POWER January 2020 - 42

CONNECTED PLANT
Optimizing Power Plant
Decisions with 5G Technology
The power industry is always looking for ways to improve efficiency and enhance
reliability. 5G, that is, fifth-generation wireless technology, may help utilities reach
new heights.
Laiq Ahmad
E
very day, we learn a little more
about
what's
possible
with 5G.
While initial rollouts of 5G have positioned
the technology as a successor to
4G LTE, its potential applications extend
far beyond speedier smartphone technology.
At the same time, as the excitement
around 5G increases, it becomes
difficult to separate fact from fiction and
identify exactly how the new technology
will enable progress in individual industries,
especially for utilities.
5G is essentially a fully wireless form
of digital communications that allows the
seamless transmission of information
from one device or entity to another-resulting
in a fully connected world (Figure
1). This technology has obvious applications
in the consumer entertainment
space, enabling faster streaming feeds
and immersive entertainment experiences
such as augmented reality (AR) and
virtual reality (VR), but it can also up-level
the utility and industrial internet of things
(IIoT) space. When paired alongside existing
(and complementary) technologies,
including artificial intelligence (AI),
5G can enable greater connectivity and
faster analysis of industrial data.
5G should be a pillar of every organization's
roadmap. It will play a key role
in infrastructure, and organizations must
prepare themselves for the increased
importance of this technology.
Preparing for New Technology
There's a learning curve when implementing
any kind of new technology.
Between weaving in new methods and
systems with the existing technology in
place, and ensuring that employees are
well-equipped to work with new technology,
there's a lot that needs to be done
to set the stage for technologies such as
5G and AI.
The utility industry is at a unique inflection
point. As an industry that has
traditionally struggled to make its way
into the digital era, 5G could be the push
42
1. 5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology. Some testing indicates 5G may provide
speeds up to 20 times faster than current-generation wireless. At least one study suggests
the utility industry will be among the leading investors in 5G technology in the coming years.
Source: Shutterstock
utilities need to amplify the impact of existing
technologies, such as AI.
Before we discuss the benefits of
5G and other transformative technology,
we have to recognize the history
of the utility industry, identify the past
technologies that failed to gain traction,
and determine how best to avoid making
those mistakes when implementing new
technology moving forward.
The utility industry is cautious to adopt
new forms of technology, which largely
boils down to having to create change
at scale. There are three main objectives
that the utility industry typically focuses
on: safety, reliability, and affordability. Because
this industry is heavily regulated
(and rightfully so)-the safety and reliability
of new technology must be proven
prior to implementation.
In order to sustain technological progress
and create a more secure standard
of care, utilities and regulators must
work together to create a system that
ensures utilities remain safe while enabling
the exploration of new technology.
While there's no one right answer
www.powermag.com
for accomplishing this, the best way to
start is by pooling industry data points
and use cases to share with regulators
as a proof point for new technologies.
This helps create an industry standard
of care that pushes for a greater culture
of innovation.
We've seen this with a number of different
forms of technology, most notably
with blockchain. Blockchain received acclaim
and hype when it first entered the
scene, but it's making slow progress due
to lack of regulations and inadequate organizational
readiness, resulting in slow
adaptation of technology.
Given general confusion around the
nebulous nature of 5G networks, the
actual effectiveness of the technology
may not be immediately apparent to utilities.
However, with proper preparation
and education, utilities can use 5G and
other rising technologies such as AI to
their advantage to gain the insights that
matter most in three key areas: predictive
monitoring, continuous transmission
of data, and quicker decision-making for
digital workers.
POWER | January 2020

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POWER January 2020

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