2026 Event Schedule

As utilities accelerate grid modernization to meet evolving reliability, efficiency, and decarbonization goals, Volt-VAR Optimization (VVO) has emerged as a cornerstone technology. This presentation explores the critical role of VVO in enhancing voltage regulation, reducing energy consumption, and enabling distributed energy resource (DER) integration while comparing two fundamentally different implementation paradigms: decentralized VVO and centralized VVO via ADMS platform.

Drawing on National Grid’s multi-year deployment experience across Massachusetts, we will highlight the operational challenges and performance limitations encountered with a decentralized architecture. These include hard-coded optimization logic that prioritizes voltage over VARs, leading to unnecessary tap changes; misconfigured VAR settings that caused widespread capacitor latch outs; and a lack of adaptability to network topology changes, which required manual VVO disablement during abnormal configurations. Despite mitigation efforts such as server upgrades, parameter tuning, and enhanced monitoring these issues underscored the need for a more scalable and intelligent solution.

In contrast, the transition to a centralized VVO solution within the ADMS framework introduces a model-driven, system-wide optimization engine. This platform leverages real-time load flow analysis, supports remote sensing and control, and integrates seamlessly with other advanced applications like FLISR and DERMS. The centralized approach enables coordinated control across feeders, improved voltage profile flattening, and dynamic response to grid conditions capabilities that are essential for future-proofing the distribution network.

We will present comparative performance data, discuss lessons learned from field deployments, and outline the roadmap for full migration to centralized VVO by late 2026. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of how centralized VVO offers a scalable, intelligent, and future-ready solution that reduces operational risk and enhances customer value.