SGS: Leading DER Management Solution That Could Offer Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of Savings Showcased at DTECH2020

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Projects that could save energy customers hundreds of millions of dollars will be put center stage at this week’s DistribuTech 2020 (DTECH) convention by technology company Smarter Grid Solutions (SGS) and electricity distributor UK Power Networks.

The two companies will present details of three major benefits from their partnership to introduce a Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) across UK Power Networks’ three distribution networks, which serve 19 million customers across London and the East and South-East of England.

SGS – which lists Con Edison, Southern California Edison and Tucson Electric Power among its American clients – is leading a consortium selected by UK Power Networks to connect more Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) to its grid as part of its transition from being a Distribution Network Operator (DNO) into becoming a modern Distribution System Operator (DSO).

SGS’s Active Network Management System (ANMS) Strata platform sits at the heart of the DERMS platform, with Nexant’s Grid360 providing control center analytics, Nexant’s iEnergy delivering a DER customer-facing market interface and workflow management tool, and GreenSync’s deX supplying the market platform.

The system provides UK Power Networks with the ability to deploy multiple types of DER control scheme across all voltage levels allowing greater numbers of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and other DERs to be integrated to the grid.

The initial schemes include; Flexible Connections already proven by UK Power Networks to reduce the cost of interconnection by up to 90%; Flexibility Services with around 200 MW of capacity expected to be transacting energy in DSO markets by 2023; and Active Response schemes deploying advanced power electronics devices that could save customers $350m in reinforcement costs and enhance reliability.

Dr Bob Currie, co-founder and CTO at SGS, said: “Our project with UK Power Networks has many applications across a wide range of urban and rural power networks and we’re looking forward to discussing its successes with participants at DTECH. We see very similar requirements for the grid in North America to support the DSO transition, enable DSO-TSO markets and solve a range of DER integration challenges at scale.”

Sotiris Georgiopoulos, head of smart grid development at UK Power Networks, added: “Our renewable energy customers told us they value quicker, lower cost connections because they make a fundamental difference to making their schemes viable. We already have 9GW of distributed generation connected to our networks and our world-leading ANMS is opening up flexible connections to even more low carbon energy resources.”

SGS and UK Power Networks “Enterprise Level DERMS Deployment to Enable Increased DER Hosting Capacity, Flexibility Service Markets and Innovative Power Electronics Technology” session will take place at 09:15 on 30 January 2020.

ENDS