News scan: The role of information technology in renewable energy

Summary
1) From this coverage, it seems as though big data plays less of a role in actually
generating energy than it does in helping utilities companies monitor usage for marketing
purposes. However, most articles made it sound as though sizable amounts of data can
be leveraged to generate insight into renewable energy in general and therefore will
better match renewable energy up against traditional energy.

2) Additionally, much of the available technology focuses on reducing costs of renewable
energy and will help maximize the demand for lower-cost energy and revolutionize the
way people think of it. One large issue that proprietors and engineers of renewable
energy still face is the slow rate of adoption surrounding renewable energy versus
traditional energy, possibly because of a generational reluctance to adopt it.

3) 3) The current focus of big data as it is pertinent to renewable energy, at least in the
United States, is helping give people data-driven insights about their energy
consumption therefore providing an impetus to help them conserve energy. It also
increases awareness of climate change and gives developers the opportunity to utilize
data to better the distribution of renewable energy.



How big data can reduce our carbon footprint (BigData-Startup May 2, 2013)
http://www.bigdata-startups.com/how-big-data-can-reduce-our-carbon-footprint/

According to this blog, big data can turn th existing old energy network into smart networks that
understand individual energy consumption, in turn increasing efficiencies, lowering prices and
lowering our carbon footprint.


Made in IBM Labs: IBM Drives the Future of Renewable Energy with New Wind and Solar
Forecasting System (IBM Aug. 12, 2013)
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/41310.wss

IBM engineered an advanced power and weather modeling technology that will help utilities
increase the reliability of renewable energy resources. The solution, called Hybrid Renewable
Energy Forecasting (HyRef) combines weather prediction and analytics to accurately forecast
the availability of wind power and solar energy. This will enable utilities to integrate more
renewable energy inth the power grid, in turn helping reduce carbon emissions and improving
clean energy output.

President and CEO of ACORE said: Utilities around the world are employing a host of
strategies to integrate new renewable energy resources into their operating systems in order to
reach a baseline goal of a 25 percent renewable energy mix globally by 2025.

Other articles about IBMs renewable energy focus can be found here:
http://earthtechling.com/2013/08/ibm-forecasts-more-renewables-with-big-data
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/08/ibm-20130812.html


Utilities switch to big data for renewable energy (GEReports Sept. 19, 2013)
http://gereports.com.au/post/19-09-2013/utilities-switch-to-big-data-for-renewable-
energy#.U0wudVVdXTo

This article is about General Electrics recognition of Greensync, an Australian company, for
providing a software that reduces energy consumption by 3 percent. According to the article,
Greensyncs approach is to use big data analytics, an approach to computing that identifies
complex and previously undetectable relationships between large clusters of information.


Can Crowdfunding Help Cleantech Ride the Big Data Wave? (The Energy Collective Jan.
25, 2014)
http://theenergycollective.com/greenskeptic/330391/can-crowdfunding-help-cleantech-ride-big-
data-wave

Agrion, the self-identified global network for energy, cleantech and corporate sustainability,
convened a roundtable at the Markle Foundation in New York to discuss advances in funding
new ideas and uncovering innovation for energy and sustainability.

Clean Data Projects Jon Roberts said, energy is where the most data is.

Another panelist claimed that the biggest obstacle in the integration of big data in renewable
energy is that the older generation isnt uncomfortable with it.


How utilities are profiting from Big Data analytics (Engineering and Technology Magazine
January 20, 2014)
http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2014/01/data-on-demand.cfm

This article focuses on electric/gas/water companies analyses of data that their systems
generate to gain insight into customer trends and operational efficiencies. Market analyst GTM
Research predicts global utility company expenditure on data analytics will grow from $700m in
2012 to $3.8bn in 2020, with gas, electricity, and water suppliers in all regions of the world
increasing their investment.


Big Data Projects on Solar Technology Evolution and Diffusion: Kickoff Meeting (Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)
http://energy.gov/eere/sunshot/big-data-projects-solar-technology-evolution-and-diffusion-
kickoff-meeting

Seven projects are investigating strategies to accelerate the pace of change for solar energy
technology through the Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies (SEEDS) program). This
project focuses more on market consumption and competition with traditional energy that it does
on the actual generation of renewable energy.


NEC commissions largest renewable energy storage system in Italy (Renewable Energy
Focus April 4, 2014)
http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/37824/nec-commissions-largest-renewable-energy-
storage-system-in-italy/

NEC Corporation commissioned ESS (Energy Storage System) for Enel Distribuzione, Italys
largest distribution system operator. The system can help nations meet globally agreed targets
to decarbonizes their economies by integrating renewable energy into their grids in a cost-
effective way.

This system enables 100 percent of the power generated by renewable energy sources to be
used.

NECs ESS will eventually be integrated with Enels smart grid infrastructure which is based on
an automated meter management system with smart meters installed at homes, offices and
factories, in addition to new innovative big data analytics and IT systems to provide a two-way,
real-time information exchange of electricity demand.


White House Brings Together Big Data and Climate Change (Climate Central March 19,
2014)
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/white-house-brings-together-big-data-and-climate-change-
17194

The White House released climate.data.gov, part of the Climate Data Initiative, to make climate
data readily available to the public as well as private companies and developers.



Google, Facebook and Apple lead on green data centers (The Guardian April 2, 2014)
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/greenpeace-report-google-facebook-apple-
green-data-centers

This article is about the adoption of renewable energy resources in major companies.

One important point: According to The Guardian, the U.S. lacks the policy mandate that makes
renewable energy use and emission reductions priorities for the information technology service
providers and their customers. Therefore, there is a lack of pressure to use renewable energy.


Hawaiian Electric wins renewable energy grant (WRAL April 9. 2014)
http://www.wral.com/hawaiian-electric-wins-renewable-energy-grant/13552852/

Another project stemming from a federal grant to develop ways for utilities to manage increased
amounts of solar power and other renewable energy on their electric grids.



Wind Power is a Win for Americans and the Environment (Roll Call April 14, 2014)
http://www.rollcall.com/news/wind_power_is_a_win_for_americans_and_the_environment-
232166-1.html?zkPrintable=true

Wind energy and its benefits are expanding rapidly thanks to continuing cost declines.
Wind energys costs have fallen 43 percent in the past four years, driven by technological
advances and the creation of a domestic manufacturing supply chain that produced more than
70 percent of wind turbine value in America as of 2013. Because of those cost declines, U.S.
wind energy use has more than tripled over the last five years, accounting for more than 35
percent of all new electricity-generating capacity over that time period.


Big Data Transforms Wind Power (EMC)
http://www.emc.com/microsites/bigdata/bigdata-transforms-wind-power.htm
Not much of an article, but there is a great infographic here about the relationship between Big
Data and renewable energy.


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