Authors: Sean Eade & Mayur Rao | March 6, 2023 | mars 23, 2023
Planning for the DER future
The substantial penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) feeding into the grid will continue to accelerate, spurred by federal and state investments and mandates for clean energy sources. Additional growth will come from customer demand for solar, electric vehicles and energy storage. DER assets are also a critical element of a utility’s larger reliability, resiliency and operational strategy. This growth necessitates a critical conversation on how utilities will manage DERs on the grid.
The ideal answer is to deploy and integrate an Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) with a Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS), maximizing each system’s strengths and operational use cases. That said, integrating the two successfully presents a host of complexities related to data and project risk management, organizational readiness, operational and contractual constraints and more. Accounting for several key integration considerations up front can turn the challenges of DER management into a prime opportunity to transform and optimize the utility’s distribution operations.
Phased Approach or Big Bang Full Integration?
It depends – each utility is on a different roadmap for planning, deploying, enhancing and maturity of their ADMS and DERMS platforms. A combination of current state, future state roadmap, coupled with business use cases that straddle these platforms, will help provide guidance.
Utilities that take a phased approach may take the following steps:
- Ensure that DER assets are modeled appropriately within the as-built model system of record, such as a GIS and Asset Management System.
- Provide monitoring-only capability within the ADMS to provide visibility to the operations teams.
- Add control capabilities for operators for DER assets.
- Incorporate DERs within the ADMS’ advanced applications, circuit by circuit.
Taking a phased approach helps build a level of familiarity within the utility’s operations teams about each integrated aspect and may help the fully coordinated systems run smoother as a result. It is also important, from a system performance perspective, to ensure that the DERMS and ADMS platforms are sized appropriately to scale horizontally and integrate an increasing number of DER assets going forward.
Network Model Coordination Strategy
It is critical to work from the same network model, from both an as-built and as-operated operational perspective. One of the biggest challenges in executing a successful integration is reconciling the different data models between each system.
- The ADMS will need to understand where those DER assets reside, on which circuits and how they are interconnected to the distribution grid.
- If the GIS is the system of record for all DER model and asset related information, a model management business process will need to be defined to ensure that related data is not maintained within silos and that data can be extracted via a standards-based approach from the GIS and provided to the DERMS and ADMS platforms.
Virtual Power Plant Design and Feeder Prioritization
Having clear definitions for Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) and being able to prioritize feeders is key to supporting an integrated network model across DERMS and ADMS. When possible, network models should be accounted for during the VPP design phase.
- This situation includes knowing which feeders are connected to how many individual DERs. Using a feeder-based aggregation definition for VPPs can help.
- There may be differences in strategy depending on where the VPP is located, such as urban or rural, and what their impact on grid operations and management will be.
- Feeder prioritization becomes particularly important in a storm restoration scenario. Visibility into the customer to VPP relationship can play an important role in prioritizing and planning restoration schemes.
An integrated DERMS and ADMS can help manage the right feeders and all the related algorithms that support accelerating timing for restoration calculations.
Next Steps
While many utilities are only just planning for DERMS or ADMS, the time is coming when both must be implemented to manage the explosion of DER assets tying into the grid. While the considerations mentioned are not exhaustive, and the technology integration process will be unique to each utility, planning thoroughly now will ultimately avoid risk, reduce costs and improve reliability.
Embrassez le changement
Collaborez avec les praticiens testés de TRC
Contact Us
Partager nos perspectives
Nos praticiens partagent leurs idées et leurs points de vue sur les tendances et les défis qui façonnent le marché.
Aperçus Two Key Principles to Guide Your Virtual Power Plant Strategy
janvier 29, 2025
A series of converging trends are spurring U.S. power utilities to begin mapping out their strategies for making Virtual Power Plants (VPP) an important new element of their infrastructure.
Aperçus What is Long-Cycle Work and Why is Digitizing Important?
janvier 14, 2025
Long-cycle work typically refers includes large-scale projects like building new transmission lines, upgrading substations, or fortifying the existing grid.
Nouvelles TRC présente des solutions de bout en bout pour la transition énergétique à DISTRIBUTECH 2024
février 19, 2024
TRC permet de passer à des réseaux intelligents qui créent de nouvelles voies pour que le monde prospère
Nouvelles Combler le fossé : intersectionnalité de l’informatique et de l’ergothérapie
février 15, 2024
Comment les solutions de réseau intelligent de TRC peuvent aider les services publics à relever avec succès les défis complexes de la transition énergétique
Aperçus Advancing Utility Digitalization and Modernization with the Cloud
avril 25, 2023
A catalyst to support resiliency, flexibility, innovation, affordability and operational excellence.
Aperçus 3 Things to Consider for a Successful ADMS and DERMS Integration
mars 23, 2023
Gain insight on several key points when strategizing and integrating two crucial systems successfully
Nouvelles TRC and Greenbird Partner to Accelerate Grid Modernization for Utilities
janvier 31, 2023
Today TRC Companies (“TRC”) announced a go-to-market partnership with Greenbird Integration Technology, a leading integration technology provider based in Norway. Greenbird’s Utilihive platform enables utilities to accelerate their digital transformation and grid modernization efforts.
