Snapshot

A major West Coast utility was integrating a distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) into their advanced distribution management system (ADMS) capability, with the goal of more effectively managing distributed energy resources (DERs) and improving system reliability, resilience, and customer experiences. Logic20/20 is facilitating this evolution by

  • Conducting a comprehensive value analysis of leveraging existing flexible DERs capacity
  • Setting up a project management office (PMO)
  • Laying the groundwork for dynamic scheduling capabilities

 

Today the utility is moving towards an enterprise DERMS solution that provides seamless access to DER capacity information and enables an integrated approach to grid management.

We brought our expertise and experience in

  • Grid operations
  • DERMS implementation
  • DER integration
  • Project management offices (PMOs)
  • Current state assessments
  • Strategic implementation roadmaps

Powering West Coast communities for over a century

Established over 100 years ago, our client is a cornerstone in the infrastructure of its California region, delivering electricity and natural gas across a 70,000-square-mile area. Today, it meets the energy needs of over 15 million consumers, and its 20,000+ employees are dedicated to ensuring the reliability and safety of its services amidst natural disasters and other challenges.

Today the utility is moving towards an enterprise DERMS solution that provides seamless access to DER capacity information and enables an integrated approach to grid management.

Transitioning to integrated DERMS for enhanced grid and asset management

Our client had already embarked on a path of grid modernization by implementing an ADMS. However, they soon encountered the system’s limitations in managing distributed energy resources. Recognizing the need for an integrated platform to enable end-to-end system deployment in an enterprise solution, the utility had purchased a DERMS platform solution and was considering how to approach implementing it within their existing infrastructure.

The utility needed their DERMS solution to function optimally across two types of management capabilities: grid-centric, focused on grid stability and efficiency, and asset-centric, focused on optimizing operation of individual DERs. Integrating these capabilities was crucial for addressing network constraint management on the grid side and enhancing their interaction with DER owners on the asset side.

Achieving the utility’s goals requires an integrated enterprise system that

  • provides distribution engineers with seamless access to DER capacity information, and
  • enables standardization of offerings and creation of an integrated solution across grid- and asset-centric programs.

Value analysis and dynamic scheduling in DERMS deployment

In the first phase of our engagement, Logic20/20 conducted a value analysis to help our client better understand how using DERMS to leverage existing DERs can help mitigate grid constraints. We also helped them establish a project management office (PMO) to oversee the implementation of DERMS for use cases such as load management, creation of virtual power plants (VPPs), and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) integration.

The second phase, which is currently underway, focuses on our client’s dynamic scheduling program to accommodate customer requests for network capacity. We are helping them run the analysis that will enable generation of dynamic schedules that can deliver adequate power for specific capacity requests, based on the amount of electricity required at various times of day.

We are helping our client generate dynamic schedules capable of accommodating specific capacity requests, based on the amount of electricity required at various times of day.

The results: outcomes and impact of DERMS implementation

The initial phase of the DERMS project has produced several significant outcomes for our client, including

  • Quantifying the potential of existing DER assets to meet grid needs, which could negate or postpone the need for extensive grid upgrades
  • Establishing a strategic framework that paves the way for the utility’s transition to an integrated enterprise system

 

The utility’s positive response to these outcomes led to our progression into the project’s second phase and beyond, reflecting their confidence in our team’s work.

Logic20/20’s value analysis helps the utility better understand how using DERMS can mitigate grid constraints. We also helped them establish a PMO to oversee implementation of DERMS for use cases such as load management, creation of VPPs, and V2G integration.

Working towards a bright future

Looking forward, our client expects our work on strategic implementation of the DERMS platform to drive significant cost savings and operational efficiencies. We continue to work together towards an enterprise solution that achieves their goals for effective integration of DERs to ensure grid reliability and efficiency—both today and in the future.

 

WEBINAR

The DERMS journey: Keys to successful implementation 

WHITE PAPER

Planning for net-zero utilities: Integrating renewables and DERs

Michael Emmanuel
Michael Emmanuel is a Manager of Grid Operations with over 10 years of experience in utilities. He previously worked as a research engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where he helped utilities implement DERs and hosted capacity studies on non-wire alternatives and economic dispatch models. Michael’s areas of expertise include DER hosting capacity analysis, DERMS, ADMS, and production cost modeling.

Author

  • Michael Emmanuel

    Your additional text goes here

    Michael Emmanuel is a Manager of Grid Operations with over 10 years of experience in utilities. He previously worked as a research engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where he helped utilities implement DERs and hosted capacity studies on non-wire alternatives and economic dispatch models. Michael’s areas of expertise include DER hosting capacity analysis, DERMS, ADMS, and production cost modeling.

    View all posts Manager, Grid Operations