New book published: How will digitization change the energy supply?

The book “ Realization Utility 4.0 “ has just been published by Springer Verlag . Cross-industry experts present where and how digitization will change the energy supply system or where it is already doing so. Topics such as intelligent measuring systems (smart meters), energy data management systems, OpenData, DataScience, data hubs, flexibility and blockchain are explained in a practical and application-oriented manner and perspectives are shown. The book may be considered one of the most comprehensive basic reports on the subject of digitization, energy and decarbonization, since it really depicts all links in the value chain and provides strategic impulses.

Together with well-known industry experts, I was able to contribute to the Swiss energy landscape, which is perhaps still somewhat unknown on the «digital floor». It was important to me to draw as broad a view as possible of the current energy and electricity landscape in Switzerland so that readers with a good foundation can enter into the further, not entirely trivial discussion about the role of digital platforms, OpenData and data hubs in the energy sector. Simplified conclusion: It will take a lot more data and simple, platform-based access to this data, which is also accessible to machines. This can be used to advance innovations and clever digital solutions. So platforms and data hubs are at the center of my book contribution. He shows, how they will support the electricity market and thus innovation as well as the use of flexibility in future SmartGrids and SmartMarkets. There is still a lot to do here, especially in the energy sector.

Fortunately, the potential of digitization, data and data hubs is slowly being recognized by the energy industry and other stakeholders – this is shown in the consultation report on the revision of the Electricity Supply Act (StromVG) and the statements on the subjects of data, data exchange, metrology and data hubs. It is therefore not surprising that Ms Sommaruga mentioned at the media conference on the revision of the Electricity Supply Act that measurement technology and data hubs – and thus digitization in a broader sense – should be examined more closely. I am happy to be able to push these topics forward in the BFE’s Digital Innovation Office, because the BFE finally has the dialog paper on digitization in the energy sector important impulses for the further material discussion in Switzerland.

Matthias Galus, Head of Digital Innovation Office, SFOE