While smart grid technologies are essential if we are to succeed in decarbonising all our activities, the rapid digitalisation of our energy system raises questions about the environmental impact generated by this explosion of sensors and data that then has to be transported, stored and processed. Think Smartgrids has published a white paper setting out seven focus areas of best practice for deploying digital sobriety in all smart grid projects. Numerous examples of projects and initiatives illustrate each of these areas, demonstrating the willingness of the smart grid industry to take up the subject.
Last March, ADEME and ARCEP sounded the alarm in a study on the environmental footprint of the digital sector: with CO2 emissions growing by 8 to 9% a year, the sector’s emissions could triple by 2050. At the same time, regulations have been tightened in recent years to combat ‘software obsolescence’, impose new obligations in terms of hardware lifecycle analysis and digital eco-design, reduce the environmental impact of data centres, and encourage data sharing.
To apply Green computing principles to smart grids, the white paper looks in particular at the optimisation of data flows and storage, as well as the pooling of data and digital infrastructures. A dozen smart grid players were also interviewed about their vision and practices by Colombus Consulting, which led the study as part of the association’s Digitalisation Commission.
Concrete examples of initiatives are given in seven focus areas:
- Reduce the footprint of hardware for data collection, storage and processing, as well as that of digital terminals. This involves not only eco-design of equipment, but also consideration of ‘right-sizing’, or even the need to deploy new equipment.
- Reviewing the technical architecture of data collection and processing infrastructures in order to optimise the volume of data stored, transported and processed, while providing the expected level of service.
- Encourage open data and shared data storage and processing platforms to avoid duplication and use the same data for different purposes.
- Promoting software frugality by designing it as closely as possible to its uses and needs.
- Favouring use cases with demonstrable environmental benefits, and seeking to avoid replicating existing projects.
- Develop real governance of digital sustainability to encourage all stakeholders to tackle the problem.
- Strengthening data standardisation and interoperability, an essential prerequisite for facilitating the pooling and sharing of data and data processing. This standardisation also optimises data storage and processing, helps combat technological obsolescence and strengthens cyber security.
While there are many practical initiatives in place to ensure that these principles of digital sustainability are applied across the board, more needs to be done to better quantify the volume of data generated by smart grid use cases and to put Green computing principles at the heart of smart grid stakeholders’ business models.
A webinar organized in partnership with the competitive clusters SCS and Capenergies will take place on 13 October at 11 am CET (in French) to present the content of the white paper.
This study was carried out as part of the Think Smartgrids Digitalisation Commission.