Be Energized Podcast

With the implementation of the Utilihive integration platform, Envafors has, according to its own statement, taken an IT quantum leap in the right direction. Thomas SW Frosch is Senior Project Manager at Fit A / S shares his insights and experiences implementing KMD Utilihive at Envafors. He is also very enthusiastic about the solution and calls it a "technological quantum leap" compared to its predecessor.“One of the positive things about KMD Utilihive is that it is a cloud solution where KMD has operational responsibility. In addition, in terms of data architecture, KMD Utilihive is a real treat for someone like me. Using container virtualization, you can automatically add a server when needed. This makes the solution technically robust, so when we run large amounts of data through it, it automatically adapts to the need,” he says.Built for precisionEnvafors uses KMD EnergyKey as an Meter Data Management solution, KMD Easy Energy as a billing solution and KMD Cognito Utility for extracting data, so it already has a good, long-standing working relationship with the KMD Group. But both Jeanette and Thomas point out that, with the implementation of KMD Utilihive, they have actually become more supplier-independent than they were before. This is because KMD Utilihive can talk to all technologies, systems and data across vendors.“Let's say we decide to replace our meter retrieval system tomorrow. Instead of having to build an integration that goes directly from the new meter retrieval system and out to all relevant systems in our IT landscape, we can simply build the integration between the new system and KMD Utilihive. Everything else continues to work exactly as it did before,” says Thomas. And as he points out, this is the whole idea behind an integration platform.“But the special thing about KMD Utilihive is that it is a solution designed to support the needs of utilities, and that makes a difference. I spoke with a network company in Norway. They had explored other integration platforms that weren’t built for the utility sector. The other platforms had problems delivering the exact timestamp required to handle meter data, but KMD Utilihive handles the task to perfection. It's just one example of the advantages of using solutions specifically developed for the utility sector.”Continuing the close collaboration with KMDEnvafors' short-term goal for the KMD Utilihive platform is to build an integration to Næstved Forsyning and an extra interface for a home delivery system in Kamstrup, so they can connect addresses automatically. In the longer term, both Fit A / S and Envafors can see a string of opportunities that would take advantage of the flexibility that KMD Utilihive offers.For more information visit:https://www.kmd.net/en/customer-cases...https://info.greenbird.com/utilihive-...Acknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

Data management for electric utilities is becoming increasingly complex, in the United States systems of smart grid technologies and other connected devices are installed in an aging system of infrastructure. More and more, everyday objects are becoming interconnected such as household appliances and other consumer electronics enabled with sensors and exchanging data with other devices and systems (IoT).For utilities, monitoring and operating the grid will become increasingly difficult as these interconnected devices generate an increasing amount of data for utilities to collect, share and manage. The management and utilization of the data generated from these different components of the electrical system will be crucial for continued and improved operations.This podcast will explore the concept of “Big Data” management and integration – or management and integration of data so large and complex that it is not feasible to do so using traditional data processing applications.For more information visit: https://www.greenbird.com/utilihiveAcknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

In this episode, Thorsten Heller, the CEO of Greenbird is interviewed by Codibly’s CEO Bart Majewski. During their passionate discussion, they delve into topics including the differences in the utility industry over the years, challenges associated with data gathering, data unification and optimization, the power of platform for the digital utility, and more.Visit Greenbird’s website: https://www.greenbird.com/ Reach out to Thorsten: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thorstenh... Learn more about Codibly: https://codibly.com/ 

In this episode we announce our newest accelerator Utilihive M3 - the market messaging module and explore the details of the solution with Thorsten Heller, CEO and Co-founder. He helps explain how it helps to provide a market communications framework to fulfill the obligations of energy suppliers, network operators and other relevant parties involved in the energy system.Utilihive M3 utilizes integration capabilities of the Utilihive platform, with market-specific rules, configurations and process flows that communicate to various mission-critical and market communication systems to manage the end-to-end message exchange for deregulated energy markets.For more information visit: https://www.greenbird.com/solutions/utilihive-accelerators

Integration is no longer a ‘nice to have’ for utilities. It’s becoming essential for their day-to-day functioning. As the energy system becomes increasingly complex and reliant on renewables, integration is needed to:⚡ Coordinate complex systems⚡ Increase operational efficiencies⚡ Integrate renewable energy sources In this episode, we talk about integration in the context of the energy sector. We explore why integration is so import these days, how utilities can prepare for future uncertainties, key topics to consider and what steps they can take now as utilities become increasingly technology and data-driven organizations.Stay tuned and follow us for the next in our series 'You ask, we answer' where Thorsten Heller deeps dives into specific topics.

