How can we manage our grid workload efficiently and sustainably?

As new technologies continue to proliferate, our capacity for adaptation is constantly being tested. From sustainable hydroelectric schemes and electric vehicles (EVs) to digital transformation, there has been an observable movement towards new, sophisticated systems.

Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that beneath these emerging ideas lie common roots.

Despite the complexity of these exciting new technologies, there is a shared connection to Australia’s grid infrastructure.

The grid refers not only to the network that distributes the electricity, but also to all the constituent assets that produce the electricity, transmit and distribute it.

While there are new avenues to produce electrical power, our ability to efficiently generate and distribute this power remains a complex task.

As national demand for electricity continues to grow, there are still questions surrounding our ability to manage this need, as well as the assets that form our electrical networks.

Do we have the tools to effectively manage these emerging technologies and best support our grid networks nationally?

Software and digital solutions emerge to answer this question, allowing project managers to manage their operations more effectively and develop a more comprehensive understanding of their projects.

Modern problems require practical solutions

Renewable technologies and sustainable systems will undoubtedly continue to be a feature of Australia’s energy landscape.

According to the Australian Automobile Association, EVs made up more than 8% of all new cars sold in the three months to 30 June 2024. Compared to 4.5% in December 2023, it’s evident that the nation’s interest has been piqued.

However, this does bear associated costs. The average Australian household uses approximately 20 kilowatt hours a day. A battery in a typical sedan would be at least three times this amount.

Across industry and consumer applications, continued interest in areas such as EVs continues to raise the question of how, as a nation, we can support these new developments.

Investment bank UBS recently released findings which projected that domestic data centre demand could require up to five gigawatts of additional capacity by 2030, which equated to roughly 15% of our grid’s total load capacity.

Of course, data centres will form a crucial part of Australia’s efforts towards AI integration, and digital transformation more generally.

Not only will this require a concerted effort towards the efficient generation of additional power, but it could lead to equally large spikes in energy prices nationwide.

To manage the rapid pace at which our demand for energy increases, Australia must look to strategies that increase efficiency in our use of energy, and to better manage our assets that produce it.

Driving progress, not spinning our wheels

When confronted with challenges of this scale, breaking the issue down into individual assets provides the necessary perspective to meaningfully address them.

Asset performance management (APM) solutions can help us monitor our businesses’ efficiency, avoiding the unnecessary expenditure of energy and lessening reliance on an already overloaded grid.

Using IoT devices, an APM solution can monitor assets of all kinds, from escalators to excavators. Observing vibrations, sound, changes in temperature and even stress, software of this nature will intelligently feed key insights and information directly from the source to the fingertips of decision-makers.

Opening the doors to a new, data-driven perspective on operations, APM software can increase uptimes, manage risk, predict necessary maintenance, detect trends and improve operational efficiency.

As business leaders, we ought to be prepared for the eventuality that Australia’s grid infrastructure is unable to satisfy our energy needs at a low cost.

Addressing the current problem

Finding strategies to support a degree of self-sufficiency will improve business outcomes and reduce load and reliance on an already overloaded network.

However, reducing national demand is only part of the issue facing Australia’s grid.

The question of Australia’s options when it comes to the generation of our power has become something of a political football, leading to delays in the development of several projects.

In lieu of faster development, APM solutions can make a difference by promoting the efficiency of our existing sources of energy.

Wind turbines, both on- and offshore, hydroelectric facilities, gas fields and solar farms can be considered, at the most basic level, as assets to be managed.

Often in remote areas, these facilities stand to benefit from efficient field service management solutions.

In applying these technologies, we can not only reduce the downtime of these assets, effectively increasing their output, but also develop strategies for lowering costs of operation.

At both ends of Australia’s grid, in power generation and use, there are still opportunities for leaders to take action and make a positive contribution to our shared energy futures.

Simone Doolan is the Industry Director for Utilities and Telecommunications at IFS Australia and New Zealand. With over 25 years of experience in asset-intensive industries, Simone specialises in helping organisations transform and optimise their operations through digitalisation, focusing on delivering world-class solutions that empower businesses to perform at their peak.

Her expertise lies in blending service management with enterprise asset management (EAM), enabling companies to excel when it matters most, at the “moment of service”.

Simone’s career experience includes advising and consulting for organisations in both the public and private sectors in navigating complex business scenarios, and identifying solutions that drive transformation and growth.

Image credit: iStock.com/gorodenkoff