International Distribution Benchmarking Consortium (IDBC)
Uncovering Best Practices Amongst
Distribution Companies
Distribution companies all over the world are facing an increasingly dynamic and rapidly changing environment like the energy transition, digitization, decentralization, aging asset base and workforce, and increased regulatory pressure. All these challenges impact the operational performance of distribution companies.
IDBC helps you to better understand these challenges and revealing industry best practices
The program provides a framework to assess operational performance like Profitability, Reliability, Safety, and Compliance in relation to the challenges distribution companies are facing in preparing the networks to become more resilient and how to respond to the impact of renewables and distributed generation on grid planning, reliability, and power quality.
IDBC in a nutshell: Acquaint yourself with IDBC with this short (< 2 minute) introductory video.
IDBC Takes Your Company Through 3 Crucial Phases:
Assess Performance
Comparative analysis of operational performance, trending industry topics and drivers of change
Knowledge Sharing
Learning from peers, sharing leading practices and business cases
Improve Performance
Accelerate transition using business cases and lessons learned from peers
Member Benefits
GAIN INSIGHTS
Gain insights in industry’s strategic direction, trends and innovations
FINDING INNOVATIVE IMPLEMENTATION SUCCESSES
Leverage peer members’ experience with pilots and implementations
VALIDATION OF IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES
Quantify the impact of specific performance improvement strategies
TARGET SETTING
Use the results for target setting in your annual business planning
DEMONSTRATE
Demonstrate superior performance to board members, regulators, and other stakeholders
Results of the IDBC Program Were Used by the Participants To:
- Improve network reliability by reducing the number and duration of interruptions
- Prepare their network better for the impact of DER (distributed energy resources)
- Optimize maintenance strategies to lower costs and risk at the same time
- Optimize financial expenditures of “New Build” and “Maintenance”
- Improve safety performance by creating a safety culture and reporting structure
- Gain a better understanding of trends in DSOs, in topics such as the energy transition and the concept ‘digital utility’
Industry Leadership
Created in 2008 by 4 electricity and gas distribution companies, UMS launched IDBC focused on operational performance of the key objectives of distribution companies: financial, reliability, and safety. The study scope is continuously being updated to reflect the latest emerging industry topics in close collaboration with the current members of the program.
Since the program inception, UMS Group has provided program management, analysis, facilitation, and operational expertise in support of the program.
Facts & Figures
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Number of Cycle Members - 10
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Total Network Length - 280.000 km
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Total Number of Customers - 9,562,000
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Total GWh Distributed - 100,242 GWh
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Total Operational Expenditure (TOTEX) – 1,350 M euros
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Average Age of Critical Assets – 27 years
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Average Distribution Automation of Assets – 20%
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Average Energy Loss – 3.91%
Best Practice Takeaways
Determining an Optimal Maintenance Strategy
Various maintenance and inspection policies were found in the peer group, ranging from preventive maintenance to run-to-failure.
What Is the Performance Improvement Potential of Smart Distribution Stations?
Key cost component is not the station itself but the acquisition of the premises especially in urban areas.
How to Make Data Analytics Successful in Energy Transition?
One of the peer companies shared their initiatives in leveraging predictive analytics to manage risk, reduce costs and optimize grid performance in the energy transition.
IDBC Resources
IDBC Program Overview Flyer
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