Increased distributed energy resource penetration on a grid that was not originally designed for DERs can put stress on grid equipment beyond its original intentions, resulting in equipment failures that impact reliable power delivery. Fortunately, challenges associated with renewable resources, such as intermittency, back-flow, and optimal location selection, are all being solved today with a variety of innovated technology provided by Landis+Gyr.

Landis+Gyr enables utilities with renewables, through the use of grid analytics, to optimize the placement of renewable energy sources on their grid. The Distributed Energy Resource Optimizer application combines meter and sensor data for use in planning and integrating distributed energy resources, while taking into account network safety, compliance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. This enables utilities to examine the impact of sudden loss of DER generation (such as solar or wind intermittency) on power flows, voltages, and voltage flicker. It also looks at the impacts of distributed resources on the distribution system at different penetration levels, including electric vehicles. With this, the utility is able to determine the optimal amount of distributed resources to integrate on the distribution system, as well as the maximum resources a feeder or substation can handle without adversely affecting power quality or reliability.

Energy storage also plays a role in integrating renewable generation efficiently into the grid. Battery storage can both store renewables when the demand on the grid is lower, allowing clean energy to be shifted to times it is needed. In addition, batteries can improve grid stability by injecting power on the grid when renewable sources may be fluctuating and causing frequency disturbances.

Altogether, these technological advances and the platforms leveraged for peak emissions can be optimized for renewable integration, allowing Landis+Gyr’s demand response, energy storage, and grid analytics platforms to directly mitigate intermittency and support the new requirements of a distribution grid.