Demonstrating in Real-Time the Power of Collaboration for Next-Generation Grid Technology with ABB’s Jesse Koskela [Power Perspectives Conversations at DISTRIBUTECH 2024]

Mar 22

Amidst the dynamic atmosphere of the DISTRIBUTECH 2024 conference, a focal point for industry influencers shaping the future of energy, Jesse Koskela and his ABB colleagues stood out as key contributors in the discourse on groundbreaking innovations in grid technology. Showcasing ABB's initiatives to transform grid infrastructure, Koskela shared the latest advancements in technology and collaborative solutions that grid operators can integrate into their operational environments today.

Koskela provided Energy Central with a personal walkthrough of ABB’s advanced, digital substation technologies to shed light on the company’s innovative approach to grid modernization and its implications for the future of energy distribution. From hardware-defined to software-defined architectures, Koskela's vision offers a glimpse into the transformative potential of collaboration and innovation in shaping a more sustainable energy landscape.

Taking Stock of a Transitioning Power Sector

Reflecting on recent trends in the power sector, Koskela highlighted a few key drivers. First, the global push for green energy by governments has led to a rush of new renewable energy on the grid. Of course, this move to clean energy is intentional and helps to reach decarbonization goals, but it also leads to new challenges for the grid “Governments are providing tremendous push towards green energy transition,” Koskela noted. “This addition of renewable energy is creating a new challenge for the utilities, particularly in managing a grid with bidirectional energy flow.”

Simultaneously, the industry is propelling the grid towards greater intelligence, unlocking possibilities for enhanced flexibility, resilience, and optimization. “You need a better way to manage and protect assets and the grid in this new environment,” noted Koskela, as he demonstrated ABB’s centralized protection and control system that offers scalable and flexible solutions for protecting assets and managing grid operation. ABB sees substations as an ideal node for creating intelligent edge solutions in order to manage the integration of renewable energy into the grid more efficiently.

Koskela highlighted, of course, that the collaborative success shown by the substation they were demonstrating on the DISTRIBUTECH floor represents a technology already put into practice, bringing with it key lessons learned that he was eager to share with fellow conference-goers.