Industrial Talk is onsite at DistribuTECH and talking to Dr. Dominic Kohler, Head of Product Management for Power System Simulation at Siemens about "Modeling and simulating renewables energy integration into grid systems".  Here are some of the key takeaways from our conversation:


Dominic Koehler (Siemens product manager) discussed the company's new solution, Network Model Manager, which simplifies power grid modeling and simulation. Scott MacKenzie and Dominic emphasized the importance of leveraging data-driven insights to optimize power grid management, highlighting the need for modeling and simulations to optimize the interaction between renewables and the existing grid, validate data for accurate simulations, and integrate AI and modular software to revolutionize the industry. Dominic joined the conversation, emphasizing the importance of innovation and collaboration in the utility industry.
Action Items

[ ] Reach out to Dominic on LinkedIn for more information about Siemens' Network Model Manager and simulation solutions.
[ ] Consider how a pilot project with Network Model Manager could provide initial value by connecting SCADA systems to the model manager.
[ ] Continue innovating the Network Model Manager to make it more modular, integrate new technologies like APIs and cloud, and explore future capabilities like AI recommendation engines.

Outline
New product offering from Siemens, a network modeling manager, with a product manager from Siemens sharing background and industry insights.

Dr. Dominic Kohler discusses new product offering from Siemens with Scott MacKenzie.
Dominic discussed their role as Head of Product Management for power system simulation suite at Siemens.
Dominic shared their passion for bringing technology and business sides together to identify how simulation technology can be used in the electricity industry.

Modeling and simulating renewable energy integration into existing grid systems.

Utilities must model and simulate grid changes to optimize renewable integration.
Dominic discusses Siemens' next-generation network model management solution, leveraging new technologies like cloud readiness and interoperability.
Customer requests for improved model quality to run simulations, despite recognizing the model's limitations, highlighting the need for higher-quality data.

Utilizing network models to improve power grid efficiency.

Dominic explains that modeling the power grid is not just about simulating a single asset, but rather creating a digital representation of the entire grid with hundreds of thousands of assets.
Dominic finds it fascinating to model such a large system, with its complexity and potential for degradation, using simulation techniques from their background in the field.
Utilities are automating data flow in their systems to improve efficiency and reduce manual processes.
Whitehead's KPI for society's evolution is the number of processes that can be automated, and the industry is making remarkable progress in this area.

Utilizing AI and simulation technology for power grid optimization.

Scott MacKenzie and Dominic agree on the importance of data quality and validation in power grid simulations.
They discuss the challenges of dealing with inaccurate or outdated data, and the need for aligned knowledge across the company.
Dominic discusses using AI to optimize engineering simulations, with potential to revolutionize industry.

Energy transition, grid management, and AI...