Security is a key focus for many grid operators and IT specialists. It has now become a priority for many utilities. There is a growing need to have access to more data across the enterprise, but this also means that more utility data is exposed to potential threats. Secure devices, secure communication links and secure systems are typical tools that utilities employ to thwart would-be attackers. In the utilities sector, a data breach can be costly. Last May the Colonial Pipeline was hacked followed shortly by two successful breaches of a United States municipal water supply. This had a massive impact for the utilities and their clients. We discuss the topic with William White in today's episode. William White (Dub) has recently joined Greenbird as Corporate Information Security Officer and has extensive experience in information and cybersecurity solutions for companies.  In this podcast you will learn: Types and examples of security breaches How organizations can protect against a breach The difference between information and cybersecurity The importance of focusing on resilience and recovery The cost of a security breach Useful steps to follow in information security management Acknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

In this Datatopia episode, Areti Ntaradimou, Content Director at Enlit Europe, spoke with Thorsten Heller, CEO, Greenbird Integration Technology on accelerating the energy revolution as well as the essence of the cognitive utility."The energy sector isundergoing a revolution.And it’s a revolutionpowered by data."Thorsten Heller, CEO and Co-founder, Greenbird Integration Technology.This Podcast was originally broadcast as a Datatopia Webinar 

Denmark is a country well known as one of the world leaders in the field of renewable energy (RE) development. With more than 40% of its energy coming from wind power and the recent announcement that it will create the world's first energy island in the North Sea, there is much to learn from these innovative examples.Many utilities are all too familiar with the mantra of going digital and the benefits this will bring to help new service innovation and accelerate the energy transition. But too often, insufficient thought goes into the technologies and people that are critical to making it happen. This is a fast paced and very diverse environment, and unless they have the right mindset and a strong IT foundation, most utilities struggle to relate to it to begin with or to keep up with it over time.Modern IT is like playing game of TETRISIn this podcast with Jens Cornelius, Senior Business Director at KMD we discuss how modern IT feels a bit like playing TETRIS — the game from the 80s. There are very few new utilities that start with a green field to make their first move. Most utilities have a legacy to take into consideration. What’s more, new things are always coming at you, and you need to deal with them. Over time they discover two things: some shapes seem familiar, and the game seems to get faster. But just like every house, utility IT environments need a solid foundation. Only then can you start building/adapting/expanding/growing. Managed well, everything fits together, but those that do not manage their technical debt can expect their Tetris tiles to pile up and will end up losing the room to maneuver or shape their future business.In this podcast you will learn:Current trends in the Danish energy system and the evolving role of utilitiesBalancing the impact of sustainability on the energy gridImpact of M&A, regulatory changes and market requirements on business and IT architectureOT/IT convergence in Danish utilitiesHow to create new value and capabilities in a digital eraFundamentals and skills requirements for future data-driven value generation and servicesHow Enterprise Architecture is like playing a game of TETRISAcknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

Digital transformation is spurring innovation and new business models across virtually all areas of the energy and utility sectors. As the pace of change speeds up, utilities rely on the expertise of technology leaders to make key system and architecture decisions that deliver future data insights and services. In this podcast Bram Murawski, a senior solution manager within Siemens Advanta and Chris Potter, a Siemens Solutions Architect speak openly about the trends driving digital transformation today.You will learn:Current status of technology adoption in the energy sectorDrivers influencing the adoption of data hubs and data lakes in EuropeDemystifying the differences between data hubs, data lakes and data warehousesData-driven use casesChallenges, opportunities and tips implementing data hubs and data lakes Related reading:“You should not have to worry about where it is and how to access it,” Gartner analyst Donald Feinberg said of composable data. It is not a single tool but rather the set of tools put together into a solution. https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3980938/data-hubs-data-lakes-and-data-warehouses-how-they-are-di https://venturebeat.com/2021/05/07/gartner-says-composable-data-and-analytics-key-to-digital-transformation/Composable data and analytics initiatives might uncover new ways of packaging data as part of a service or product. These could be built using low-code and no-code tools like those found in the Utilihive Platform.Utilihive offers the foundation for composable data and analytics allowing for easy access and sharing across distributed data environments. https://www.greenbird.com/utilihive Acknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

