The value of digital transformation lies in “open source”

China Energy Storage Network News: ——Interview with Zhao Dongyuan, Director of the Policy Research Office of Tsinghua University Energy Internet Innovation Institute

Our reporter Meng Ranran

"Liang Bao": In the context of "new infrastructure", what is the significance of the digital transformation of power grid companies?

Zhao Dongyuan: In the context of the booming development of Internet technology and the rise of the digital economy, the main development path for the digital transformation of energy and power is to open up information flow, energy flow and value flow by introducing digital technologies such as big data, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and blockchain, so as to achieve the integration of the entire chain of power production and consumption in the power grid, and expand outward to the entire energy value chain and digital ecology, and to achieve a high degree of integration with social governance and the financial system, and ultimately help the huge physical power network to maximize its value with the help of the digital economic model. The digital transformation and upgrading of the power grid can not only promote the consumption of renewable energy through the interaction of "source-grid-load-storage", improve the safety, production efficiency, accessibility and sustainability of the energy system, but also achieve huge social benefits in changing the market, business and employment.

In the context of "new infrastructure", in the future, power grid companies should accelerate breakthroughs in basic research and integrated applications, achieve deep integration with information and communication infrastructure, and widely apply advanced technologies such as blockchain. Through a series of scientific and technological innovation measures, a new generation of digital power grids will be built to drive new economic momentum, ensure energy network security, and promote energy revolution. Power grid companies need to switch from the perspective of engineering technology to the perspective of the new economy, sort out the theoretical basis, corporate goals, and technical paths of digital transformation, change their mindset, accelerate digital transformation, and achieve high-quality development.

"Liang Bao": What advantages do power grid companies have in data mining?

Zhao Dongyuan: From the perspective of the development of digital technology, the energy industry is an early adopter of digital technology. The power industry is one of the earliest sectors to undergo digital transformation. As early as the 1970s, foreign power companies had already begun to use emerging technologies to improve the management and operation of power grids. Around 2000, my country's power communication network was initially built, and the power grid production and management information system began to go online, solving the informationization problems in the power grid business process. Since 2009, smart grids with smart sensors, smart devices and UHV technology as the core have emerged. Power grid companies have been carrying out technological innovations in smart grids for a long time and have a solid foundation in the application of digital technology.

Today, power grid companies have carried out a wealth of application practices in the sharing of power towers and 5G base stations, new energy vehicle charging piles, big data centers and artificial intelligence, such as new energy forecasting, drone operations, robot inspections, intelligent operation and maintenance of substations, and epidemic resumption index of power big data, etc. The number of patent applications and authorizations of State Grid has ranked first among central enterprises for consecutive years, becoming an innovative model for data application.

"Liang Bao": How to build a related data ecosystem while mining various types of power big data?

Zhao Dongyuan: Electricity production and consumption is an extremely complex process of control and supply-demand interaction. It not only has abundant material and energy flows, but also contains a considerable amount of information flows. Data is the core of all rapidly emerging digital technologies. Therefore, the digital economy model centered on data-driven enterprise platform construction is increasingly being adopted by leading companies in various industries. Power grid companies have inherent advantages, master the most comprehensive power information, shape an open and shared platform in the energy and power field, and connect to the industrial Internet, which can not only improve the level of power equipment manufacturing, but also enhance the competitive advantage of power grids in emerging fields such as integrated energy, electric vehicle charging, and power big data. The value of digital transformation lies not only in "saving money" to improve corporate operating efficiency, but also in "opening up" to expand new business.

It should also be noted that in order to build an open, shared and vibrant data ecosystem, enterprises must introduce Internet thinking and build an open and shared ecological environment. Metcalfe's Law is one of the three major theories of Internet value. The law holds that the value of the network increases with the square of the number of users. Whether it is an energy network or an information network, the more active users there are, the greater the overall value of the network. It is necessary to recognize that efficient interaction with users is not only an external requirement for basic utilities, but also an inherent requirement for the development of power grid companies. Therefore, how to stimulate user participation and interaction is an issue that power grid companies should pay full attention to in the process of transforming their service models and realizing digital transformation.