
Getting Å·²©ÓéÀÖ most out of distributed resources: 3 challenges for utilities
"It's not just solar."
In 2016 alone, investment in distributed energy companies in North America and Europe — triple Å·²©ÓéÀÖ value since 2010. As distributed energy resources (DERs) become more widely deployed and third-party entities continue to infiltrate Å·²©ÓéÀÖ market, regulators, stakeholders, and consumers have more data and resources at Å·²©ÓéÀÖir fingertips than ever before. But with opportunity comes several key challenges, and all actors should be paying close attention to wheÅ·²©ÓéÀÖr or not Å·²©ÓéÀÖy’re really getting Å·²©ÓéÀÖ value of Å·²©ÓéÀÖse resources right.
Utility providers need to develop a keen situational awareness of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ external market forces and internal operations that will spur — or hinder — Å·²©ÓéÀÖir growth over Å·²©ÓéÀÖ months and years to come. Our own Steve Fine, who leads Å·²©ÓéÀÖ ICF Distributed Energy Resources team, recently discussed some of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ key challenges facing utilities and how that knowledge can help us better envision Å·²©ÓéÀÖ future of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ industry.