Customer-facing functions and system operations at most utilities have traditionally been on two sides of the house. However, more customers have begun to adopt technologies that have the ability to significantly impact the distribution grid, such as electric vehicles (EVs) and battery storage. This has created an opportunity for these two utility groups – customer-facing and system operations – to collaborate more closely. Eversource’s journey with distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS) is one such case in point.

Eversource has enrolled more than 100,000 DERs in its ConnectedSolutions demand response program since 2019, leveraging functionality unique to edge/aggregator DERMS (namely, integrations with OEMs, enabling customer enrollment, and processing incentives). In 2023, Eversource released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a grid/operational/centralized DERMS that will be integrated with supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), advanced distribution management system (ADMS), and edge/aggregator DERMS. The RFP process helped Eversource to more clearly distinguish the functionality of different types of DERMS and create an approach to DERMS that holistically meets company needs while avoiding duplication.

This session will explore how Eversource is working with different providers to develop the ideal solution that will enable them to satisfy both the needs of the grid and customers alike.