The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Selects Smarter Grid Solutions Active Network Management Technology for Ground Breaking INTEGRATE Project.
(PRWEB UK) 17 June 2015 -- NREL’s “Integrated Network Testbed for Energy Grid Research and Technology Experimentation (INTEGRATE)” will address specific grid integration challenges that allow clean energy technologies to be deployed at scale. The program will demonstrate the use of ‘clean energy technologies’ to increase the hosting capacity of the grid by providing grid services in a holistic manner and using an open source, interoperable platform. Projects that are part of INTEGRATE will increase the viability, penetration, and deployment of renewable energy technologies by ensuring the reliability and efficiency of electricity generation and use.
Active Network Management Integrates Renewables and Creates up to ‘Three Times More Hosting Capacity’
Smarter Grid Solutions’ Active Network Management (ANM) technology is a key part of the INTEGRATE project, and will demonstrate an integrated energy system that delivers increased hosting capacity on distribution grids for distributed energy resource (DER) connections. ANM uses a unique combination of real-time, autonomous, deterministic control to connect and manage DER on the distribution grid, and to maintain the grid within its operating limits. It is the only technology of its kind in the smart grid market.
Fundamental to Future Utility Business Models
Smarter Grid Solutions’ ANM will be deployed at NREL to showcase its scalability and pioneering capabilities, and how it addresses the DER integration challenges of the North American power industry. The project will leverage the simulation capabilities available at NREL to demonstrate the value and benefits that ANM delivers. ANM products are already in operational use in the UK, creating up to three times more electric grid hosting capacity, enabling up to 200% more renewables contributions, and reducing grid integration costs by up to 90%. The INTEGRATE project raises the profile of this unique type of technology in North America, and eases its wider real-world adoption.
Dr. Bob Currie, Co-Founder and CTO at Smarter Grid Solutions said “We are delighted to be part of this revolutionary project with NREL. ANM is a transformational technology and is used to ‘autonomously and actively manage’ DER such as solar, wind and battery storage in the UK and US. We hope that demonstrating the full range of our ANM’s capabilities will also be of interest to regulators and politicians who are looking to evolve utility business models, and to incentivize and address issues associated with new technology adoption.”
Smarter Grid Solutions will also work with partner Pecan Street Inc., a research and development organization focused on developing and testing advanced technology, business models and customer behavior surrounding advanced energy management systems. Pecan Street will supply and support the delivery of DER datasets for modeling, as well as utilization during three use-case demonstrations. The project includes an Industry Project Advisory Board that will help inform the use-case requirements and includes members from NRG Energy, SolarCity, New York State Smart Grid Consortium, Con Edison, National Grid, Iberdrola USA, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), Pecan Street and SIMARD SG.
About Smarter Grid Solutions
Smarter Grid Solutions delivers products and services that enables electricity distribution companies and regulated utilities to integrate Distributed Energy Resources (DER). The company provides world-leading Active Network Management products, and is the only provider to uniquely combine real-time, autonomous and deterministic control into its Active Network Management solutions. Its products are transforming the utilization and resiliency of the grid, and managing connected customers at greatly reduced cost, without compromising safety and security. It supports customers worldwide from its offices in New York, London and Glasgow UK.
The company was formed in 2008, originating from the world-renowned Institute for Energy and Environment at the University of Strathclyde, and it is a leading vendor of DER integration solutions. It established its offices in New York in 2013, and is now an active contributor to the development of the Smart Grid in many parts of North America.
Lindsay Ross, Smarter Grid Solutions, http://www.smartergridsolutions.com, +44 141 5684319, [email protected]
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