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Demand flexibility partnership enables utility to manage BTM load control

Two US-based smart energy companies have partnered on a solution for utilities, aiming to enable demand flexibility through the management of Behind The Meter (BTM) assets.

The partnership sees smart grid tech company Tantalus Systems join hands with Savant Systems, which develops smart home and smart power solutions for consumers, businesses and utilities.

Their combined offering will deliver demand flexibility by providing utilities with management of behind-the-meter assets through smart electric circuit breakers, Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers and inverters for roof-top solar and battery storage through Tantalus’ TRUSense Gateway.

The partnership is hoped to enable utilities to dispatch aggregated loads with sub-metering precision by controlling devices inside the home, including EV chargers, roof-top solar, battery storage, hot water heaters, air conditioning units and other large electric appliances.

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Their solution will leverage utility-grade WiFi and Homeplug 2.0 communications delivered through the TRUSense Gateway to avoid the use of a consumer’s wireless network, aiming to ensure its cybersecurity.

According to Tantalus, the Gateway’s Advanced Power Quality (AV/PQM) sensing capabilities will also enable the necessary data and analytics tools to understand the true impact DERs and EVs have on distribution grids, particularly with fleets of pole-top transformers and critical distribution assets.

“The transformation of energy management is rapidly unfolding through greater access to complete and affordable home automation capabilities that can be coupled with the installation of renewable resources,” said Bob Madonna, CEO of Savant.

“Partnering with Tantalus to integrate our behind-the-meter capabilities with their TRUSense Gateway will provide an unparalleled and targeted load control capability that reduces the strain on the grid by providing more options to curtail overall energy usage and correspondingly reduce energy costs for consumers.”

Tantalus president and CEO, Peter Londa, also commented on how these types of solutions can be used for load balancing: “Providing the necessary visibility, accessibility and control of these types of applications with an unparalleled level of precision will enhance system planning and load balancing across the utility industry as well as enable utilities to protect critical infrastructure across their distribution grids.”