Electric power companies around the world want to improve their quality and efficiency by deploying data centres and reconstructing management platforms to create a truly smart grid.
While more reliable, efficient and green energy would ensure grid security and offer value-added services through energy Internet to drive social development, conventional operational models and technologies fail to support this transformation.
Energy industry leaders gathered online on 13 July to discuss how to drive this needed transformation at the seventh Huawei Global Power Summit themed Bits Drive Watts, Building a Fully Connected Smart Grid.
Global customers, partners and thought leaders in the electric power industry also discussed the impact of and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and political and economic uncertainties.
An increasing number of electric power companies identify their digital transformation strategies as a priority. At the summit, Huawei and industry leaders illustrated the importance of 5G, AI, big data and cloud computing for this transformation.
China Southern Power Grid (CSG) explained to summit delegates that power distribution networks and users require power grid communications that feature wide connectivity, high bandwidth, low latency, high reliability and fast deployment.
These features ensure intelligent power distribution and metering and facilitate the development of smart home and Internet of Vehicles (IoV). In response, Huawei’s advanced 5G slicing technology enables end-to-end communication of smart grids, ensuring secure and reliable power distribution networks as well as improved efficiency.
CSG has summarised 53 typical service scenarios covering power generation, transmission, distribution, transformation, consumption and integrated services, according to Yang Junquan, Deputy General Manager of CSG Power Dispatch and Control Center. He also expects more 5G applications to emerge in the near future.
Going green one byte at a time
Qinghai Province in China aims to achieve 100% green energy consumption and supply in the longer term. Together with Huawei, the province has leveraged cloud computing to construct a new energy data center powered by AI and big data capabilities.
Now, the provincial electric power company can predict the renewable energy yield simply based on the weather forecast. With multi-energy compensation, the total power output to access the grid will be more stable.
By implementing these high-tech strategies in 2019 Qinghai maintained 100% green energy generation for 15 consecutive days. In this case, clean energy consumption has been supported through digital and smart means.
New ICT can also improve the O&M efficiency of electric power companies. The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) worked with Huawei to build a digital platform, IoT platform and cloud, which reduces the time it takes to collect and store data from four hours to 30 minutes for its Henan branch.
The Shenzhen Power Supply Bureau reduced its grid inspection time from 20 days to 2 hours and the time to capture images from hours to minutes by using AI modules in cameras and drones. The O&M team can thus remotely monitor power transmission lines and detect faults, with a 90% image analysis accuracy.
Providing digital services by leveraging abundant fibre and site resources and innovative ICT solutions has become one of the major digital transformation trends for global electric power companies.
Thus far Huawei has worked with more than 190 electric power companies worldwide, including the Saudi Electricity Company, Turkish Electricity Transmission Corporation, Provincial Electricity Authority of Thailand, SGCC, and CSG.
