Electric utility and natural gas delivery company Xcel Energy is collaborating with Itron to manage the increasing number of distributed energy resources (DERs) in Colorado. The partnership involves deploying Itron’s Aggregator Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) (that currently manages 3 million DER devices for 30 utilities across the U.S.) to oversee residential battery storage and other DERs, enhancing grid flexibility and offering customers more energy choices. This initiative aims to enhance grid flexibility, support real-time energy management, and offer customers more energy choices.
The Aggregator DERMS leverages digital technologies, including edge computing and real-time data analytics, to integrate and manage DERs efficiently. By utilizing Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio, the system connects consumer-owned devices such as battery storage, solar panels, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, and smart thermostats directly to the grid. This digital integration should enable Xcel Energy to optimize grid operations, improve reliability, reduce energy costs, and support the adoption of renewable energy sources and electric vehicles.
With approximately 25% of U.S. homes that have solar panels also using battery storage, the Aggregator DERMS aims to facilitate the seamless coordination of these devices. The system’s digital backbone ensures that energy storage can be dynamically utilized to manage peak loads and maintain consistent electric service through Xcel’s Renewable Battery Connect program. Additionally, the platform employs advanced algorithms and distributed intelligence (DI) to provide autonomous, real-time decision-making at the grid edge with the goal of enhancing both grid stability and customer satisfaction.
