The steady increase of distributed generation and dramatic electrification requires a more flexible grid. Intelligent power management company Eaton is accelerating this shift with its Brightlayer Utilities suite, which empowers utilities to make more informed decisions and react faster to dynamic grid conditions. With new modeling capabilities and data-driven insights, utilities can optimize grid performance, integrate more renewables faster, simplify compliance with evolving regulations and plan for changes ahead.
By 2050, analysts expect a 57% increase in global electricity demand, driven in large part by electrification of transportation and buildings. At the same time, distributed energy resources (DER) are expected to account for the majority of electricity generation in net zero energy systems. Digital tools providing utilities with new capabilities to model, predict, automate and control are essential to operate a grid with two-way power flow.
“Utilities are navigating a new power landscape where electricity is increasingly the energy of choice, energy sources are more renewable and flexibility is rewarded by both energy consumers and regulators,” said Patty Seifert, director, utility digital offers and operations, Eaton. “Our Brightlayer Utilities suite is helping utilities everywhere digitalize, modernize and improve resilience by enabling more informed, data-based decisions and smarter devices at the edge—creating a grid that’s flexible and ready to react instantly to changing conditions.”
With the Brightlayer Utilities suite, investor-owned, municipal and co-op utilities can build flexible energy systems incorporating Eaton’s expansive utility software solutions to deliver:
- Grid planning with highly sophisticated power engineering analysis, including network modeling and simulation capabilities for planning, operation, protection and DER interconnection
- Modernization through distribution and substation automation reducing the impact of outages, advancing cybersecurity and compliance for utility systems
- Smart grid networks that provide data-driven insights and automated control for load forecasting and managing assets, supporting delivery of low-cost electricity
