A comprehensive DERMS for multiple stakeholders
For more than a decade, the acronym DERMS, regardless of its strict meaning, has been associated to solutions that grid operators have been using to operate their grid taking into account the possibilities offered by distributed energy resources.
Recently, this vision, from the perspective of the grid management utility, has been called a centralised DERMS, highlighting the central vision of who must ensure the operation of the system.
From the demand side, the use made of the same distributed energy resources (i.e. manageable loads, storage, recharge points, self-consumption with surplus, etc.), has received a wide variety of different nomenclatures, such as demand response management systems, virtual power plants, energy communities, microgrids, etc.
However, these are more representative of the function performed by these resources than defining the solutions that are necessary for their management. In contrast to the centralised vision of the grid management utility, and more from the individual, or aggregate, vision of consumers, all these types of applications have also recently begun to be regrouped around the concept of the decentralized DERMS.
From a technological perspective, a Distributed Energy Resources Management Solution (DERMS) should be a solution that incorporates all the necessary functions to manage this type of resources, both locally and in aggregate as well as on behalf of the system. A complete DERMS, which reuses functions, achieves efficiency in development, implementation and operational costs.
Regarding the differentiation based on its use, we should not exclusively distinguish the vision of the utility (centralised) from that of the rest of the players (decentralised), but rather move towards the specific ‘flavour’ that each of the stakeholders demand, combining common functions with those that satisfy their specific objectives. Such a DERMS for each stakeholder facilitates integration with their legacy systems.
At Minsait we have been working for seven years on a comprehensive DERMS solution that combines these criteria of reuse and specialisation. During this time we have combined our ‘Smart Workplace’ products to offer a DERMS solution valid for different actors in the electricity value chain, under different regulations and with different degrees of integration with their existing systems.
The Onesait DERMS is being used by integrated utilities, unbundled distribution system operators, aggregators, mobility service providers, ESCOs and energy community operators, meeting their expectations with the same solution in continuous evolution.
This strategic conviction of maintaining a modularity that allows us to adapt each DERMS to each client from a common base has led us to be leaders in the provision of DERMS services, according to the recent IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems Service Providers 2024 Vendor Assessment.
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About the author
Juan Prieto Moris – Head of Flexibility Solutions, is a mining engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, with an MSc in Energy and Fuels and Master in Business Innovation from the University of Deusto and Cambridge Judge Business School.
He currently leads Demand Management Solutions as well as the Generation and Renewables Practice at Minsait, the consulting and technology division of the Indra group. He has 20 years of experience in the energy sector, leading consulting projects and different products in the areas of generation, electricity market intelligence, gas balance, energy planning, water management, smart homes and flexibility.
About Minsait
Minsait, an Indra company, is a leading firm in digital transformation and IT in Spain and Latin America. Minsait possesses a high degree of specialisation and knowledge of the sector, which it backs up with its high capability to integrate the core world with the digital world, its leadership in innovation and digital transformation and its flexibility. Thus, it focuses its offering on high-impact value propositions, based on end-to-end solutions, with a remarkable degree of segmentation, which enables it to achieve tangible impacts for its customers in each industry with a transformational focus. Its capabilities and leadership are demonstrated in its product range, under the brand Onesait, and its across-the-board range of services.
About Indra
Indra is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies and the technological partner for core business operations of its customers worldwide. It is a world leader in providing proprietary solutions in specific segments in transport and defence markets and a leading firm in digital transformation and IT in Spain and Latin America through its affiliate Minsait. Its business model is based on a comprehensive range of proprietary products, with a high value, end-to-end focus and with a high innovation component. In the 2022 financial year, Indra achieved revenue totaling €3,851 billion with almost 57,000 employees a local presence in 46 countries and business operations in over 140 countries.
