Learn how the energy & utilities industry is adapting to key trends like AI, electric vehicles, renewables, and the challenges they face going into 2026.
目录
与 AI data centers, EV charging and renewables on the rise, the energy & utilities industry is facing a surging electricity demand.
公用事业正处于一个关键时刻，拥抱创新不再是可有可无，而是保持领先的必要条件。
让我们深入探讨影响这一转变的趋势，以及公用事业公司如何有效利用这些趋势。
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 按使用量计费, 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
- 实时数据： 智能电表可提供实时消费数据，使公用事业公司能够检测停电情况并准确定位，以便更快地进行维修
- AI & Machine learning: Enables AI predictive maintenance and load forecasting.
- 需求响应支持： AMI 允许公用事业公司在需求高峰期发送信号，鼓励用户减少消耗。此外、 计量使用 enables precise tracking of energy consumption, ensuring fair and transparent billing based on actual usage.
- EV charging: Enables 动态负载平衡, 智能充电, 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.
人工智能如何优化公用事业运营：
- Forecast demand: AI tools balance supply and demand in real time, preventing grid overloads.
- 预测性维护： AI anticipates equipment failures, minimizing downtime and costly repairs.
- 客户个性化： 数据驱动的洞察力使公用事业公司能够提供量身定制的建议和计费解决方案
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, 的 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.
能源和公用事业的创新和关键挑战
ǞǞǞ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 非洲 | 75% | 1% | 24% |
| 亚洲 | 70% | 5% | 25% |
| World | 59% | 9% | 32% |
| 大洋洲 | 58% | 0% | 42% |
| 北美洲 | 56% | 16% | 28% |
| 欧洲 | 40% | 21% | 39% |
| South America | 22% | 2% | 76% |
资料来源： 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) 和 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.
动态定价
在当今的能源环境下，统一定价模式已经过时。这就是为什么 动态定价 is a win-win for utilities and consumers.
It reflects real-time conditions, creating a more balanced and efficient system.
公用事业动态定价模型：
- 实时定价： Adjusts rates based on grid capacity and renewable energy availability.
- 使用时间定价： Encourages off-peak energy usage by offering lower rates.
- 分层定价： Rewards efficient energy consumption with reduced costs.
动态定价的主要优势：
- Reduces grid strain during peak periods.
- Helps consumers save money with smarter energy choices.
- Promotes efficient energy use 和 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.
现代公用事业的智能电网功能：
- 物联网传感器： Provide real-time grid performance data for proactive management.
- 故障检测： Quickly identify and resolve issues, minimizing outages.
- 需求响应系统： Dynamically adjust energy supply to meet changing demands.
- Artificial Intelligence: Forecasting weather events, power spikes and outages.
智能电网的影响：
- Seamless integration of renewable energy sources into the grid.
- Enhanced reliability and reduced operational disruptions.
- Greater energy efficiency and sustainability.
电动汽车（EV）集成
随着电动汽车的普及，电网基础设施的压力也在增加。公用事业公司必须适应 驱动器 charging solutions 同时保持电网稳定。
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?” 至 “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 和 peak load management to grid operators.
Furthermore, EVs are the perfect testbed for next-gen electricity pricing.
ǞǞǞ 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.
有效整合电动汽车的策略：
- 充电管理系统： 通过优化充电计划平衡电网负荷
- 动态定价模型： 用可变电价鼓励非高峰充电
- 电网连接： 将电动汽车基础设施与能源系统无缝集成，防止超载
能源管理中的物联网
ǞǞǞ 物联网(IoT) 通过对整个运营过程进行实时监控，正在改变着公用事业。
能源管理中的关键物联网应用：
- 智能设备： 恒温器和能源监测器使消费者能够优化能源使用
- 实时监控： 公用事业公司获得可操作的洞察力，以提高效率并减少浪费
- 可再生能源一体化： 物联网有助于管理可再生能源的可变性
物联网为能源和公用事业提供商带来的益处：
- 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.
通过整合先进的计费、人工智能分析和动态定价模型，我们利用完全可配置的多服务计费平台，帮助公用事业公司实现从电表到现金的整个流程自动化。
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.
