Smart Grid Solutions

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 "𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿" 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗱 (& 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀). Prosumer is a made-up term that combines "producer" and "consumer." Energy consumers are often still connected to the central grid. However, they can produce and store energy, often through photovoltaic solar panels and #EV batteries. By generating power, consumers can reduce their monthly expenses or sell the surplus to utilities, creating a promising financial opportunity. This is a significant step towards financial independence for households and businesses, with an increasing number of entities connecting their solar panels and EV fleets to the grid. Past reports from the United Kingdom and the United States reveal dissatisfied customers with power firms. With the increase of energy suppliers and consumers, utilities must use intelligent solutions to foster improved customer involvement and satisfaction. Artificial intelligence (#AI), the driving force behind intelligent grids, is crucial in addressing energy challenges. It assesses all the specific parameters and constraints and takes action to achieve particular goals, such as integrating renewable energy, stabilizing energy networks, and reducing financial risks. This technological advancement gives us hope for a more sustainable and stable energy future. For example, AI's self-learning, flexibility, and computation capabilities have tremendous potential for addressing renewable energy's intermittent nature. An imbalance in production and consumption peaks, commonly symbolized by "the duck curve," can make these energy sources challenging to govern. The application of AI in #smartgrids will help alleviate this issue by adjusting production and consumption loads. UK distribution system operators recently launched initiatives using smart meter data to help users improve energy management, optimize network loads, and cut carbon emissions. The recent feedback from a joint survey by BMG and Ofgem demonstrates rising consumer satisfaction with using new technologies and the data they use to help prosumers save money. #energygrid #BI #BigData #smartmeters

Here is one opportunity in Nigeria’s power sector to watch closely in 2026. Yes, its Net Billing. Across Nigeria, thousands of solar systems are installed. But there’s a quiet inefficiency most people don’t talk about: excess power is often wasted. That inefficiency, alongside rising self-generation and the push for decentralised energy — is what has driven the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) introduced the Draft Net Billing Regulations, 2025. We  Olaniwun Ajayi LP, have in the attached newsletter unpacked the draft regulations in depth. 💢 At its core, the Draft Regulations is designed to allow consumers with qualifying renewable energy systems (50kw and above), especially solar to export excess electricity to the grid and receive energy credits in return. 💢 It formally introduces the concept of the prosumer: a consumer who can both consume and supply electricity within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry. 💢The framework sets out who can participate, how to apply, and how systems are approved and commissioned, with clearly defined roles for DisCos, NERC and other regulators. 💢It also establishes technical and operational standards to ensure grid safety, stability and reliability — a critical issue for a system already under strain. Now to the commercial arrangement, where most developers and financiers will pay close attention to:. The Draft Regulations propose a structured billing and settlement mechanism, where: 💥 imported energy from the grid is billed at the normal end-user tariff, 💥 exported energy earns credits based on a regulated injected-energy tariff, 💥credits can be carried forward, applied against future bills, and in some cases transferred with the premises. 💥 there are also defined provisions around eligibility thresholds, metering, billing transparency, dispute resolution, and ongoing regulatory oversight. That said, the framework is still a work in progress. While some argue that Nigeria may not yet be ready, energy transitions are not designed when systems are perfect. As the saying goes: you don’t plan to be big when you are big, you plan to be big when you are small. If finalised and refined properly, the Net Billing could unlock new opportunities for distributed generation, commercial and industrial solar, financing structures, and grid-integrated renewables  while reducing waste and improving system efficiency.

Commercial and industrial buildings play a critical role in the goal of a net-zero society. Today, buildings account for 37% of global CO2 emissions. If we are to reach even our most unambitious climate goals, we need to change the type of energy used to power both existing and future buildings. That’s where #prosumers come in.   As onsite renewable energy becomes more widely adopted, adding battery storage and #microgrid technology makes buildings more resilient if their grid-sourced power fails, helps them to reduce costs by optimizing the use of locally-generated renewable energy during times of peak demand, and even supplements the energy utility’s generating capacity if the grid becomes overstretched.   In order to respond to rapidly changing grid conditions, the technologies used by buildings' prosumers for load management, storage and generation need to be able to share data reliably, securely and autonomously. Schneider Electric’s hardware, technology partnerships, advanced software (e.g. EcoStruxure microgrid solutions and AutoGrid Flex), and joint ventures for Energy-as-a-service: AlphaStruxure and GreenStruxure, will help us lead the way in the provision of renewable energy, microgrid technologies and #eMobility.    Learn more on my latest blog about how commercial and industrial buildings are shaping the new energy landscape, and solutions to help us build a more sustainable, electrified, and digitized world.   https://lnkd.in/gE6htKCU

