As a part of Cisco Dwell Las Vegas 2023 we organized a Utilities Management Summit for prime leaders within the {industry}. Our objective was to achieve deeper perception into our prospects’ challenges, talk about improvements, and construct strategic relationships. We explored high-level questions reminiscent of:
- 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 subjects: substation automation, distribution automation and utility wide-area networks. Throughout Cisco Dwell US, shoppers, companions, and Cisco colleagues mentioned these subjects.
Since then, I’ve been reflecting on each formal discussions and informal conversations at Cisco Dwell US and contemplating the implications for different utilities. I’ve distilled my considering into 5 takeaways.
Takeaway #1: Utilities need fewer gadgets with extra performance
Once we surveyed utilities leaders about their prime challenges, they had been clear that sources are constrained. Given the shortage of money and time, they worth {hardware} that may carry out a number of capabilities.
The Cisco Catalyst IR8340 Rugged Sequence Router is a good instance. In a single piece of {hardware}, it affords a swap 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 properly obtained 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 performing rapidly to undertake SD-WAN for substation automation. There gave the impression to be consensus that SD-WAN will probably be match for distribution automation, too. From my perspective, SD-WAN has gained important momentum over the previous six months. I attribute that to larger collaboration between IT and operational know-how (OT) groups. Whereas OT nonetheless owns last choices, IT is displaying 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 sooner than you would possibly assume
It was mildly stunning to listen to about quickly growing adoption of SD-WAN; it was nearly stunning to find how rapidly some utilities are shifting forward on virtualization within the substation. There seems to be common acceptance that conventional purposes will ultimately be virtualized. In spite of everything, virtualization makes it doable to automate and centralize all of the gadgets and programs inside a substation. It allows larger 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 belongings with the cloud.
Cisco’s Safe Gear Entry service allows a corporation’s workers and contractors to entry related gadgets in a extremely managed and environment friendly method. As a result of Safe Gear Entry is cloud based mostly, I assumed utilities could be unable to make use of it to assist sure substation belongings. Conversations throughout Cisco Dwell US revealed that I used to be fallacious. 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 operating easily is a robust 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 prospects on the summit had been vocal concerning the worth of such Cisco partnerships.
As utilities proceed investigating mobile connectivity for substations and distribution community belongings, there’s rising curiosity in non-public LTE and 5G. Cisco options already assist each, and we proceed to spend money on testing and proof-of-concepts. In truth, we shared our ongoing collaboration with Verizon to deliver a joint answer for connecting substations and distribution belongings—information that was properly obtained throughout the occasion.
In the end, the summit demonstrated that utilities are not know-how laggards; (shock no. 2) a few of the most revolutionary are rising as know-how leaders. To be taught extra about how Cisco is collaborating with utilities, take heed to the replay of my session from Cisco Dwell US, The New Digital Substation.
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