Featured in The Quality Issue – 04-2019

DERMS – A solution to solar saturation

It’s a straightforward problem to understand. Modern utility grids are designed for one main purpose: to deliver power to customers. Do so safely and reliably, and the job is done. Up until recently this has been the reality for electric utility companies, and to their credit many have succeeded in offering a very high level of both safe and reliable power. Tim McDuffie, VP of Engineering at CalCom Energy, looks at the growing role of distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS) in ensuring the reliability of the grid, and facilitating further penetration of distributed renewable resources into the energy mix.

By

pv magazine

02 Apr 2019

The growth in distributed energy resources, such as this PV plant in California, has caused a headache for some grid planners working with a system that was not designed for power flowing in more than one direction. DERMS can provide a solution to this. | Image: CalCom Energy

Having developed design practices and regulatory policies around safety and reliability at all costs, it is understandable how high levels of distributed energy resources (DERs), like solar, can add to the anxiety of grid planners. It begs the question: How can utility engineers balance ever increasing amounts of DER on their systems while also maintaining …

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