Terna is participating in the Bits&Watts research program, promoted by the Precourt Institute of Energy at Stanford University, to develop solutions for the decarboniation of the electricity sector.
In the context of its research and innovation activity, Terna has decided to participate in the research programme which has been running since October 2016 at the Precourt Institute of Energy at Stanford University (one of the 30 research centres focused on engineering and a benchmark in dealing with global energy challenges). The programme, which is called Bits&Watts to highlight the strong correlation between electricity grids and digitalisation, aims to identify solutions which promote and speed up the transition taking place in the electricity sector towards an “affordable, low carbon energy system”.
The goal of the collaboration between Terna and Stanford University (which is among the top universities worldwide, with an annual research budget of USD 1.6 billion and 76 academic departments which invest highly in sustainability and energy efficiency) is to fuse industrial and academic skills in order to develop innovative projects and solutions for the evolution of today’s electricity grids.
The strategic value of this initiative lies in the use of an integrated approach to research associated with 3 themes, which range from the coordinated management of electricity transmission and distribution grids, to the active integration of consumers into the electricity system, to data analysis for the development of new, automatic energy-management tools. One of the advantages of the project is the number of targeted, advanced training and coaching programmes which involve multidisciplinary-team activity participation and the possibility for selected Terna employees to act as Visiting Scholars at Stanford University and partake in the creation of specific research programmes. This is, therefore, a precious opportunity for growth and value-creation for the carefully selected Terna employees who will function as the “bridge” between the company and the Californian university. The initiative also envisages workshops and networking in order to enable dialogue and discussion on shared research between stakeholders.
Terna, in line with its Innovation Plan, is taking part in the project as an Initiative Elite Member, a position which allows it to participate in the Advisory Council and therefore contribute to the definition of the Programme’s strategic guidelines.