The energy landscape converging into one unified, intelligent ecosystem

Unlike conventional systems that rely on public communication backbones, Electricity 4.0 infrastructure demands dedicated and robust networks.

- Akilur Rahman CTO Hitachi Energy India

The global energy landscape is undergoing a major change. The once-siloed segments of generation, transmission and distribution are now converging into a unified, intelligent ecosystem. This shift is driven by the transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources, including solar and wind, as well as emerging technologies such as green hydrogen and advanced energy storage. Electricity 4.0 marks this convergence by combining core electrical infrastructure with digital technologies and automation, mirroring the layered integration seen in Industry 4.0.

Shift to decentralised and digital grids

Energy generation is no longer centralised. Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), such as rooftop solar, wind farms and battery storage, are redefining urban and rural energy systems. Managing this decentralised generation requires systems like Distributed Energy Resource Management (DERM), which work alongside SCADA and Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) to create a responsive and intelligent grid. An ADMS integrates SCADA, outage management, and DERMS on the operational side, while connecting to enterprise tools such as CRM, asset management, and business intelligence on the backend. This holistic integration is vital for grid efficiency, resilience and ensuring energy availability to both consumers and prosumers.