Learn how the energy & utilities industry is adapting to key trends like AI, electric vehicles, renewables, and the challenges they face going into 2026.
Tabela de conteúdos
Com AI data centers, EV charging and renewables on the rise, the energy & utilities industry is facing a surging electricity demand.
As empresas de serviços públicos encontram-se num momento crítico em que a adoção da inovação já não é opcional - é necessária para se manterem na vanguarda.
Vamos analisar as tendências que estão a moldar esta transformação e a forma como os serviços públicos as podem aproveitar eficazmente.
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) 2.0
Traditional metering systems often lead to inefficiencies such as billing inaccuracies and delays in accessing consumption data.
This is where AMI steps in to provide smart meters that enable accurate real-time metering.
This results in precise facturação baseada na utilização, avoids revenue leakage and provides insights for customers.
Furthermore, smart meters allow for responding to grid demand. This enables off-peak metering and communicating changes and fluctuations to customers.
AMI 2.0 has gained traction offering more frequent access to voltage values, allowing for near real-time data access.
Additionally, Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) identifies appliances which are faulty or inefficient by analyzing their unique electricity signature.
Customers can pair their phones with AMI 2.0 smart meters to gain insights on usage and efficiency.
It’s crucial that energy providers learn from AMI 1.0 mistakes and invest money in upgrading infrastructure and not only focus on buying the hardware.
Improvements in AMI 2.0
- Dados em tempo real: Os contadores inteligentes fornecem dados de consumo em tempo real, permitindo que as empresas de serviços públicos detectem falhas de energia e localizem as suas localizações para reparações mais rápidas
- AI & Machine learning: Enables AI predictive maintenance and load forecasting.
- Apoio à resposta da procura: A AMI permite que os serviços públicos enviem sinais durante os picos de procura, incentivando os utilizadores a reduzir o consumo. Além disso, utilização de medidores enables precise tracking of energy consumption, ensuring fair and transparent billing based on actual usage.
- EV charging: Enables Balanceamento de carga dinâmico, cobrança inteligente, demand response automation.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML)
According to research, 74% of energy companies adopt some sort of AI.
While the energy sector is beginning to adopt AI, many utilities lag in leveraging its full potential.
Como a IA optimiza as operações de serviços públicos:
- Forecast demand: AI tools balance supply and demand in real time, preventing grid overloads.
- Manutenção Preditiva: AI anticipates equipment failures, minimizing downtime and costly repairs.
- Personalização do cliente: As informações baseadas em dados permitem que as empresas de serviços públicos forneçam recomendações e soluções de faturação personalizadas
Challenges Companies Face Regarding AI
The emergence of AI data centers poses multiple challenges for energy providers.
Companies must scale infrastructure to respond to the demand of running and cooling servers for training AI models.
Additionally, a U.S DOE warns of “data poisoning”, where attackers might feed the AI false sensor data to shut down crucial components.
Also, since AI is trained on specific scenarios, it might make illogical decisions when faced with scenarios it hasn’t seen yet.
Digital Twin Technology
“Digital twin” software (real‐time virtual replicas of plants, grids, pipelines, or water systems) is maturing in utilities.
These virtual replicas allow for simulating changes or failures and how systems react to these factors without real-world risks.
Inovações e principais desafios no sector da energia e dos serviços públicos
O EY Future of Energy Survey reveals that 62% of utility companies claim to be utilizing digital twins, only 11% feel that these technologies are meeting their expectations.
Developments in Digital Twin Software
- AI and ML: Newer software uses AI to more accurately simulate environments by being trained on real-world data.
- Real-time access to IoT devices: This allows DT to access actual sensors and devices instead of simulated ones to construct accurate environments.
- Cloud-native platforms: DT software is being developed on the cloud, allowing for easier integration and lowers time-to-value.
Improving interoperability between systems, introducing standards, increasing shared understating of how digital twins work is the main goal going forward.
Renewable Energy
Renewables are set to surpass coal-fired generation in 2026.
This shifts the market focus away from coal and towards renewables; this is reflected in software trends.
The figure below shows electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear energy and renewables by continent in 2024.
| Continent | Fossil | Nuclear | Renewable |
|---|---|---|---|
| África | 75% | 1% | 24% |
| Ásia | 70% | 5% | 25% |
| World | 59% | 9% | 32% |
| Oceânia | 58% | 0% | 42% |
| América do Norte | 56% | 16% | 28% |
| Europa | 40% | 21% | 39% |
| South America | 22% | 2% | 76% |
Fonte: Our World In Data
Renewable energy is unpredictable; we can’t generate wind or switch on the sun on demand, like we can with fossil fuels.
It’s also highly dependent on the location. Transmission of renewables becomes a challenge when plants are so decentralized.
