Learn how the energy & utilities industry is adapting to key trends like AI, electric vehicles, renewables, and the challenges they face going into 2026.
Indice dei contenuti
Con AI data centers, EV charging and renewables on the rise, the energy & utilities industry is facing a surging electricity demand.
Le utility si trovano in un momento critico in cui abbracciare l'innovazione non è più facoltativo: è necessario per rimanere all'avanguardia.
Approfondiamo le tendenze che stanno dando vita a questa trasformazione e come le utility possono sfruttarle in modo efficace.
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 fatturazione basata sull'uso, 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
- Dati in tempo reale: I contatori intelligenti forniscono dati di consumo in tempo reale, consentendo alle utility di individuare le interruzioni e di localizzarle per una riparazione più rapida.
- AI & Machine learning: Enables AI predictive maintenance and load forecasting.
- Supporto alla risposta alla domanda: L'AMI consente alle utility di inviare segnali durante i picchi di domanda, incoraggiando gli utenti a ridurre i consumi. Inoltre, utilizzo misurato enables precise tracking of energy consumption, ensuring fair and transparent billing based on actual usage.
- EV charging: Enables Bilanciamento dinamico del carico, ricarica intelligente, 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.
Come l'AI ottimizza le operazioni delle utility:
- Forecast demand: AI tools balance supply and demand in real time, preventing grid overloads.
- Manutenzione predittiva: AI anticipates equipment failures, minimizing downtime and costly repairs.
- Personalizzazione del cliente: Gli approfondimenti basati sui dati consentono alle utility di fornire raccomandazioni e soluzioni di fatturazione su misura.
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, il 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.
Innovazioni e sfide chiave nell'energia e nelle utility
Il 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 75% | 1% | 24% |
| Asia | 70% | 5% | 25% |
| World | 59% | 9% | 32% |
| Oceania | 58% | 0% | 42% |
| Nord America | 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.
Prezzi dinamici
I modelli di prezzo a tariffa fissa sono superati nel panorama energetico odierno. Ecco perché prezzi dinamici is a win-win for utilities and consumers.
It reflects real-time conditions, creating a more balanced and efficient system.
Modelli di prezzi dinamici per le utility:
- Prezzi in tempo reale: Adjusts rates based on grid capacity and renewable energy availability.
- Prezzi in base al tempo di utilizzo: Encourages off-peak energy usage by offering lower rates.
- Prezzi differenziati: Rewards efficient energy consumption with reduced costs.
I vantaggi principali del pricing dinamico:
- 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.
Caratteristiche della rete intelligente per le utility moderne:
- Sensori IoT: Provide real-time grid performance data for proactive management.
- Rilevamento dei guasti: Quickly identify and resolve issues, minimizing outages.
- Sistemi di risposta alla domanda: Dynamically adjust energy supply to meet changing demands.
- Artificial Intelligence: Forecasting weather events, power spikes and outages.
L'impatto delle reti intelligenti:
- Seamless integration of renewable energy sources into the grid.
- Enhanced reliability and reduced operational disruptions.
- Greater energy efficiency and sustainability.
Integrazione dei veicoli elettrici (EV)
Con la crescita dell'adozione dei veicoli elettrici, cresce anche la pressione sull'infrastruttura di rete. Le utility devono adattarsi a EV charging solutions mantenendo la stabilità della rete.
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?” a “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.
Il 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.
Strategie per un'efficace integrazione dei veicoli elettrici:
- Sistemi di gestione della ricarica: Bilanciare i carichi della rete ottimizzando i programmi di ricarica
- Modelli di prezzi dinamici: Incoraggiare la ricarica fuori dalle ore di punta con tariffe elettriche variabili.
- Connettività di rete: Integrare senza problemi l'infrastruttura EV con i sistemi energetici per evitare sovraccarichi.
L'IoT nella gestione dell'energia
Il Internet delle cose (IoT) sta trasformando le utility, consentendo il monitoraggio e il controllo in tempo reale delle operazioni.
Applicazioni IoT chiave nella gestione dell'energia:
- Dispositivi intelligenti: I termostati e i monitor energetici consentono ai consumatori di ottimizzare l'uso dell'energia.
- Monitoraggio in tempo reale: Le utility ottengono informazioni utili per migliorare l'efficienza e ridurre gli sprechi.
- Integrazione delle rinnovabili: L'IoT aiuta a gestire la variabilità delle fonti di energia rinnovabile
Vantaggi dell'IoT per i fornitori di energia e utility:
- 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.
Integrando la fatturazione avanzata, l'analisi AI e i modelli di prezzo dinamico, aiutiamo le utility ad automatizzare l'intero processo meter-to-cash con una piattaforma di fatturazione multiservizio completamente configurabile.
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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