Digital transformation, distributed energy, democratization of energy and prosumer influences, decarbonization, Internet of Things, real-time data — these are just some of the trends and technologies that are disrupting the energy sector.This is a time of Digital Darwinism — a time where technology and society are evolving faster than utilities have traditionally adapted to change. This sets the stage for a new era of leadership at utilities, a new generation of business models, charging behind a mantra of “Jump forward or fall behind.”When two entrepreneurs and thought leaders come together the conversation flows. In this comprehensive podcast with enersis’ Thomas Koller you will hear an open discussion and dialog ranging from the experiences and learnings gained working with utilities around the globe to the trends and technologies driving the next wave of innovation and transformations in the sector.You will learn:Tips from a startup perspectiveRecent changes in the sector and future trendsHow utilities are investing in technology, expertise and new skillsHow the distributed energy system will impact centralized ITTwo tier approach to enterprise architecture; digital core and cognitive utilityNew business models driving utilities and retailers contributing to the energy transition and sustainable growthThomas Koller is CEO and founder of enersis AG. Born in Schwabe, he studied computer science in Böblingen and supported consulting and sales positions in start-ups and Fortune 500 companies before founding enersis. Next to scuba-diving, Thomas is passionate about the possibility of combining modern information technology with the requirements of the energy transition in a practical way.Acknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

The power sector in India is undergoing a significant change creating much excitement. The Government of India has identified the power sector as a key focus to promote sustainable development through the integration and greening of the grid with renewable energy and digital transformation. Key initiatives at leading DISCOMS are now focused on creating value by making energy services reliable, sustainable and affordable for their clients. At BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) they are now taking proactive steps forward to gain valuable experiences and some accolades along their digital transformation journey. By implementing and testing a data lake solution BRPL will enable future service insights and innovation for a variety of use cases. In this episode Abhishek Ranjan, Vice President and Head Renewable, DSM & EE and Energy Analytics at BRPL and Avanish Verma, Senior Researcher and Manager of Smart Innovation Norway share their insights on the trends impacting the energy sector in India today and how digital transformation is painting a very colorful future for the sector.Trends in the energy systemBRPL approach to digital transformationKey challenges and opportunities for DISCOMSWhat the changes in the energy system mean for consumersExperiences from the award winning Utilihive Data Lake implementationFuture vision and next steps of BRPL's digital journeyA celebration of color About BRPLBSES Rajdhani Power Limited is the leading premier power distribution company in the city of New Delhi serving more than 2.6 Million customers and catering to a peak load of 3200 MW. The company is a Joint Ventures between Reliance Infrastructure Limited and GoNCT Delhi. About SINSmart Innovation Norway (SIN) performs independent, applied research within the fields of smart energy systems, smart cities and communities and Applied Artificial Intelligence. SIN’s NCE Smart Energy Markets cluster boasts many IT companies including most of Norway’s leading expertise in Big Data Analytics and digital technologies from companies like Greenbird, which are the drivers behind smart energy innovation.Acknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

We have all had a hard time due to the Coronavirus (COVID – 19) and we all have been working from our homes, from buyer to the seller, operational manager to the chief information officer. We frequently use all kinds of electronic goods at home, consume lots of electricity, our computers, washing machines, and phones, etc. Today, consumers are used to having information at their fingertips. However, the reality is that most consumers spend less than 3 minutes of user engagement per year with information sent by their gas, water and electricity suppliers. Luckily, that will soon change, and AI will be a driver of enhanced services for utility customers. By harnessing the data from nearly ubiquitous smart meters and partnering with technology startups like Net2Grid, consumers, utilities and retailers will actually be able to disaggregate electricity consumption down to the level of individual appliances. Doing so enables utilities to better forecast energy demand to help their customers understand previously inscrutable electric bills and to suggest concrete ways for customers to reduce those bills. In this episode Bert Lutje Berenbroek, CEO and Bram van der Wal, Head of Product at Net2Grid reflect on 2020 and share their experiences working with clients like E.ON, EDP and Essent offering insights into the future of energy saving solutions.You will learn:Industry experiences from the last yearWhat disaggregation means and how it impacts the energy sectorHow utilities can develop value-added services in top of their commodity businessHow to drive change through data – your dataExample services from leading utilitiesAcknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