This is why Virtual Power Plants (VPP) e Distributed Energy Resources Management Systems (DERM) are shifting towards cloud-native SaaS solutions tailored for renewables.
The focus is to make renewable energy storage and transmission reliable and efficient.
This is mostly done with AI and digital twins to predict demand, scale power plants and simulate changes and disasters.
Additionally, Energy as a Service (EaaS) and Utility as a Service (UaaS) are on the rise.
Preços dinâmicos
Os modelos de preços fixos estão desactualizados no panorama energético atual. É por isso que preços dinâmicos is a win-win for utilities and consumers.
It reflects real-time conditions, creating a more balanced and efficient system.
Modelos dinâmicos de preços para serviços públicos:
- Preços em tempo real: Adjusts rates based on grid capacity and renewable energy availability.
- Preços por tempo de utilização: Encourages off-peak energy usage by offering lower rates.
- Preços escalonados: Rewards efficient energy consumption with reduced costs.
Principais vantagens da fixação dinâmica de preços:
- Reduces grid strain during peak periods.
- Helps consumers save money with smarter energy choices.
- Promotes efficient energy use e grid stability.
The introduction of dynamic pricing opens up new market opportunities.
Smart Grid Modernization
The rise of distributed energy (solar panels, batteries, EVs, etc.) is leading utilities to adopt sophisticated grid-management software and Virtual Power Plant (VPP) platforms.
Modern smart grid software integrates demand response, inverter controls, storage dispatch, and microgrids to keep the grid balanced.
Caraterísticas da rede inteligente para serviços públicos modernos:
- Sensores IoT: Provide real-time grid performance data for proactive management.
- Deteção de falhas: Quickly identify and resolve issues, minimizing outages.
- Sistemas de resposta à procura: Dynamically adjust energy supply to meet changing demands.
- Artificial Intelligence: Forecasting weather events, power spikes and outages.
O impacto das redes inteligentes:
- Seamless integration of renewable energy sources into the grid.
- Enhanced reliability and reduced operational disruptions.
- Greater energy efficiency and sustainability.
Integração de veículos eléctricos (VEs)
À medida que a adoção de veículos eléctricos cresce, aumenta também a pressão sobre a infraestrutura da rede. Os serviços públicos devem adaptar-se a EV charging solutions mantendo a estabilidade da rede.
Trends in EVs are indirectly affecting the decisions that energy and utility providers make.
The question for utility providers has shifted from “How do we survive this demand?” para “How can we utilize this demand to our advantage?”.
On the one hand, technologies like V2G pose a challenge when it comes to regulatory compliance and grid compatibility.
On the other hand, however, they also provide benefits like grid stabilization e peak load management to grid operators.
Furthermore, EVs are the perfect testbed for next-gen electricity pricing.
O ChargeWise California pilot project found that dynamic price signals, combined with automated charging management, achieve up to 98% EV charging load delivered off-peak.
Above 60-70% typically achieved by time-of-use (ToU) tariffs.
Pricing engines like Tridens Monetization enable effortless configuring of complex tariffs.
Estratégias para uma integração eficaz dos VE:
- Sistemas de gestão de carregamento: Equilibre as cargas da rede optimizando os horários de carregamento
- Modelos dinâmicos de preços: Incentivar o carregamento fora de horas de ponta com tarifas de eletricidade variáveis
- Conectividade da rede: Integre sem problemas a infraestrutura de VE com os sistemas de energia para evitar sobrecargas
IoT na gestão da energia
O Internet das coisas (IoT) está a transformar os serviços públicos, permitindo a monitorização e o controlo em tempo real de todas as operações.
Principais aplicações IoT na gestão da energia:
- Dispositivos inteligentes: Os termóstatos e os monitores de energia permitem aos consumidores otimizar a utilização de energia
- Monitorização em tempo real: As empresas de serviços públicos obtêm informações acionáveis para aumentar a eficiência e reduzir o desperdício
- Integração das energias renováveis: A IoT ajuda a gerir a variabilidade das fontes de energia renováveis
Benefícios da IoT para fornecedores de energia e serviços públicos:
- Reduces carbon footprint by optimizing resource management and energy consumption
- Reduces energy waste and operational costs
- Increases transparency and control for both utilities and consumers
- Supports sustainability goals through better resource management
Choosing a Modern Monetization Provider
At Tridens Technology, we empower energy and utility companies with Tridens Monetization.
Ao integrar a faturação avançada, a análise de IA e os modelos de preços dinâmicos, ajudamos os serviços públicos a automatizar todo o seu processo de contagem até ao dinheiro com uma plataforma de faturação multi-serviços totalmente configurável.
Our customers benefit from real-time charging and invoicing, enabling instant billing based on usage or time.
Advanced rate management tools let you create and manage complex pricing structures with ease, including usage-based and dynamic pricing models.
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