3-minute read

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

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 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.

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.

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.