How do you transition to a next-gen enterprise architecture that enables data-driven innovation and operational excellence? Whether you are planning or executing transformative initiatives across energy services, grid analytics, application modernisation, or a 360 view of your utility, you need modern IT architectures that can simplify collaboration with market participants and accelerate time to market service innovation.Innovate to prepare for the challenges and opportunities for today’s fast-changing energy sector and technology landscape.In this podcast “Piecing together the enterprise architecture puzzle” you will learn actionable best practices from transformative industry-leaders and innovation frontrunners.We have put together an e-zine with articles which speak to these questions. You can download the digital version of this collection by visiting http://utility40.greenbird.com/ to get more information on the build vs buy debate, understand the digital integration journey and how to simplify the IT/OT relationship.Session highlights include:Discover a blueprint and reference architecture for the digital utility that you can put into action right away.Align next-generation architecture principles to your own business strategy.Hear how leading utilities overcame key challenges managing huge amounts of energy data or integrate OT/IT and edge devices to create smart benefits.Gain insight from other utilities and industries how those succeed with a multi-cloud strategy and understand their rationale behind their “make or buy” decisions.Learn key benefits from use cases that generate value.Listen to Greenbird and industry experts as they discuss utility data, building a blueprint architecture for the Utility 4.0 and how to extract value from it.Learn how a data-driven culture can transition data from a troublesome challenge item to a strategic renewable resource that drives meaningful digital reinvention.Moderator: Claire Volkwyn, Editor, Smart Energy InternationalSpeakers: Thorsten Heller, CEO | Greenbird; Klaus Wagner, IT Project Manager | Netze BW GmbH; Rinse Veltman, Director Solutions | Energyworx

Against a backdrop of increasing regulatory demands, market adjustments, cost efficiencies and consumer demand, utilities are challenged to be much more agile than ever before. Massive growth in the volume and diversity of data, insufficient quality of data and expanding data silos are emerging obstacles utilities face as the world transitions to decentralized low-carbon energy.  In this podcast Marcel Smit of Energyworx and Thorsten Heller at Greenbird discuss key trends driving the energy sector and share the reasons behind both companies announcing a partnership agreement to offer Integrated Cloud Energy Data Management for new utility business models. You will learn:Drivers behind cloud versus on-premise preferencesChallenges in SaaSifying the energy sectorBuild versus buy decisions using in-house IT resourcesRead partnership announcement: https://www.greenbird.com/news/greenbird-energyworx-partnershipAcknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

Digital innovation holds the key.As we have seen in so many other industries – including various areas of the utility sector – digital innovation creates new paradigms, transforming the economics and possibilities of industries and advancing the way we work and live.By harnessing data and digital technology, we are able to transform the puzzle pieces (data) into understandable pictures (information and insights) using advanced analytics to create significant operational and environmental gains, helping to change the way we use our resources. If we do this together, then we have the opportunity to help apply technology and innovative business models as key enablers to address sustainable development in the water sector – with the purpose of creating both economic and social impact in the world. To help foster dialogue around digital transformation in the water sector, we spoke to Jon Røstum, chief strategist Powel Environment, which is a part of the Volue group. In this episode Jon shares perspectives on critical issues facing water managers today and offer actionable insights that water stakeholders across the water cycle can benefit from and leverage for the communities and customers they serve.The technology to transform water is already available today. By tapping into the experiences and knowledge of innovation leaders throughout the water sector, we can advance the dialogue around digital water and impact the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Learn more about how digitalization is transforming the water sector here: https://iwa-network.org/publications/digital-water/Acknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

