As a part of Cisco Live Las Vegas 2023 we organized a Utilities Leadership Summit for high leaders within the {industry}. Our purpose was to achieve deeper perception into our prospects’ challenges, talk about improvements, and construct strategic relationships. We explored high-level questions resembling:
- 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. During Cisco Live US, purchasers, companions, and Cisco colleagues mentioned these subjects.
Since then, I’ve been reflecting on each formal discussions and informal conversations at Cisco Live 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
When we surveyed utilities leaders about their high challenges, they had been clear that assets are constrained. Given the shortage of money and time, they worth {hardware} that may carry out a number of features.
The Cisco Catalyst IR8340 Rugged Series Router is a good instance. In a single piece of {hardware}, it presents a swap and router plus safety (Cisco Cyber Vision 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 house within the substation. The summit reaffirmed why the IR8340 has been very properly obtained as a key platform for substation automation.
In the search for effectivity and worth, utilities leaders additionally advised 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 transferring quickly on SD-WAN
Summit attendees shared that they’re performing shortly to undertake SD-WAN for substation automation. There appeared to be consensus that SD-WAN will likely be a very good match for distribution automation, too. From my perspective, SD-WAN has gained important momentum over the previous six months. I attribute that to higher collaboration between IT and operational expertise (OT) groups. While OT nonetheless owns remaining 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 carry.
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 stunning to find how shortly some utilities are transferring forward on virtualization within the substation. There seems to be normal acceptance that conventional functions will ultimately be virtualized. After all, virtualization makes it attainable to automate and centralize all of the gadgets and programs inside a substation. It permits higher safety, visibility, and operational effectivity. It additionally unleashes new ranges of intelligence. Although 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 Secure Equipment Access service permits a corporation’s workers and contractors to entry linked gadgets in a extremely managed and environment friendly method. Because Secure Equipment Access is cloud based mostly, I assumed utilities could be unable to make use of it to assist sure substation belongings. Conversations throughout Cisco Live US revealed that I used to be improper. Utilities leaders I spoke with see nice potential in utilizing Secure Equipment Access to assist ancillary non-critical tools – for instance door entry management and fireplace detection programs – inside their substations. Streamlining the processes wanted to maintain these programs up to date, safe and working easily is a robust benefit.
Takeaway #5: Industry-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 in regards to the worth of such Cisco partnerships.
As utilities proceed investigating mobile connectivity for substations and distribution community belongings, 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. In reality, we shared our ongoing collaboration with Verizon to carry a joint answer for connecting substations and distribution belongings—information that was properly obtained in the course of the occasion.
Ultimately, the summit demonstrated that utilities are not expertise laggards; (shock no. 2) among the most revolutionary are rising as expertise leaders. To be taught extra about how Cisco is collaborating with utilities, take heed to the replay of my session from Cisco Live US, The New Digital Substation.
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