Aperçus Amplifying the Next Phase of Fleet Electrification: The Pickup
septembre 30, 2021
TRC’s analysis for one client fleet shows that even a $70,000 EV can compete on cost with a comparable gas-hybrid vehicle priced at $40,000 – at least in California where upfront and ongoing incentives stack up quickly.
Nouvelles TRC Digital Selected by Snohomish County Public Utility District to Implement Siemens EnergyIP® Meter Data Management
septembre 15, 2021
Snohomish PUD selected TRC to implement, integrate and deliver their meter data management system (MDMS) on the Siemens EnergyIP® platform as a part of the utility’s Connect Up program.
Nouvelles Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company uses AI to assess and repair distribution pole damage
août 4, 2021
As part of its grid enhancement program, OG&E will leverage collaborative AI-powered image recognition technology that enables engineers to complete distribution pole inspections with greater accuracy and helps to reduce manual review of images.
Aperçus Challenges of IT/OT Convergence
août 1, 2021
Many utilities face challenges that can make IT/OT convergence difficult, including security concerns, technology issues and cooperation within the organization.
Aperçus Guide to Understanding IT/OT Convergence and the Future of Digital Grid Solutions
août 1, 2021
With increases in data accumulation and advances in technology, IT and OT are now converging.
Aperçus Reasons for IT/OT Modernization
août 1, 2021
Opposites attract, and information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) are no exception. At one end of the digital grid sits IT as a business application, while OT exists at the other end of the digital grid as an asset-oriented application. For decades, IT and OT have been operating separately and are often physically isolated.
Aperçus IT/OT Convergence Best Practices
août 1, 2021
A successful IT/OT convergence strategy involves identifying desired outcomes, managing the fragmentation of OT solutions, and developing common key performance indicators (KPIs) for both IT and OT teams. This approach helps in optimizing resources, driving effective collaboration, and ensuring a smooth transition towards a unified IT/OT environment.
Aperçus Choosing TRC for Digital Grid Solutions
août 1, 2021
Transitioning to renewable energy requires examining its economic impacts.
Nouvelles TRC Acquires Montreal’s Quatric, Expanding Digital Capabilities for Utilities
juin 16, 2021
Today, TRC announced the expansion of its digital capabilities with the acquisition of Quatric, a Montreal, QC and Quincy, MA-based firm that provides engineering services and technology solutions to electric and gas utilities.
Aperçus TRC Digital and Reactive help utilities measure inertia for a more resilient grid
septembre 21, 2020
Together, TRC and Reactive combine TRC’s industry-leading power engineering expertise with Reactive’s machine learning software to provide utility teams with high-resolution frequency monitoring and automatic event analysis.
Aperçus TRC Digital Partners with Treverity to Put Utility Engineers at the Center of Their Data
juin 26, 2020
As part of TRC’s LineHub solution, Treverity helps transmission engineers get a holistic view of the grid through powerful digital data visualization and a customer-centric user interface.
Nouvelles MCE Announces Partner for Comprehensive Energy Storage Program
mai 12, 2020
TRC will help support MCE’s community and vulnerable customer
resiliency efforts
Aperçus TRC Digital and Enbala can help utilities monitor, control and optimize distributed energy resources
avril 17, 2020
Distributed energy resources (DERs) are changing the way utilities think about power generation and energy flow. TRC and Enbala can offer utilities a multi-layered solution that highlights the strengths of each company.
Aperçus Comment les services publics peuvent se préparer à l’intégration it/ot
septembre 11, 2019
Au cours de la dernière décennie, les services publics ont adopté l’intégration informatique / OT – mais n’ont fait qu’effleurer la surface de ce qui peut être réalisé.
Nouvelles TRC Teams with Opus One Solutions to Revolutionize Integrated Distribution Planning
juin 18, 2019
TRC’s partnership with Opus One will enable utilities to seamlessly plan, build and manage the grid of tomorrow.
Aperçus Why TRC is Teaming Up with Opus One Solutions
juin 13, 2019
TRC is partnering with Opus One Solutions to help utilities to seamlessly plan, build and manage the grid of tomorrow.
Sean Eade
Sean leads the Innovation and Architecture team within TRC's Digital Solutions sector. He is a distributed energy specialist with a wide range of smart grid consulting and solution implementation experience. He has worked with some of the biggest energy companies in North America and his clients range from small G&Ts, large IOUs, to wholesale and retail energy providers. He leverages his deep understanding of the industry and architecture of large-scale enterprise software systems to bring complex solutions to market. Skilled at eliciting, negotiating, documenting and managing stakeholder requirements. He is driven to enable his clients to reduce their carbon footprint by increasing the adoption of distribute energy resources. He does this by designing and building innovative and technological solutions that allow for the holistic management of renewable assets on the grid.
Mayur Rao
Mayur Rao serves as Chief Architect within TRC’s Digital Grid Solutions Practice. With over two decades of experience collaborating with utilities ranging from small G&Ts, large IOUs, to ISOs/RTOs, developing and delivering large-scale solutions to meet industry challenges. He has a passion for deploying cross-industry IT technologies, best practices and a partner ecosystem for Real-Time Systems or OT business operations, ranging from Data Integration, Cybersecurity, to Cloud. Mayur’s experience spans deploying solutions across ADMS, EMS, DERMS, Microgrid, Energy Market Management, Model Management platforms.