The challenge of global climate change is increasingly severe, making the promotion of energy reform has become a global imperative. In this process, China has been particularly active in promoting the transformation of its energy structure. The second meeting of the Commission for Deepening Overall Reform of the CPC Central Committee recently stressed that China’s ecological civilization construction has entered a critical period with carbon reduction as the key strategic direction, and it is necessary to scientifically and reasonably design the construction path of the new power system, and gradually reduce the proportion of traditional energy step by step on the basis of safe and reliable replacement of new energy sources.

In the previous “carbon peak Action Plan before 2030” issued by The State Council, it was also proposed to build a new power system with a gradually increasing proportion of new energy and promote the optimization of a wide range of clean power resources. The new power system is an important component of the new energy system and a key carrier to achieve the goal of “double carbon”.

Digital transformation shapes the future power grid and responds to the challenge of new energy consumption

In fact, replacing traditional energy with cleaner new energy can be described as the goal of joint efforts around the world. However, simply relying on the construction of more new energy projects, without considering the process of digital transformation of the grid, often cannot achieve the desired carbon reduction effect. Frederic Godemel, global Executive vice president of Schneider Electric’s Systems and Services business, said that in the first half of 2022, about 4 percent of Germany’s renewable electricity was wasted due to a lack of transmission capacity on the grid. Similarly, in 2022, the U.S. state of California cut 2.4 megawatt-hours of wind and solar capacity, which is enough to power about 200,000 homes.

Tese examples all prove that, as a bridge and hub connecting power production and consumption, the speed of grid digital transformation directly affects the process of energy transformation. In this regard, as an expert in digital transformation in the field of global energy management, Schneider Electric relies on the EcoStruxure Grid architecture and platform for the future grid, uses digital technologies and solutions to improve the access and integration capabilities of new energy, realizes the deep interaction of all aspects of the source network load and storage, and improves the efficiency of the whole life cycle of energy. Achieve end-to-end management and optimization of the power grid.

Frederic Godemel pointed out that as a grid solution “born for the future”, the future grid will integrate a large number of renewable energy sources to achieve decarbonized electricity. Not only does it mix centralized and distributed generation, it also requires support from the demand side. In particular, Frederic Godemel emphasized the digital character of the future grid. He said: “Wind and solar are inherently volatile, and such new energy generation and load distribution is highly uneven, which makes the future grid need to use digital functions to balance electricity supply and demand.” Beyond that, energy storage technologies, which are being deployed in a big way, can also play a role in flexibility.”

 

It can be seen that in order to absorb a larger scale and a higher proportion of new energy, digitalization is bound to be the golden key to “unlock” the challenge, so as to truly make the grid a strategic asset to promote energy change and decarbonization.

 

Digital native + digital twin to unlock the value potential of energy transition and decarbonization

 

In practical applications, to accelerate the digital transformation of the power grid system, it is necessary to take the collection of power data as an important starting point. Only by further releasing the value of data elements can we continuously strengthen the value role of power data and promote the evolution of digitalization to a larger scope, higher frequency and deeper level.

 

In addition to releasing the value of power data, in recent years, digital technologies represented by digital twins can also provide comprehensive digital support for auxiliary planning and design, operation and maintenance management, scheduling and command, fault handling, intelligent intervention and other scenarios of power projects. In this regard, the future grid solution also includes the world’s leading sustainable enterprise platform covering electrical design, simulation, engineering and operation – ETAP electric system digital twin platform, which is committed to further strengthening the digital capability of power grid, new energy and other power projects throughout the life cycle, promoting the transformation and upgrading of enterprises and green sustainable development. Proactively embrace the digital transformation of the power system, for example, it can provide technical support for enterprises to adjust electricity load, peak cutting and valley filling and other demand-side response applications.

 

Especially for the industry’s widespread concern about the consumption of new energy, ETAP electrical system digital twin platform can also provide practical assistance. It can provide complete solutions and system engineering delivery throughout the full life cycle of new energy consumption from design, construction to operation and maintenance. For example, its distributed energy access analysis and verification and power quality analysis and improvement functions can effectively ensure the safety and stability of the power system before and after new energy access, so that the value brought by new energy consumption is more clearly visible.

 

Frederic Godemel is confident about the strategic future of the grid, saying: “Although we talk about the ‘grid of the future’, it is already a fully fledged solution. By adopting the latest technology in Schneider Electric’s own office facilities, we have achieved a return on investment cycle of less than five years on our energy bills – Schneider Electric’s IntenCity project, which opened in 2020, not only consumes less than a tenth of the average energy value of a European building, but also achieves net zero carbon emissions from the day of commissioning. “