Renewables, distributed generation, and smart grids demand new capabilities and are triggering new business models and regulatory frameworks. Data collection and exchange are growing exponentially, creating digital complexity but also valuable opportunities. Utilities with assets in power generation often face stiff technical and business challenges in operation. While the technical challenges are different between utilities that generate conventional power with those that generate renewable power, the common thing that both utilities would agree on is neither operates without overcoming these challenges. These could be operation and maintenance, trading, flexibility management, or perhaps redispatch challenges based on regulatory and market requirement. In this podcast on Utility 4.0 we discuss these topics with Dr. Jonas Danzeisen, CEO and co-founder of Venios GmbH and get a fresh perspective on current trends driving the future of utilities. This podcast focuses on:What is Utility 4.0?Managing complexity in a new energy systemWhy we need flexibility and re-dispatchTechnologies driving utility 4.0How real-time virtual-twin technology offer a measured approach to control and optimize utility infrastructureand alsoWhy the evolving energy system is like a champagne pyramidAcknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities infrastructure, and advanced modeling tools, a digital transformation is underway in the water industry. We caught up Virginie Vinel Kolovos MCIM and Future Water Association Board Director to discuss the situation in the water today. When it comes to water and wastewater utilities, we wanted to know the state of adoption of digital technologies and data-driven strategies? Tune into this episode to gain insights from utilities around the world and how they apply technology to address key challenges in the industry. In this podcast you will hear more about:the Future Water Associationa vision for the future of water utilitieskey challenges water utilities are facingdrivers for digital transformationhow water utility can start their digital transformation journeytypes of digital technologies and solutions being applied todayproduct and solution recommendations for water utilitiesVirginie is an Executive and Team Coach, a catalyst in the business transformation required to take innovations to market. Public, private technology accelerators in water, energy and electronics as well as corporates benefit from 26 years' Consultant/Director international experience in entrepreneurship, strategy, business development, commercial partnerships and organisational development.  Since 2016, she is Future Water Association Board Director and a coach for Horizon2020 SME Instrument where she has accompanied more than 35 European SMEs as an Innovation Coach in the past 3 years, establishing lasting collaborations with water utilities.Acknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

Gamification is the usage of game mechanics and game thinking in serious contexts. In the energy sector it can be used to inform participants about (smart) energy topics or to motivate customers to reach energy efficiency or demand response objectives in a playful manner. However, this thinking has not reached utility operations until now. In this episode we speak with Filip Prochazka, CEO at Mycroft Mind, Czech-based technology company building a portfolio of innovative systems for processing and analysing big data collected from new sources intelligent smart grids or IoT. He provides unique insights of the future of visualization and gamification of data that improves employee engagement and motivation as well as simplifying increasingly complex data and analytics with the energy sector.  You will learn:As advanced analytics becomes increasingly business critical for utilities, what arethe key trends regarding visualization of big dataSolving complex problems through 3D visualization and GamificationReal-life examples for utilitiesChallenges related to data and data utilizationHow utilities can take a step forwardVision of the future digital utilityAcknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music

Green innovation comes in many forms with endless benefits. Since its foundation in 2011, Cloud&Heat’s mission has been to make sustainability and security a driver of digital innovation. New technologies are not only becoming an increasingly integral part of everyday life and utility processes, they also require high-performance IT infrastructures and consume enormous amounts of energy.In this podcast, Jens Struckmeier CTO and Founder of Cloud&Heat shares his vision of the future of compute and the technologies and techniques available today to create energy-efficient, scalable and secure data centers that meet the requirements of our digital future. It’s a must listen to interview that left Greenbird’s CEO speechless.Challenges for smart living and our digital futureFuture vision of data centersEmerging technologies driving the future of computeReal-world applications and customer driven use casesPractical steps towards realizing a greener data center 

For all the resources spent on innovation by utility companies, there often remains a persistent and troubling gap between the inherent value of new technology and their ability to put it to work effectively. More than 90% of machine learning use cases never make it into production. At a time of disruption in the energy sector, the distance between technical promise and ability to apply it in real business contexts is a matter of grave concern.  In this podcast we discuss one example of the 10% that do succeed. Jørn Engberg, Project Manager ICT Norwegian based NTE, shares his experiences bringing new technology and mindset into the organization to generate sizeable savings using machines learning techniques and technology. He identifies key challenges that managers responsible for implementing new technology must surmount: their inescapably dual role between IT and business, legitimate resistance to change, the right degree of promotion, the choices of implementing technologies, and the need for one or two people to drive and enable change. You will learn:The goals for AI/ML at NTESaving millions with new technologyKey considerations introducing new technologiesOvercoming challenges in digital transformationSelecting the right technologies for youRecommendation for utilities to utilize emerging technologiesFuture vision for the energy sector Acknowledgements:Song: www.Bensound.comMusic Info: Corporate Ambient - AShamaluevMusic.Music Link: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com/corporate-music