we have all lived in an electrified world is changing. The convergence of technology, changing business models, and increasing customer expectations means the way utilities have operated for the last 100+ years must change. Further, this change must embrace where the operations side of the business
After a few tough years in the trenches, analytics leaders in utilities are emerging and making a difference as their utilities vie to stay relevant in the ever-changing energy landscape. At the core of this emergence are leaders that are embracing open analytics platforms and pushing analytics to the edge.
Regulations, corporate drivers, leadership and market influences have combined to produce a patchwork of uneven progress on initiatives such as distributed generation, customer choice, asset optimization and the industrial Internet of Things. These initiatives all rely on analytics to gain the most return on investment. To better understand organizational readiness
Tell me if you’ve heard this before: Your company hired (or re-titled) a talented data scientist and they have great skills and no data. Or they're marginalized by IT because they're misunderstood. They're offered “cleansed” data that will fit into the hardware provisioned. What they want is “all” relevant data
The utility industry is ripe with analytic opportunities. Usually, when I share that perspective, thoughts immediately jump to making the energy grid more efficient. Certainly, there are efficiencies to gain with improved data about where power is being consumed and the sources that are available to support it. However, there
Ready for another (soon to be classic) fun, custom-made for IT holiday jingle?? Fire up the hot chocolate, gather around the water cooler and belt this one out at the upcoming office party: Have a holly, jolly smart grid It's about time we upgraded our electric infrastructure I don't know
“Analytics” and “data scientist” aren’t new terms, but they are trending buzzwords. The popularity of these concepts has created a false impression: Analytics are mysterious abstractions that can only be decoded if you have a white lab coat and an advanced degree in computer science. The reality couldn’t be more different.
Utility leaders are struggling with a world that's quickly changing and barely recognizable from the one they knew growing up. Many of the old assumptions are gone, and the business model upon which careers have been built is on the verge of disappearing. So what does the internet of things
Yesterday I opened up the Wall Street Journal and found the usual mix of ads from major technology vendors touting their IoT (Internet of Things) prowess, and claiming they all have the secret sauce to make all of our IoT dreams come true. Where do I sign up?! Meanwhile, back
Utilities, like all large organizations, spend a lot of time and resources on strategy. But how do utility analytics leaders ensure that their efforts are connected to this high-level vision? On June 28th in Los Angeles, a small gathering of utility executives and analytics leaders met to discuss and explore
Over the last ten years, utilities around the world have have invested billions of dollars in the Internet of Things (IoT). Better known as smart grid and smart meter initiatives, this massive intelligent infrastructure is moving utilities into a future that’s beginning to look radically different from the century-old business model
To some people, electricity is like air: There for the taking. For others, circumventing paying a utility bill is a just cause, sticking it to “Big Energy” for their perceived transgressions against customers. In either case, not paying for energy is considered fraud and a crime. In some states, energy
The buzz about the Internet of Things (IoT) combined with the insights derived from analytics appears to be hotter than ever. What's interesting to me is how many people go about their lives without knowing what the IoT is and how they're already benefitting from it (or how their jobs
Research indicates that IoT and Machine Learning are more valuable to utilities when used in combination but there are hurdles to overcome first. Machine learning and IoT will enable utilities to better realize the next generation of the power grid: a distributed system with power flows among millions of things
I recently read an article about the major challenges electric utilities are facing in 2016, and I thought: "Wow, those challenges can be answered in so many ways..." Utilities are dealing with an onslaught of issues which can no longer be ignored or put off because they're all high priority and interrelated. But
The Internet of Things (IoT), sensors and connected devices are all the buzz leading up to DistribuTECH (Feb 9-11), so I sat down with one of our IoT specialists, Lorry Hardt to learn more. Lorry will be at DistribuTECH to support our joint demonstration with Intel and gave me the
A successful energy savings program is a good thing for utilities, right? The truth is, that success can result in unintended consequences. One of our utility customers shared this example with me recently: "Let’s say we offer a free LED light bulb to every customer, and everyone removes an old bulb that used 75
With presidential candidates targeting alternate energy development, the Clean Power Plan officially in place last month, and the rapid evolution of connected devices and the Internet of Things -- life in the energy sector is even more interesting than usual. To catch up on the latest developments, I sat down with one of