The number of prosumers is growing rapidly, which is a good thing. But without the right incentives, we risk repeating the mistakes of other European markets, where explosive growth later led to complete blockages. 🗣️ That is why, as I said on Friday at the annual conference organized by InvestEnergy, it is important to encourage prosumers to use the energy they produce and to invest in storage solutions. Right now, large prosumers are exempted from paying balancing costs, but these costs end up being paid by everyone else. If a prosumer receives the same price for injected energy as for consumed energy, there is no incentive to invest in batteries. I know there is a lot of discussion about dynamic tariffs, which we at E.ON, for example, already offer. But if the prosumer law does not allow or even discourages such incentive mechanisms, we will not see the right reaction from the market. ⚡ Furthermore, according to the law, the average value paid out to prosumers is higher than the real value of the energy injected. Last summer, for example, prosumers with installations of 200–400 kW were paid 62 bani/kWh, while the actual value of the energy injected during the day was only 32 bani/kWh. The difference is again charged to everyone else. Last but not least, as prosumers consume less energy from the grid, they also pay less for the grid than before, but grid costs are rising in order to enable their connection. These costs too are covered by everyone else. I also mentioned the misleading commercial strategy of Hidroelectrica, which sells electricity below market price to final customers, with the effect that less competitive energy reaches the wholesale market. While some customers may be happy, this pushes prices up for everyone else –  especially if Hidroelectrica sells more energy below market price than it produces and then buys the difference from the market, driving it further up. Either it is a commercial strategy to attract customers with cheap prices and raise them later, or it is a poor strategy that destroys shareholder value. What we actually need is for Hidroelectrica to invest and successfully complete more power plant projects that Romania urgently needs. Here are some very concrete proposals on how to bring down electricity prices for everyone, not just for some: ➡️ Review the prosumer law by introducing incentives for storage. ➡️ Urgently introduce a binomial tariff for electricity distribution. ➡️ Ensure that no company, whether state-owned or private, artificially distorts the wholesale market with negative social impacts and lower competitiveness of the Romanian economy. ➡️ Improve the regulatory framework for distributors to allow stronger grids and better integration of renewables. Otherwise, we risk creating a completely unnecessary social problem. #energy #prosumers #pricecap #liberalization

Electrification is accelerating but our energy system still treats most homes and buildings as passive consumers. Somewhere over Canada last week, looking down at a grid of lights stretching to the horizon. Every dot tells the same story: energy flowing one way. Millions of homes, buildings and vehicles consuming electricity almost none producing it. And yet, the energy transition is quietly changing that assumption. Another shift is happening in parallel: the rise of the prosumer. Homes with rooftop solar. EVs that store energy. Buildings that can respond to price signals and system needs. Not just consumers but participants. The potential is real. Prosumers can reduce peak demand, support grid reliability, and help integrate more clean electricity — often locally, and at lower system cost. But today, the system isn’t built for them. Rules still assume one-way flows. Rates rarely reflect flexibility or timing. Selling energy back to the grid remains inconsistent or undervalued. And system benefits — resilience, avoided infrastructure, emissions reductions — often sit outside the bill. So we end up with a familiar gap: Technology is ready. The system is not. Progress depends on a few fundamentals moving together: - clear, fair frameworks to sell energy back to the grid - rate designs that reward flexibility not just consumption - incentives that reflect broader system value, not only private returns - investment in enabling infrastructure (EVs, buildings, digital systems) - better information so people understand how to participate From 30,000 feet, the energy transition looks like a supply challenge. Up close, it’s also a market design and policy challenge. If we want the grid to work tomorrow, prosumers can’t remain an edge case. They need rules that scale. Signals that are predictable. And a system that treats distributed energy as an asset not an exception. Because the future grid won’t just be bigger. It will be more distributed, interactive and local whether we design for it or not. Frederick Morency Frederic Godemel David O'Reilly Angel Pedrosa Lorne Hedges Emily Heitman Jodi Smith-Meisner Sophie C. Carol McGlogan Cherith Sinasac Stephanie Medeiros Kaliyur Sridharan Pratap Revuru, P.Eng., SMIEEE Pierre-Olivier Pineau Johanne Whitmore Marie Lapointe Nick Rinaldi Swati Vora-Patel Guy Lachance, P. Eng.

