Smart Grid Solutions (SGS) is to expand into Europe after a successful trial of dynamic curtailment in Germany.
A dynamic curtailment approach – wherein small amounts of electricity produced by renewables is reduced if too much power goes onto the grid – can double the hosting capacity of renewables, SGS said.
This would vastly reduce the amount of curtailment required by existing dispatch methods.
SGS’s DERMS technology also allows distribution system operators (DSOs) to reduce connection times and the requirement for grid upgrades, the firm said.
As well as allowing more renewables onto the grid, the DERMS software can also be used to control other distributed energy resources (DER) connected to distribution grids, such as batteries and machinery able to partake in demand response, SGS said.
It is now to be rolled out in Europe, made possible by regulatory changes introduced by the European Union’s Clean Energy Package. The firm will work to support DSOs as they move from passive grid operation to actively managing the networks using DERs.
Alan Gooding, co-founder of Smarter Grid Solutions, said: “The time is right for the move: the need exists, regulation is enabling it, the technology is mature and proven, and – most importantly – we see customer pull.”
In the UK, SGS is part of a consortium to build and deploy an Active Network Management system for UK Power Networks, to allow for flexible connections that would curtail any new generation connected in constrained areas during the time of constraint.
