SIEW Thinktank Roundtable A: Engaging Consumers for Smarter Grids

In SIEW Thinktank Roundtable A hosted by the Energy Research Institute @ Nanyang Technological University (ERI@N), energy experts examined the relationship between consumer side participation and smart grid technologies. Kim Jin reports

Technology has doubtlessly made the consumers' lives better. But it is also thanks to the democratisation of technology—from the Internet of Things (IoT) to more decentralised energy resources—that has empowered consumers to play greater roles in shaping the development of low carbon roadmaps.

Experts at the SIEW Thinktank Roundtable A on 28 October said consumer behaviours are both a problem to the grid and an opportunity in the transition to new energy systems. All agreed, though, that the consumer's role needs to be taken more seriously in relation to smart grid development.

Moderator Cherif Assaf, Programme Director, ERI@N, painted a picture of the consumer of the past, who had a fixed energy demand that he could not shift. But tomorrow's consumer is changing. Mr Assaf said this new consumer may have a micro-grid installed in his house—from solar panels to storage units, electric vehicles and different energy units he can manage and control—all made possible by digitalisation and decentralisation.

Consumer-assisted green and flexible energy

In response to this, Mr Assaf believes that having power system flexibility will help to address these dynamic needs from the generation to the transmission and demand sides—something he coined FlexiWatts. Among the projects that ERI@N is developing is the Distributed Energy Resource Management System that can be decentralised and allow for optimisation at the level of the customer.

Mr Assaf also noted a change of paradigm to a sharing model, where multiple parties access services from the same asset (e.g. a battery or electric vehicle), sometimes at the same time, using digital technologies.

The session also featured a presentation by Sunseap Group Vice-President Peter Goh on "Guiding Building and Facility Owners in their Transition to a Low-Carbon Future". He described solar leasing as one of the cornerstones of its business, allowing consumers to tap into solar energy without solar panels on their rooftop.

Efforts and ideas to engage the consumer

So how can grid operators and consumers partner for success?

Jean-Philippe El Khoury, Head of Sales, Smart Grid in East Asia and Japan, Schneider Electric, said the way forward is to engage, activate, and orchestrate the consumer's energy usage. In addition to helping consumers reduce bills through changing consumption levels according to live time-of-use rates, Schneider Electric's product Uplight can even suggest further savings by suggesting participation in demand response programmes.

On the demand side and grid technology interface with the consumer, Anne-Soizic Ranchere, Principal, Enea Consulting Singapore, observed that the “as a service” model for consumers is growing, with offerings extending beyond energy. She noted that there are growing opportunities for active demand side solutions, although major barriers would include business complexity and economic areas.

In closing, the speakers agreed that technology will be key to engaging the consumer. New platforms will also be needed to help the consumer navigate the energy transition.

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