Advancing Resiliency in Electrification
Electrification is inevitable. However, an increased reliance on electricity (especially from renewable sources) to power everything from transportation and industrial processes to data centers and critical infrastructure also increases the importance of resiliency.
“Electrifying everything at once without looking at resilience and strategies to minimize risks and mitigate outages is potentially increasing our vulnerability.” — Commissioner Maria Bocanegra, Illinois Commerce Commission from Electrification and Resiliency.
This article examines resiliency in the context of electrification, the challenges of building resiliency into electrification initiatives, and how to design resiliency into your strategy.
Defining resiliency in the context of electrification
Resiliency is the ability of a system or organization to withstand and recover quickly from disruptions (e.g., natural disasters, technical failures, economic challenges, etc.) It involves preparing for, responding to, and adapting to adverse conditions, maintaining essential functions, and returning to a normal state.
In electrification, resiliency ensures a consistent and reliable power supply during potentially disruptive conditions like extreme weather events, technical failures, or attacks. It also maintains operational continuity to support critical functions while reducing the economic impact of power outages.
An electrification strategy should address these components to enhance resiliency:
Reliability: A system or infrastructure should have an uninterrupted power supply to minimize downtimes and failures. Proactive maintenance, upgrades, and robust monitoring are essential for reliable operations.
Redundancy: An infrastructure should have multiple pathways or backup systems to ensure continuous power supply even if one or more components fail. For example, microgrids can operate independently if the main grid fails.
Flexibility: A system or infrastructure should accommodate fluctuating supply and demand by integrating diverse energy sources, using flexible storage solutions, and implementing technology to support real-time demand response.
Adaptability: A system or infrastructure should respond to new challenges, technologies, and environmental conditions. Policies and frameworks help guide continuous evolution to support long-term success.
Resiliency must be independent for “failure is not an option” applications — meaning that the system can resume normal operations after an incident without any external intervention, i.e., calling and waiting for help.
For example, the Tanktwo Battery Operating System (TBOS) has a distributed architecture. If one part of the battery pack breaks, the architecture automatically routes around the broken parts instantaneously so the battery pack can continue its normal function.
Resiliency also means having multiple alternatives to achieve the same outcome at any given moment to minimize the dependency on one option.
For example, in traditional battery packs, wiring 100 cells with 99.9% reliability in series yields only 99.9^100=90.4% reliability for the system. Suppose the cells have 99% reliability, 99^100 yields only 37% reliability! The linear arrangement means there’s only one option. When one cell fails, the entire system won’t work.
On the other hand, TBOS’s Dycromax™️ Architecture can bypass failing cells and rewire to maintain performance automatically — achieving a close to 100% peak reliability independent of each cell’s state of health.
Challenges of building resiliency in electrification strategies
Significant investments are often required for infrastructure upgrades and new technologies. Meanwhile, interoperability issues among systems and components may stall progress. For example, integrating advanced technologies like smart grids and energy management systems with legacy infrastructure can be challenging.
Environmental and geographical challenges and constraints, ranging from natural disasters to difficulties deploying advanced systems in remote or challenging terrains, may impact implementation. Moreover, organizations must navigate complex and evolving regulatory landscapes to guide long-term planning and investment.
While technologies like smart grids and connected systems are essential for real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, automation, etc., they could make a system or infrastructure vulnerable to cyber attacks. Additionally, organizations must implement security and governance measures if they collect user data.
Many electrification solutions (e.g., battery systems) depend on specific materials and components that may become supply chain bottlenecks. For example, traditional battery solutions can only use a particular cell type and chemistry, making them susceptible to supply chain fluctuations.
[ This post explains how software-defined batteries (SDBs) help minimize the impact of supply chain challenges. ]
Like any large-scale infrastructure, future-proofing an electrification strategy is easier said than done. Let’s take battery chemistry as an example. Builders are locked into one battery chemistry available to them when they design a product. Upgrading to a new chemistry often means going back to the drawing board and redesigning the entire product.
[ This post discusses how SDBs help reduce the adoption hurdle of new battery chemistries. ]
Electrification has led to a growing demand for electricity, while climate change increases the need for cooling capacity. Meanwhile, advanced technologies like cloud computing and artificial intelligence require tremendous computing power, driving up power consumption from data centers. The grid is strained, and overload will lead to prolonged outages.
How to design resiliency into an electrification strategy
An electrification strategy must address many moving parts to build resiliency. Here are the top components to consider:
Infrastructure redundancy
Rule number one: Sh*t breaks. And often at the most inopportune moment. Infrastructure redundancy is essential for building resiliency. Install an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect sensitive equipment from damage and ensure uninterrupted operation. Also, critical systems should receive power from multiple sources.
Distributed energy resources (DERs)
Microgrids that operate independently from the main grid ensure continuous operations during outages. Combined with on-site renewable energy sources (e.g., solar panels, wind turbines), they help diversify energy supply, reduce dependency on the grid, and incorporate a reliable, low-carbon energy source to future-proof your operations.
Energy storage solutions
Flexible energy storage solutions allow you to leverage self-generated energy from on-site renewable sources around the clock to reduce reliance on the grid. Industrial-scale battery solutions with a robust battery management system (BMS) help ensure a stable power supply, enhance safety, and manage load peaks effectively.
Advanced technologies
Implement smart grid and automation technologies for real-time monitoring and control to enable rapid response to disruptions. Additionally, leverage IoT, connected systems, and analytics tools to gather data and generate actionable insights to support proactive maintenance while improving productivity, safety, and uptime.
Infrastructure hardening and cybersecurity
IoT and connected systems are vulnerable to cyber attacks, potentially causing extended downtimes. Implement robust security controls and update them regularly to protect your infrastructure against the latest threats. Additionally, don’t overlook the physical security of critical infrastructure against natural and human threats.
[ This white paper discusses battery security in great detail and demonstrates how we use software to enhance hardware security. ]
Resiliency: The key to unlocking widespread electrification
Electrification initiatives can only go so far without a reliable system to generate, store, and distribute power. Storage solutions like battery systems will become more critical as facilities incorporate on-site renewable energy sources and DERs to lower their dependency on an increasingly overtaxed grid, reduce energy costs, and shrink their carbon footprint.
Do you have a robust battery strategy to support your energy transition? Our battery strategy workshop helps you gain a 360-degree view and make informed strategic decisions.
