Perspectives
Communications Networks Are Key to Delivering the Grid of the Future
Publish date:Distribution modernization is inevitable as advances in energy production, storage and control give rise to a new energy marketplace happening at the local distribution level. This evolving landscape leaves utilities questioning how they can maintain the reliability, efficiency and security of their operations, while managing two-way power flows and the influx of digital devices and distributed energy resources (DER).
2020 Strategic Directions: Smart Utilities Report
Publish date:The 2020 Strategic Directions: Smart Utilities Report explores the issues and complexities of the changing utility landscape. Based on expansive industry data collected through our annual survey of electric, water, and natural gas utilities, this year’s report looks beyond individual efforts to take a more holistic view of what it means to deliver the promised grid of the future.
2020 STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS: MEGATRENDS
Publish date:Black & Veatch is proud to release its first 2020 Strategic Directions: Megatrends report, which analyzes years of survey data to explore and illuminate some of the most striking and consistent trends across the water, power, telecommunications, natural gas, commercial and industrial (C&I) and manufacturing industries.
Game-Changing Business Model: Private LTE for AMI and Smart Utility Programs
Publish date:The landscape of telecommunications options available to support utilities’ OT solutions is rapidly evolving - at a pace compared only by the changing needs of the OT requirements themselves. The movement towards 5G and even greater use of LTE is imminent. But how to take advantage of this evolution is less certain.
Are we creating a postcode lottery for digital water services?
Publish date:The more you can spend to achieve successful outcomes, the greater the likelihood of success. Since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, no F1 team other than Red Bull, Ferrari or Mercedes has won grand prix. The ‘big three’s’ spending power consistently outstrips the rest of the pack. During the 2018 season, won by Mercedes – with Ferrari second and Red Bull third – the big three spent more money than the other seven teams combined.
Emerging Trends in the Commercial and Industrial Sector
Publish date:In an effort to explore some of the factors reshaping business, Black & Veatch recently polled hundreds of professionals in the commercial and industrial sector to identify emerging trends in resource use with a focus on sustainability, capital spending and energy and water management trends within their organizations.
Master Planning for a Smarter Grid
Publish date:Creating a grid master plan is the first step in the evolution of a more intelligent grid. In this new perspective piece by Black & Veatch Management Consulting Managing Director, Rick Schmidt explores such topics as smart utility migration, infrastructure modernization, technology adoption lifecycle and introduces our 8-stage master planning methodology. The desired goal of the master planning activity is to provide a documented path that provides a roadmap for current focus and future investments.
UK Electricity Market: An Imbalance of Power
Publish date:The power generation market is awash with misconceptions. Not the least of which is the misconception about who “invented” electricity — noting, of course, that electricity is a form of energy and it occurs in nature. Technically, it was never “invented” but rather “discovered.”
Integrated Infrastructure Accelerates Asia Energy Transition
Publish date:Governments across Asia are tapping innovations in generation, transmission and distribution technologies in the power grid to meet increasing energy demand in a sustainable manner. The increased energy demand is a result of rapid population and economic growth in the region. The International Renewable Energy Agency's (IRENA) 2018 Renewable Energy Market Analysis of existing Asia power grid demands shows that energy consumption in Southeast Asia, for example, has doubled in the past two decades. Industry analysts expect the demand for energy to continue growing throughout Asia in the next few years. In anticipation of this growth, an in-depth examination of Asia power grid needs as well as generation potential is urgent.
The mandate for companies looking to electrify fleets: Start planning now
Publish date:Electrification of fleets – everything from garbage trucks and school buses to, yes, parcel trucks and logistics interests – has become the next frontier in the electric vehicle (EV) space.
Energy as a Service: Power Without the ‘Plant’
Publish date:When ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft began disrupting the taxi business a decade ago, taxi operators scoffed and said consumers weren’t ready for such a radical approach to their entrenched business model.
Finding the Right Power Generation Mix
Publish date:As ratepayers continue to seek more renewable energy integration, the electric industry is struggling to create the optimal mix of fuels that will economically meet sustainability goals. Boosted by a slew of factors – including decreasing costs, advancing technologies, new carbon-reduction policies, consumer pressure and regulatory support – renewables show no sign of slowing down. But their ability to provide reliable, consistent baseload power remains firmly in doubt because of the inherent intermittency of wind and solar photovoltaic.
Water Reuse: Amid Possible Regulatory Fatigue, Electric Utilities Still Grapple with Water Issues
Publish date:As people become more environmentally conscious and urge industry to do the same, pressure is mounting on the nation’s electric utilities to be on the right side of public opinion beyond simply trying to mitigate what comes out of their smokestacks.
Utilities That Take This Approach to Battery Storage Will Maximize Future Market Share
Publish date:As more U.S. states offer incentives for renewable energy investment and costs for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels continue to decrease, it seems utility-scale battery energy storage is positioned to take charge of the next renewables revolution.
Between a Rock and Regulation: DER Marketplaces Open Path to Efficiency, But How do Utilities Find Their Way?
Publish date:Few things represent the dynamic and decentralized nature of the power market like distributed energy resources (DER). These advanced decentralized electric grid technologies, which generate electricity at or near their point of use, illustrate a major shift in the marketplace as ratepayers scrutinize their consumption habits and accelerate the search for affordable, resilient, and sustainable power.