Perhaps no other technological advance has received as much publicity in recent years as the advent of a “smart grid”, which brings advanced computing and communications to the energy and water infrastructures.
The challenge is in determining which of the smart grid or intelligent infrastructure technologies make sense for a given utility, which of those technologies can actually perform and which should be shelved for consideration at a later date.
The task of smart grid development is particularly acute in that most electrical systems operate at an existing high level of reliability and in an era of tight budgets the idea of spending extra capital for technology that has yet to prove its value is difficult. The concept is further complicated as intelligent infrastructure is applied to water and natural gas systems which share much of the same communication space and customer base with the electric grid.
The experienced team at Halcrow can help utilities separate fact from fiction in a world of overblown vendor claims, great regulatory expectations and media hype. From the development of robust business cases and technology roadmaps to the development of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and management of stakeholder processes, members of the Halcrow team have been involved with smart grid since its inception more than a decade ago.