Deploying smart grids can help Qatari economy diversify from oil and gas, said a latest report by a management and technology consulting and engineering services firm.
As Qatar looks towards attaining its National Vision 2030, developing smart cities and harnessing alternative sources of energy production, the Solar Smart-Grid Project launched by the Qatar Foundation (QF) is paving the way for the adoption of solar power as a key energy source for the country. The utilities sector has historically under-invested in information technology (IT), but an increasing number of utility companies in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region are waking up to the benefits of smart technology – particularly smartgrids, found the report by Booz Allen Hamilton.
The report titled: ‘Switched On: How Mena Can Build Smart Grid Success’, states that customising smart grid strategies to suit an organization’s objectives and mitigate challenges, while focusing on business transformation will determine the successful adoption of smart grids in Qatar. Smart grids are a convergence of the electric power, communications and IT industries, built on the foundations of advanced metering infrastructure, or AMI—an integrated system that enables two-way communication between utilities and their customers. Using a blend of classic electric grid with information, communication and control technologies, smart grids help utilities companies overcome many of the operating and customer service obstacles that stand in their way, thus delivering results for both companies and consumers.
The result is greater control over the production, transmission, distribution and retail of electricity, as well as increased efficiency along with the reduced consumption and cost.
