Utility taps national lab to test DERMS software

Dominion Energy is partnering with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as it works to implement a distributed energy resource management system (DERMS).

Dominion selected Generac’s DERMS platform, Concerto, in 2022 to help the utility manage and control a growing mix of distributed energy resources on its system, including solar PV, battery storage and electric vehicles.

The DERMS platform aims to also facilitate PJM wholesale market participation for Dominion’s customers under FERC Order 2222.

The Concerto platform will be integrated into Dominion’s Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) and will process information, such as weather data, network conditions, demand forecasts and utility customer requirements to recognise distribution system issues and rapidly dispatch the appropriate mix of DER to respond.

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Dominion can also use the platform to balance supply and demand on its grid through the provision of advanced use cases, including real-time voltage support at specific locations.

NREL said Dominion will utilise the lab’s ADMS Test Bed to model a substation service area in the city of Suffolk, Virginia.

NREL experts will help Dominion Energy and Generac evaluate two grid control architectures for EV charging management using the Generac DERMS and multiple EV aggregators.

Santosh Veda, who leads Dominion’s DERMS deployment, said the partnership provides “a realistic environment in which to demonstrate the ability of the DERMS to manage EV charging in real-time and thereby de-risk our field deployment.”

Originally published by Sean Wolfe on Power Grid International.