Smart Grid Solutions Development

In general, Utilities are looking for solutions that address in descending order of importance:

1. Increasing system reliability
2. Deferring capital expense for generation, transmission or distribution infrastructure
3. Reducing Long term operations and maintenance costs
4. Reducing line loss from the automation of system balancing and power factoring
5. Integrating smaller distributed and renewal sources of generation
6. Ensuring data security and network integrity

However, each utility will have different operational efficiency improvement goals. Which in turn will dictate which of smart grid projects they will implement and in what sequence. The key to a smart grid sale is to illustrate where the cost will be created and where the benefit is to be found.

To make a sale that is both large and early in the utility’s investment cycle relies on understanding what the utility’s core need is and demonstrating how your solution is a prerequisite to the deployment of a comprehensive smart grid solution. PLT can help a solution provider position their offering at the epicenter of the utility’s smart grid projects.

Positioning the Solution

Utilities expect a solution provider to demonstrate how a purchase will add more to economic value than adhering to the traditional alternatives for energy generation; storage; transportation and distribution infrastructure. A failure to do so will result in long high involvement sales cycles.

PLT assists the solution provider by working on its behalf with the utility to incorporate the contribution and cost of the technology into a business case. And, then develop the evaluation criteria and methodology based on the contribution the technology will make to quantifiable operational efficiencies across the organizational silos of T&D automation; meter data collections and management; energy management behind the meter and distributed generation.

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