$𝟯𝟬 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆... that's how much U.S. DOE estimates power outages and fluctuations cost businesses and consumers. But what if there was a 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 way? Smart grid technology integrates digital communication with the electrical grid to create a dynamic, interactive energy delivery system. It facilitates two-way communication between utilities and consumers. This dynamic interaction: > enhances grid reliability > optimizes energy efficiency > provides granular control over electricity usage 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿... It can fundamentally transform our engagement with electricity. And it does so by 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨. Smart meters provide immediate feedback that allows consumers to see exactly how much energy they use, when they use it, and at what cost. Consumers can make informed decisions about their energy use and adjust their consumption habits. Demand response programs align consumer behavior with grid needs. Consumers are incentivized to adjust their energy use during peak times in exchange for financial incentives or lower rates. On top of all that, smart grids facilitate the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) like solar panels, wind turbines, and home batteries. Consumers can generate their own power and sell excess back to the grid, becoming '𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀'. What's your take on smart grid technologies? #innovation #technology #energy #sustainability #electricalengineering Source: Image from Energy Atlas ASEC ENGINEERS - Engineering your success, delivering precision and innovation in every project since 1991.

⚡ Is AI the Secret to a Just Energy Transition? Pleased to share insights from a new 2026 report by The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, which explores how Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the relationship between residential consumers and the power grid. The report highlights a critical turning point: as households transform into data producers and operational assets, the promise of consumer empowerment through AI faces a troubling "migration of control" toward opaque platforms. The benefit of this research is a first-of-its-kind unified regulatory framework designed to ensure AI serves the public purpose rather than just corporate algorithms. Main Takeaways 1️⃣ AI is no longer peripheral; it is actively transforming efficiency, demand response, prosumerism, investment decisions, electric mobility, and P2P trading. 2️⃣ AI systems can reduce household CO2 and costs by up to 20-30% by automatically aligning consumption with low-carbon energy availability. 3️⃣ Consumers are evolving from passive buyers to "behavioural subjects" whose daily routines, such as when to charge an EV, are increasingly guided by adaptive nudges. The Opportunities: ✳️ AI lowers the "cognitive barrier," allowing non-experts to engage in complex energy markets and P2P trading with minimal effort. ✳️ By orchestrating millions of distributed resources, AI can flatten the "duck curve" and support a higher penetration of variable renewables. The Challenges: ✴️ There is a real risk that benefits will concentrate among the "digitally savvy," leaving vulnerable households behind and widening inequality. ✴️ The granular data required for optimization can reveal sensitive personal habits, yet the "black box" nature of many AI models makes it impossible for users to contest automated decisions. #EnergyTransition #ArtificialIntelligence #NetZero #EnergyPolicy #DigitalEnergy #Prosumers #SmartGrid 

Quick question: when did you last update your electricity vocabulary? Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) just handed us a new word "Prosumer" and it tells you a lot about where our power sector is heading. It comes from the Net Billing Regulations 2026, which NERC approved in May. The word itself is the clue: it fuses producer and consumer. Because that's exactly what you become under these rules someone who both draws power from the grid and supplies it back. Here's the idea in plain terms. If you have a renewable energy system within prescribed thresholds, you can now export the electricity you don't use into your distribution company's network and be rewarded for it. Not in cash, but in energy credits that get netted off your bill. Three terms worth knowing: A Prosumer is a customer who has a Net Billing Arrangement with their distribution company. A Net Billing Arrangement is the deal that lets you export surplus power and earn those credits. And you're a "User" simply by being supplied electricity by a DisCo whether for your home, your business, or your factory. This is one of the more interesting shifts in our power sector in a while, and there's plenty still to unpack: who qualifies, the capacity limits, and how the credits actually add up. I'll be breaking it down across the rest of the week. So tell me which part are you most curious about? Follow me and drop it in the comments and I'll make sure to cover it.