From mining to utilities, asset-intensive industries around the world are digitalizing their energy systems. The driver? Sustainability. After all, digitalization and sustainability go hand in hand – and organizations are under increasing pressure to reduce their environmental impact and source cleaner energy solutions, like wind and solar power.
The Paris Agreement highlights the urgency of this shift. To meet global climate goals, industry emissions need to be reduced by 90% by 2050. And by this time, electrification should also account for around 50% of total energy demand1.
Without digitalization, such changes would be challenging. But with it, organizations can optimize their energy consumption, streamline their energy management, and boost renewable integration, making it easier to achieve sustainability goals while remaining competitive.
Figure 1. What will 2050 look like?
From data to insights
To better understand the current landscape, we spoke to more than 40 business leaders working across engineering, operations, asset management, and procurement. Asking them about their digital strategies, we uncovered a key issue. Namely, digitalization comes with a lot of data - much of which gets stuck in silos.
Fragmented systems and protocols are the main cause of these silos. The main result? Different and sometimes even contradictory messages, leading to confusion and making it difficult to act on data alone.
Even when data isn’t siloed, many operational teams struggle to interpret their data and turn it into real value. “We have so much data available, but we don’t have the means to use it,” another business leader said. Other respondents echoed this sentiment. When asked to rank the benefits of digitalization, our interviewees selected ‘data insights and recommendations’ more frequently than any other benefit.
Naturally, data insights and recommendations can take many shapes. For many, the best insights and recommendations will enhance visibility into asset conditions – helping them optimize maintenance, boost organizational reliability, and reduce costs. For others, the best insights and recommendations will help bolster efficiency through automation, AI, or machine learning. For all, strong insights will help them make more sustainable decisions about how they use and manage their energy systems.
Figure 2. What matters most about digitalization?
Unlocking the potential of digitization
To truly unlock the potential of digitalized energy systems, organizations need the right partner who can make the most of the data that comes with energy system digitalization in a simple, reliable, and trustworthy way.
At Hitachi Energy, we offer end-to-end solutions that help you turn data into actionable insights. From modeling and simulation at the planning stage, to data solutions for remote asset monitoring during their lifecycle, we can help you make more informed decisions at every step. And with smart substation equipment, digital platforms, EV charging, and energy trading software, we provide the tools you need for more sustainable energy systems.
Keen to dive in deeper? To learn more about how to turn data into real value, as well as how we can help you on your sustainability journey, check out our latest report, or speak to us today
How to get real value from your digital strategy:
A guide to sustainable transformation for utilities and other asset-intensive industries