"Carol L. Stimmel began working with ""big data analytics"" in 1991 while hacking code and modeling 3D systems for meteorological research—years before that combination of words ever became buzzword compliant. In those 23 years, she has spent the last 7 focusing on the energy industry, including smart grid data analytics, microgrids, home automation, data security and privacy, smart grid standards, and renewables generation. She has participated in emerging technology markets for the majority of her career, including engineering, designing new products, and providing market intelligence and analysis to utilities and other energy industry stakeholders. Carol has owned and operated a digital forensics company, worked with cutting-edge entrepreneurial teams; co-authored a standard text on organizational management, The Manager Pool; and held leadership roles with Gartner, E Source, Tendril, and Navigant Research. She is the founder and CEO of the research and consulting sustainability company, Manifest Mind, LLC, which brings rigorous, action-based insight to advanced technology projects that create and maintain healthy ecosystems for people and the environment. Carol holds a BA in Philosophy from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College."
This book provides an in-depth analysis that will help utility executives, as well as regulators, investors, large power users and entrepreneurs, understand some of the tectonic changes coming to an industry that from the outside can seem impervious to change. Making sense of a chaotic future, Carol charts a path where everyone can benefit. -Amit Narayan, PhD, CEO, AutoGrid After more than a century providing a mission-critical resource to consumers around the world, traditional energy providers are realizing the power of big data and predictive analytics. Not only will adopting these technologies improve the transmission and distribution of energy, it more importantly will enable providers to adopt a services mentality. In her exceptional book, Carol examines these trends and breaks down very complex topics into prose that is easy to understand. I highly recommend this book to anyone in the energy industry looking to grow and evolve their business. -Adrian Tuck, CEO, Tendril Carol Stimmel defines utility data analytics as the application of techniques within the digital energy ecosystem that are designed to reveal insights that help explain, predict, and expose hidden opportunities to improve operational and business efficiency and to deliver real-world situational awareness. She then provides the framework, methodology, insight, and experiential observations to help utilities conceive, plan, implement, enhance, and sustain the imperative smart grid analytics required to achieve the inexorable change taking place in the energy delivery ecosystem. Volume, velocity, variety, and value-the characteristics ascribed to 'big data' will aptly characterize the reader's and practitioner's view of Ms. Stimmel's book. -Ivo Steklac, GM Residential & Commercial Energy Solutions, SunPower Corporation The author has done an excellent job of leveraging her experience in the industry and her strong technical background to create a book that is a very easy-to-read, useful tool for anyone trying to get started in applying big data analytics to the utility industry. She not only provides the reader with a solid base knowledge and background but provides solid examples of how data analytics can be applied within a utility environment and the advantages that can be gained by doing so. -Ron Gerrans, CEO, Genus Zero and former CEO, E Source