Data – The Foundation of Value in the Energy Market Transformation

I attended GreenBiz’s annual Verge Conference in mid-September and found a unifying theme throughout the diverse discussions on the intersection of technology and sustainability: data is the key to market transformation. The topics of the conference’s sessions spanned from environmental justice to grid modernization, but in every conversation and demonstration, it was clear that access to, and use of, good data is the foundation for innovation and value creation. An unwavering commitment to environmental justice was the undisputable, yet unofficial, secondary theme of this year’s event. I would argue this important societal goal can be tackled alongside the transformation of the energy industry by using data and technology.

Decentralization Is Coming

Panelists on the plenary session roundtable for day 1 represented the major contingencies in the US utility landscape—a municipal, a retailer, and an investor-owned utility. From three points of view, these industry leaders agreed that decentralization is coming and “the traditional utility business model is obsolete, if not dead.” At Guidehouse, we have been articulating this time of market disruption as the emergence of the Energy Cloud. We are exploring how various platforms are creating value through business models built around a more dynamic relationship between energy supply and demand. The foundation of this new energy reality is digital transformation, in which data fuels business opportunity. Buildings2Grid (B2G) integration is just one of the platforms that illustrates the power of data in creating new business opportunities for utilities, as discussed in Guidehouse Insights' Building-to-Grid Integration report.

As one panelist put it, “Markets move at the pace of innovation, grid moves at the pace of regulation,” which can place a significant hurdle in front of a large proportion of our energy providers. So, how can utilities take a seat at the table in a new energy reality? It starts with data. Guidehouse Insights took another look at utility opportunities in the Energy Cloud with a complementary report, Intelligent Building Technologies for Value-Added Services. The connectivity and data-driven insight of intelligent building solutions create the roadmap for redefining how commercial buildings operate and opportunities for new services to optimize energy use and generation. Or, as one of the more memorable lines from that Verge utility plenary put it, “great innovation is where megabits meet megawatts.”

Across the board, electricity suppliers are unified by a fundamental goal to keep lights on—to support reliable and resilient power. Intelligent building technologies provide a digital lens into commercial customer operations and a pathway to new engagement models for ensuring that power is reliable and resilient but also supports broader customer goals such as sustainability and operational efficiency.