A front row seat to the future

preDICtIVe teCHNOLOGY IS NOtHING NeW AND HAS beeN USeD FOr DeCADeS tO FOreCASt WeAtHer eVeNtS AND StUDY eCONOmIC DAtA, bUt A NUmber OF mODerN teCHNOLOGICAL ADVANCemeNtS HAS SeeN preDICtIVe teCHNOLOGIeS FIND SeVerAL NeW USeS, pArtICULArLY WItHIN tHe CONStrUCtION AND FACILItIeS mAINteNANCe INDUStrIeS.

many companies are already using sensors to monitor metrics including speed, temperature, noise emission and fluid levels. these sensors are able to have parameters set around what is deemed to be an acceptable tolerance for each of the metrics being measured.

thanks to the Internet of things (Iot), the sensors are able to trigger a warning should any abnormal activity occur and send details of the event to a service control centre. technicians are then able to assess the alert and despatch a technician if required, or in some instances address the problem remotely, often before the client is even aware that an issue has taken place. In other instances, notes can be written into a technician’s schedule so specific tasks can be performed during the next scheduled maintenance visit to rectify potential problems.

this isn’t the end of the benefits that can be gained through predictive technology in such a scenario. A technician using Google maps or similar to navigate their way to site can also access live traffic data. this allows them to receive recommendations on the fastest available route based on predictions derived from real-time traffic, roadwork, and weather information.

more than 600 cities around the world are already using predictive technology to gain efficiencies in their outdoor and street lighting. Smart lighting systems use data based on time of day, season and weather conditions to allow light to be used more responsibly. this has resulted in reducing these lighting systems’ energy consumption by as much as 30%. progressive cities are now incorporating this technology into their waste management systems and roadways in efforts to drive efficiencies and improve traffic flows even further.

Within the consumer space, smart homes are now managing energy and resources and allowing residences to react to their environments. Houses are able to selflearn trends around heating, lighting, ventilation and power management in order to improve performance and energy efficiency. Smart appliances can learn and predict our needs, such as streaming services offering recommendations based on our viewing history, and smart fridges predicting when we will need additional groceries and adding these to a shopping list or placing an online order for us.

As technology continues to evolve, and we find more and more ways to interact with the machines that make up our environment, we can only wonder what will be around the next corner. One thing is certain though, and that is that those in the electrical and communications industry are destined to have a front row seat.

NEW TECHNOLOGY

AN OPPORTUNITY OR A RISK?

tHrOUGHOUt HIStOrY, teCHNOLOGY HAS pLAYeD AN ImpOrtANt rOLe IN HUmAN eVOLUtION, mOVING US FOrWArD tO WHere We Are tODAY. mANY OF tODAY’S NeCeSSItIeS Were ONCe tHe reALm OF SCIeNCe FICtION StOrIeS, AND mANY OF tOmOrrOW’S NeCeSSItIeS HAVe ALreADY ADVANCeD WeLL beYOND tHe IDeA StAGe. WItH mANY OppOrtUNItIeS IN FrONt OF US, It IS AN eXCItING tIme, bUt We NeeD tO be reADY. SO HOW DO We prepAre OUrSeLVeS AS INDIVIDUALS, bUSINeSSeS AND AS AN INDUStrY?

We need to consider what the future opportunities may look like. I believe a key driver across all sectors will be the increasing demand for power, and the need to use and manage it effectively, while working to reduce emissions. In the domestic/residential market we’re likely to see a greater focus on green energy and improved efficiencies, with the goal of reducing energy consumption. better use of technology will shape the way we control, analyse and manage our home environments. With the potential offered by electric vehicle (eV) chargers, and residential battery storage systems becoming cheaper, we’ll see more households going off-grid.

In the commercial space, facility managers will have a key role, managing building power and facilitating the move to hybrid options. In addition to grid power, the options will include solar, battery back-up and generators that could be green hydrogen or windpowered. this is known in the industry as a microGrid solution. building assets will be connected, with technology directing facility managers’ dashboards. they’ll monitor building energy usage and efficiency across all levels, using software that monitors predictive and preventative maintenance.

When we look at the mining sector, technology already plays a huge role. With connected sites, companies now control their mines remotely from the city. eventually pLCs and processors will be in the cloud, supported by input/ output (IO) modules on site. In this environment, systems are likely to have open protocols, replacing the closed protocol systems mainly in use now. this is a totally different mind shift.

renewables are becoming increasingly viable and reliable. mining companies are already off-grid with diesel (mostly) and gas power stations. they will shift to renewables, with the main candidates being green hydrogen, battery energy storage systems and solar. Companies won’t just rely on one renewable source; they’ll harness them all using hybrid models.

Although virtual reality (Vr), or augmented reality, is already here, it will be significantly improved going forward. At Schneider electric we have working demonstrations enabling clients to put on Vr headsets and look at sites. they can virtually deep-dive into specific assets and inspect the status. In future, technicians will have avatars on site, while they fault-find from their city office.

Of all the possible developments, I believe eV chargers present the most important one for all contractors to watch, as they bring so many opportunities and challenges.

Imagine a scenario where you come home with a fully charged car. You plug your car into your house, which uses the charge to power your house overnight. From the car’s algorithms, it knows you need 20% of your battery to get to your first destination the next morning. It will either save enough battery power, or may turn on the solar when the sun rises, knowing you leave home at 7.30 am.

Looking at eVs in a commercial scenario, you pull up at a carpark (or live in an apartment) in the city. the building has 50 eV chargers connected by load monitoring

software. If yours is one of 10 cars pulling in, and they’re all flat, charging all at once may overload the circuit and the building’s maximum demand. the software determines which car needs the most charge, then shares the load so all the cars can be safely charged. We’ll also see eVs play a bigger role in infrastructure, such as the eV highway between esperance and broome in WA. the chargers are 150-kilowatt, highcharge, direct current (DC) chargers with a similar appearance to a big petrol bowser. Unlike the alternating current (AC) versions, which could take up to five hours to charge your car, the DC chargers are done in just 15 to 20 minutes. then you’re on your way.

this is just a small glimpse of what may lie ahead. With all that potential, it brings us back to the question: what can we do to prepare?

½ be aware of emerging technologies.

We need to move into the next two years with a mindset for change.

We need to be open to new ideas and start thinking creatively so we can respond effectively;

½ upskill. In future the capability to manage product interfaces that control our homes, solar and battery systems, building control systems etc will be important. We either need to learn these skills or employ people that have them, thus allowing in-house capability around design, install, program and commission with a connected asset to allow for efficient maintenance;

½ diversify the workforce. We need to throw the net wider to bring more creative people into industry, e.g. solutions architects, software programmers, change management specialists and creative designers.

We need to review how we write job descriptions and the way we recruit, so that we bring in a different view.

Unless we think forward and prepare, businesses will do the same things and get the same results. In doing so, we will get left behind, creating potential for emerging technologies to shift to another sector. We have already seen this overseas where, in some parts of the US, there is a split between the electrical industry and what they call an integrated industry, that runs in parallel. In my view, this is a big risk for our industry; we don’t want that happening here in Australia.

every day I see many technological opportunities for our industry, but to make the most of them, and prevent them from becoming a risk, we need to think differently. by ensuring we keep skills, training and technology inside the electrical industry, everyone will win. We can collectively increase the size of our markets, enabling everyone to enjoy positive profitable and sustained growth and be part of an exciting future.

Steve Reinholdtsen

Clipsal and Schneider Electric