By Jesse Berst
At this year's Accenture International Utilities and Energy Conference, one of the most thought-provoking speeches came from Google's Michael Lock, VP of Enterprise Sales for the Americas. His ideas have implication for our ongoing discussion of Electronomics, the economics of our shift to the Electricity Economy.
Michael had many predictions for the future of the business world. Google, after all, gains amazing insights from its search business. It can often spot trends before they become apparent to the rest of us.
He used a Silicon Valley catchphrase to describe the next phase. He called it MoSoLo, which stands for Mobile, Social and Local. Michael says MoSoLo is revolutionizing business. He pointed out that utilities have been insulated from some of these changes to date. The electric power industry has not seen the wholesale transformations that these trends have brought to music, bookselling, travel and many other sectors. But this temporary isolation cannot last. As consumers get accustomed to MoSoLo in every other part of their lives, they will demand it in electric power too.
I think there's at least one more major force at work. I believe that virtually every new device will eventually ship with the ability to be connected to the Internet and (in most cases) to report its energy use. So I would append the abbreviation to become MoSoLoCo. (The Co is for Connected.)
Here are just a few of the possibilities and implications:
- Mo(bile). Consumers increasingly expect both content and control from their mobile devices. They expect to receive content on their phones and tablets. (For instance, a major publisher just announced a program that delivers textbooks to students on any device from PC to tablet to phone.) And they expect to be able to control other devices (lights, cable boxes, TVs, security systems) right from their phones. Implication: Consumers will expect their energy information to show up on mobile devices too, and to be able to control their home energy settings from the same place.
- So(cial). People 35 and under increasingly expect a social dimension to any and everything they do. The publisher mentioned above, for instance, also lets students highlight passages, ask questions and make comments while including teachers and other students. Implication: Consumers will expect comparisons to other, similar homes, the ability to share tips and tricks, or even efficiency "games" and competitions.
- Lo(cal). Michael points out that Google and others are mapping the physical world to the virtual world. And since they increasingly know where the customer is at, they are modifying what they do to make it more localized and, therefore, more relevant. Implications: Consumers will soon come to expect that they'll be able to see local infrastructure as another layer in Google Maps. And doesn't it make sense that homeowners could check online for the location of underground lines on their own property? Or see where crews are during storms and disasters? (Long Island Power Authority is doing this already.)
- Co(nnected). Once devices are connected, they can be queried and controlled locally. Implication: I think many consumers will want to move from control to "cruise control." They will want to maintain overall control of the parameters (you can cycle my air conditioner no more than x times per year and the temperature cannot go past x degrees). But once they set the boundaries, they'll want the devices to operate automatically. Why should I need to remember to start my dishwasher at 9 p.m., my EV charging at 11 p.m. and my hot water pre-heating at 5 a.m. when my utility can do it for me?
I've listed just a few of the obvious implications. I'm sure many of you can see even further over the horizon. Please use the comment form to make your own predictions about when and how MoSoLoCo will transform electric power.
.
More to read…
Can 10,000 consumers be wrong?
NRG chief: IT to lead energy revolution In 'Age of Empowerment'
Why utility CEOs are asking the wrong question (and what they should ask instead)
.
Jesse Berst is the founder and chief analyst of Smart Grid News.com. He consults to smart grid companies seeking market entry advice and M&A advisory. A frequent keynoter at industry events in the US and abroad, he also serves on the Advisory Council of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Energy & Environment directorate.
Talk Back
