Technologies That Are Changing The Utilities Sector For The Better

Digital transformation has become a norm for all industries and for the utilities sector is not an exception. In fact, the utilities sector has come a long way in the last few decades in terms of digitization in service delivery.

While the demand and consumer expectations have grown exponentially, the industry has widely embraced innovation to match them. Utility companies are leveraging a range of technologies to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and safety in this increasingly complex and regulated sector. Here are the ones that are changing them for the better.

Artificial Intelligence

AI technology is fast making inroads into the utilities sector. It has the potential to improve a number of backend functions, from load forecasting to demand management and yield optimization.

Further, it can provide insights on upcoming failures and enable predictive maintenance, which prevents outages in the long run. Companies can also leverage AI for energy theft prevention.

The technology can play a key role in transforming the user experience with applications such as customer insights and virtual agents. AI-based programs can help customers to select the appropriate energy retailer and also get details about their energy use through the self-service.

Smart automation

Another technology that makes an impact is the smart automation. From taking service delivery to the next level to enhance customer support, there is a lot that this technology can do.

To start with, smart grid automation provides protection for electricity by controlling its delivery throughout the system. The connected networks let the provider detect the failure in any part of the grid so that they can be resolved even before an outage takes place.

Even if a problem occurs, power can be rerouted quickly to shorten downtimes and prevent systemic failure. Apart from bringing resilience in the supply, automation enables providers to deliver personalized services to the consumers by understanding their needs.

Drones

Drones are emerging as game-changers for utilities in more than one way. They help in gathering useful data that can be used along with AI to provide better services and support to the consumers.

Drones can also enable better monitoring of infrastructure and equipment by identifying any issues before they worsen. They can increase worker safety by performing dangerous tasks that would otherwise have to be handled by the human workforce. Additionally, drones can also be used for mapping vegetation to decide where and how it needs to be addressed.

Internet of Things

IoT and sensors are also seeing growing adoption in the utilities sector. IoT devices can be used for accessing valuable data that empowers better decision making.

For example, companies can use sensors to track consumer usage and then adjust the supply accordingly. The information helps them with better infrastructure management, to manage demand spikes, and service delivery so that they can continue to meet consumer needs effectively.

Placing sensors strategically throughout the grid brings issues to light and predicts them before they happen.

Conclusion

Without any doubt, utility companies cannot expect to grow and thrive without the right technologies in place. So it is time to embrace these advanced solutions sooner than later.