2027 Event Agenda

In this course, we’ll explore ‘how’ to manage distributed energy resources (DER):

• Overview of the industry’s most successful DER management programs
• Navigating DER communication protocols - best practices for SunSpec Modbus, IEEE 2030.5, and DNP3
• Changes to DER interoperability proposed in the forthcoming revision to IEEE 1547
• Overview of various communication architecture options for managing DER from the utility control center
• Guide to physically connecting to DER communication interfaces - jacks, terminals, adapters, wires, and avoiding electromagnetic interference
• How to get started managing DER today with the infrastructure you’re already using
• How to build a DER interoperability lab in one week for under $10,000
• Live demonstration managing DER
• Guide to achieving interoperability in real life - comparing standards, certifications, expectations, and reality
• What the future of DER management looks like

Building on last year’s standing-room-only Grid University course on DER Management, this course expands on best practices for distributed energy resource (DER) management from today’s real-life deployments. Throughout the course, audience participation is encouraged, inviting you to share where you’re at in your journey, tailoring the experience to jumpstart your progress in achieving your DER management goals.

The course assumes no prior knowledge; there are no prerequisites. The material is designed for professionals across the industry, engineers and non-engineers alike, for utilities and the broader community.

This course is taught by a recognized leader in DER management, serving as the DER interoperability lead for the nation’s leading DER management project, managing over 10,000 DER directly from the utility control room, receiving such accolades as: SEPA Power Players Utility of the Year; Public Utilities Fortnightly Top Innovators and Foremost Innovator in Distributed Generation; and SunSpec Alliance Open Standards Champion.

Some specific topics we’ll cover:

• Communication architecture for DER management
• Conceptualizing DER management as an extension of SCADA to interconnected energy resources.
• How to begin managing DER today with your existing infrastructure (crawl, walk, run).
• Communication protocols used for interacting with DER: 
• SunSpec Modbus over RS485
• SunSpec Modbus over Ethernet
• IEEE 1815 (DNP3)
• IEEE 2030.5 (SEP2)
• Interaction between utility and equipment manufacturers to configure IEEE 2030.5 client (DER) to server (utility) communication 
• Server and client certificate management and evolving Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
• Communication networks used for connecting utility control rooms to DER
• Differences between direct management of DER and third-party APIs
• Lessons learned across the US, including:
• How to use existing infrastructure to begin managing DER today (i.e., using a utility’s existing control systems and communication networks: AMI, cellular, etc.), allowing you to gain valuable experience that better informs future investments in DERMS software and related infrastructure
• The state of DER interoperability, including the differences between the standardized protocols and real-life implementations, and the importance of interoperability testing
• Standing up an interoperability test lab quickly at minimal cost
• Physical differences in DER communication interfaces, i.e., how to physically connect to DERs
• Communicating with single-inverter systems, multi-inverter systems, communication hubs, and plant controllers
• Non-radial networks: upgrading network protector relays to enable reverse power flow
• The potential to use the latest meters as DER management devices and the technical hurdles that still need to be overcome
• Applying these concepts to manage EV charging and other dynamic loads

And be sure to also attend the morning course where we’ll explore the fundamentals (‘what’ and ‘why’) of DER management, and why utilities must get started today to avoid the looming economic “death spiral”.