2027 Event Agenda

As utilities accelerate distributed energy resource deployment, they must define how Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) and Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) work together. Three primary integration models have emerged: embedding DERMS as an advanced application within ADMS, deploying ADMS and DERMS from the same vendor as separate but integrated platforms, or integrating distinct ADMS and DERMS solutions from different vendors through defined interfaces. 

Each approach presents tradeoffs in operator usability, interoperability, scalability, vendor dependency, implementation effort, cybersecurity, and long-term flexibility. This panel will explore the strengths and limitations of each model, with a focus on how utilities can align architecture choice with DER maturity, control strategies, integration complexity, and broader grid modernization goals. 

Panelists will share practical perspectives from real-world ADMS–DERMS deployments, covering technology selection, implementation challenges, and lessons learned. To provide a balanced, experience-driven discussion across all major ADMS-DERMS architecture, the panel will include representatives from each integration approach—embedded, same-vendor external, and multi-vendor.