Clean Energy Finance Forum, VIA

Clean Energy Finance Forum Features VIA, Trusted Analytics Chain (TAC) in Recent Post

Clean Energy Finance Forum (CEFF) recently featured VIA’s presentation at Greentech Media’s Blockchain in Energy event, which took place in San Francisco this past September. The event invited technology and energy experts to discuss opportunities for blockchain technology to transform the energy industry. CEFF shared this recap:

VIA is also working to deploy blockchain applications for smart asset management. Joe Babiec, VIA’s vice president of strategic initiatives, said that blockchain-enabled smart asset management can help improve project benchmarking and maintenance scheduling. It can also support investment in equipment upgrades.

Capital investment accounts for the largest share of distribution costs as utilities work to upgrade aging equipment. According to a 2015 United States Department of Energy report, 70 percent of power transformers are 25 years of age or older, 60 percent of circuit breakers are 30 years or older, and 70 percent of transmission lines are 25 years or older.

Investment in upgrading equipment such as electrical poles, transmission wires, and substation transformers is on the rise, the report said. Utilities are seeking new ways to improve frequency and voltage control during system emergencies, accommodate greater use of renewables, and withstand extreme weather events.

VIA was already using artificial intelligence to better predict equipment maintenance needs and improve resiliency planning before developing its blockchain platform. It now offers utilities and other energy providers a blockchain-enabled system for establishing secure access to confidential maintenance data for analysis by third parties. The data can be stored in the cloud or locally.

To read the full article, visit Clean Energy Finance Forum’s website.