Moving Grid Modernization Forward
Right now, our grid is struggling to keep up with the nonstop demand for energy. Year after year, decade after decade, this need increases faster than grid improvements can be made to remediate demand-induced strain and accommodate new energy sources. Population growth and economic development are just two of many reasons for this sizeable gap that keeps expanding. While grid upgrades are currently underway — and show promise of reducing this difference — additional steps need to be taken to improve our grid’s resiliency and aid in its evolution.

New technologies create new opportunities for our aging grid to evolve. After all, we must modernize our grid — improving its load capacity, implementing smart solutions, optimizing power delivery — before we can make it clean and deliver on our collective efforts to create a more sustainable future. Responsibilities to modernize our grid through new technologies and solutions primarily remain with those closest to it: utility companies.

Utility companies have access to the latest science, innovations, grid technologies and other advancements, meaning they’re well-positioned to create the largest, quickest, most effective impacts on our grid. They can physically make the changes that are needed. They’re also at a crossroads. The utility workforce has the knowledge, technical skills and experience necessary to make change happen. But, within the next ten years, it’s estimated that 50% of the utility workforce will retire.[1] With the imminent shift in the workforce arriving sooner than expected, there’s a scramble to make sure younger generations not only enter the field but also have the technical skills needed to carry out elaborate, high-tech, grid-strengthening projects from start to finish.

[1] Power Magazine. "The Next Step for Utilities in Workforce Transformation." 21 November 2022. https://www.powermag.com/the-next-step-for-utilities-in-workforce-transformation.

What Is Smart Grid Training? How Can It Help?
This relationship between grid improvements and workforce turnover hasn’t gone unnoticed by utility leaders, governments and other key players in grid modernization. On November 14, 2023, the United States Grid Deployment Office announced that an additional $3 billion ($600 million/year for Fiscal Years 2022-2026) will be invested in grid resilience technologies and solutions.[1] This investment extends to smart grid training — comprehensive training opportunities, courses and classes — for current and future utility workforces, including contractors, that have their boots on the ground on the frontlines of energy-reduction and grid-modernization efforts.

There are two fundamental functions of smart grid training within the utility landscape:

·      Attract the next generation of utility workers to the industry through education, learning and development.

·      Keep the current utility workforce apprised of new technologies, new methods and new utility solutions that can be implemented into grid processes or workflows for quicker, lasting results.

First, we must have a large enough workforce to service and maintain the growing, volatile grid. Jobs like engineers, systems operators, surveying technicians, installers and electricians are highly important and, thus, fall at the center of smart grid training efforts. Then, we need to make sure the workforce is equipped to handle the complexities that come with the nature of the job. Technical skills are of utmost importance, intricate problem-solving abilities must be honed and troubleshooting intelligence has to be emphasized.

Not only do utilities have the power to create a secure, strong, stable grid, but they can facilitate knowledge sharing, education, learning and more throughout the workforce with their own smart grid training offerings. By taking advantage of available funding like smart grid grants, utilities can invest in various types of training to drive workforce development with programs that attract new workers and enhance the skills of current employees.

Getting started can sometimes be the hardest part. A trusted utility solutions provider can help.

[1] U.S. Department of Energy, Grid Deployment Office. "Smart Grid Grants." https://www.energy.gov/gdo/smart-grid-grants.

Smart Grid Training With Honeywell

In the utility industry, Honeywell is well-known and trusted for its unparalleled expertise and diverse set of solutions that address the needs of utilities across applications. As part of its Smart Grid Solutions portfolio, an offering that helps utilities and their customers optimize energy use and reduce grid strain, Honeywell provides smart grid training. These services, classes and solutions have been around for 40 years with measurable success.

For optimal results, Honeywell doesn’t have a standard, formal training offering. Instead of applying the same solution to utilities, which have vastly different needs, goals and specializations, Honeywell works alongside utility companies to develop tailored smart grid training plans or programs, listening to concerns and challenges before providing the best solution. If one utility needs to emphasize on-site grid maintenance, Honeywell will collaborate with the utility and provide necessary resources for field training. Or, if attention is focused on smart metering upfits within a classroom setting, Honeywell can help outline curriculum for the entire process.

Utilities can be confident when they approach Honeywell with a smart grid training challenge or workforce development opportunity. Utilities can also choose how involved they want Honeywell to be during training processes. Support ranges from intensive, hands-on training to minimal involvement and guidance.

Essentially, Honeywell’s smart grid training solutions for workforce development are designed to help remove barriers that prevent grid progress or deter workers and contractors from entering the utility industry. Not only does this versatile, flexible approach to smart grid training set utilities up for success from the start, but custom solutions encourage utility participation, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of attracting employees and creating a well-trained, highly knowledgeable workforce.

Accelerating Smart Grid Training With Digital Realities
A recent development within smart grid training — and one that Honeywell continues to invest in — is the use of digital realities. Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) simulators can create immersive digital environments that teach and test utility skills in high-stakes scenarios without risks. A modern training tool, digital realities replicate complex fieldwork and familiarize employees with solutions that will be used on various jobs.

Smart grid training with digital realities can also help prevent on-site faults, minimizing operational expenses, and provide real-time service and support. To lLearn more about the successes of digital reality solutions in smart grid training efforts on page 30 of Energy Intel magazine., please visit:  https://online.pubhtml5.com/sicr/pezp/

Smart Grid Training and Workforce Diversification
Utilities’ efforts to make sure the workforce is technically skilled and proficient — and big enough to carry out grid projects without worrying about a labor shortage — are incomplete without considerations for diversity among their teams. Grid improvements are not exclusive to any one area; that is, all territories can benefit from updates, maintenance and more. But, because some communities haven’t received the same investments in smart grid infrastructure or haven’t obtained adequate funding for upgrades, there must be a greater push for energy equity and grid servicing in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

This idea of equity extends to the utility workforce: utility impact is more effective when the workforce accurately reflects the communities it serves. In addition to equitable hiring practices, smart grid training should be accessible to young, undecided labor pools in underserved communities with emphasis on specialties, skills and experience that benefit the same areas.

Workforce Development Takes Precedence — Get Started With Smart Grid Training
When utilities invest in a strong workforce, it’s a concurrent investment in themselves. Improving the skills and abilities of the hardworking men and women who carry out grid changes, advancements and upgrades keeps utilities on the cutting edge.

Even small changes create big impacts. Utilities don’t have to reengineer their operations to develop the workforce. They can start with something simple. Investing in online courses for current employees, partnering with a local educational institution to offer classes and gauge interest from a new generation of workers or creating ways to internally share knowledge among employees barely scratch the surface of what can be done to meet future energy demands and strengthen our grid right now.

It’s even easier with a partner like Honeywell.

Visit https://pmt.honeywell.com/us/en/businesses/smart-energy/service/sgs to learn more about how Honeywell can help.Explore our smart grid solutions to learn more.

REFERENCES

1. Power Magazine. "The Next Step for Utilities in Workforce Transformation." 21 November 2022. https://www.powermag.com/the-next-step-for-utilities-in-workforce-transformation.

2. U.S. Department of Energy, Grid Deployment Office. "Smart Grid Grants." https://www.energy.gov/gdo/smart-grid-grants.