IBM Research: Smarter Energy Research Institute (SERI)

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Smarter Energy Research Institute (SERI)

Creating the utility of the future

IBM Announces Bold Energy Vision at Third Annual SERI Conference

The energy domain is at an inflection point with the convergence of multiple disruptive trends. In response to new challenges, data and analytics will transform the energy industry.

IBM Research hosted the third Annual Smarter Energy Research Institute (SERI) Conference, a signature event with more than 60 clients from 30 companies and institutions, on June 17 and 18 at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. The theme that resonated at the conference was that energy systems are at a disruptive inflection point and face new challenges. Data and analytics will transform the energy domain in helping to face these challenges.

The conference included three keynotes, eight technology demonstrations and two expert panels:

The Chair of the New York Public Service Commissions, Ms. Audrey Zibelman, introduced What does Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) mean for Electric Utilities asserting that "we are moving away from a centralized grid."
Professor Mark Jacobson of Stanford University presented Feasibility and Implications of 100% renewable electric power in which he predicted that "All 50 states can run entirely on renewable energy by 2050."
An IBM Research keynote described Opus, a probabilistic framework for orchestrating energy systems to manage uncertainty through analytics, big data and Internet of Things (IoT) techniques.
Two panel sessions with domain experts debated "What are the top three technology or policy drivers to achieve (near) zero outage?" and "Evolve or die – what are the top three ways in which utilities, grids and business models must evolve?"
Eight analytics projects, ranging from renewable integration, to asset management, to customer analytics were demonstrated in a state-of-the-art THINKlab where IBM and global utility companies partnered to showcase advances in technology.

Please forward your feedback on this year's event to Amy Schneider, SERI IBM Program Director, to help us plan an even better conference next year!

Keynote Speakers
	What does Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) mean for electric utilities? Audrey Zibelman, Chair, NY Public Service Commission
	Feasibility and implications of moving to a 100% renewable electric power system in New York & the United States Professor Mark Jacobson, Stanford University
	Opus Vision: A framework to optimally plan & orchestrate energy systems of the future Chandu Visweswariah, IBM Fellow, Smarter Energy and Environmental Science, IBM Research Kevin Warren, Distinguished Research Staff Member, and Senior Manager, Clean Energy and Environmental Science, IBM Research
Special Panel Sessions
	Session 1: Ensuring Grid Resilience in a World of Uncertainty What are the top three technology or policy drivers to achieve (near) zero outage? Moderator: Terry Oliver, Chief Technology Innovation Officer at Bonneville Power Administration
	Session 2: Challenges and Opportunities in Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and Micro-grids Evolve or die: What are the top three ways in which utilities, grids, and business models must evolve? Moderator: Kerrick Johnson, Vice President - Communications and Strategy, VELCO

IBM Journal of Research & Development
This issue is devoted to the innovative application of cutting-edge analytics in the energy domain. A collection of 11 papers represent state-of-the-art tools that are delivering significant value in utilities around the world. This body of work demonstrates the importance of such topics to IBM as well the importance of analytics in the energy sector. IBM Research, in all its global labs, has embraced deep domain knowledge and industry eminence in the energy space, leading to innovations that are not just useful in the “back office,” but that will prove essential to the day-to-day operations of energy companies.

Read the Smarter Energy issue.

About Opus

As technology transforms both the delivery and requirements of energy, the next generation of SERI, code-named Opus, will continue to work with energy and utility companies to develop innovative analytics solutions for their businesses and evolve to build a common, open analytics platform and uncertainty workbench using IBM's Energy Platform, Insights Foundation for Energy (IFE).

Opus is a framework to optimally plan and orchestrate energy systems of the future. We will leverage IBM’s expertise in analytics, big data and the Internet of Things to build a system that creates actionable intelligence using a probabilistic decision support system. For more information on this partnership, please contact Glenn Holmes, IBM Director of Research Client Engagements.

Advanced Analytics Solutions for Energy demonstrated at SERI 2015 Conference.

A Review of Past SERI Conferences (2013-2014)

Smarter Energy in an Uncertain World

Learn more about the six propositions that drive change in the Energy & Utilities industry in this Smarter Planet blog article by Ron Ambrosio, CTO, Smarter Energy Research, IBM.

Recap of SERI Third Annual Conference

On June 17-18, 2015, The SERI Conference hosted more than 60 clients from 30 global Energy & Utility companies and institutions. Watch a recap, below:

Managing Uncertainty

What if we could enable flexible Distributed Energy Resources? Technology is changing both the delivery and requirements of energy towards integration and balancing of renewables - such as distributed electric storage, electric and plug in hybrid vehicles, distributed wind and solar generation.