Opus One Solutions: Real Time Advanced Analytics and Control for Optimized DER Power Flows

The premise of distributed generation is acting as a breeding ground for new age electricity infrastructure where Distributed Energy Resources (DER) are transforming the way homes, communities, cities, and local power plants interact within a smart grid. This transition from conventional, centralized, fossil-based generation to integrated rooftop solar photovoltaics, smart inverters, and behind-the-meter batteries is imposing certain risks that make DER complex to manage. “Today’s utilities are in need of a flexible approach that allows them to deploy DERs in an effective manner to mitigate against grid capacity issues, efficiently deliver quality and stable power, as well as manage the overall interoperability and interoperation of a large number of complex systems,” begins Joshua Wong, President and CEO, Opus One. “In addition, the situation is complicated by the transforming energy value chain where the integrated one-way model is becoming multidirectional, with various new entrants and ‘prosumers’ acting as generators,” he explains. Helping utilities to sail through this transition and enabling them to dynamically manage “the modern grid” is Opus One Solutions.

The company stimulates the concept of distributed generation through GridOS®, a solution to connect IT acumen with a smart grid’s operations. It integrates distributed energy resources with information sources to render real-time insights, operational cues, and online analytics. This is attained by leveraging power engineering algorithms and electrical models that include switch positions, system topologies, and load levels to calculate a matrix of intelligent grid analytics. These meticulous computations help utilities obtain a precise view of on-going activity including DER values and impacts across the smart grid in real-time.

Toward such automation, the company deploys a three-staged process within GridOS® to maximize the benefits of their DER management strategies. Wong adds, “Data is valuable only if it becomes ac-tionable. GridOS® relies on this notion to compute an online 3-phase AC unbalanced power flow with live data.” In addition, the solution handles a wide range of factual data to offer unfettered situational awareness on asset utilization, volt-VAR device operations, feeder congestion management, real-time loss calculations and DER integration impacts and locational marginal analyses. GridOS® goes the extra mile to furnish adaptive control and system optimization enabling the immedi-ate action of DER dispatch to maintain grid stability, capacity and efficiency. With further zeal, Wong says, “We’re bringing a variety of unique functionalities together—storage dispatch, online connection impact assessment, microgrid management, and transactive energy.

We integrated all of that under one single operating system to deliver prolific capability for our clients. And that’s where the future lies.” Such forward-thinking and out-of-the-box perspective has earned Opus One an ability to serve multitudinous clients.

For example, PowerStream—a premier electricity distribution company—capitalized on the services of Opus One to deliver dynamic Volt-VAR optimization. The client’s electricity infrastructure encountered two-way power flows that deterred them from achieving flexibility and resiliency from their power sources. Subsequently, PowerStream turned to GridOS® for its ability to provide a real-time electrical model to accomplish core computations and run a host of intuitive applications. “GridOS®’ unified reporting from multiple data streams empowered the client to effectively solve their grid challenges.”

Numerous success stories speak volumes about Opus One’s propensity to solve real-time operational challenges for distributed energy systems. “Our solution is not a mere desktop-based big data plan-ning tool, but a revolutionary product that can compute tens of millions of differential equations every few seconds to provide real time operational visibility and optimal control of the modern grid,” explains Wong. As a reflection of such prowess, the company is developing community and utility-scale microgrid architectures and working towards enabling transactive energy markets at the “grid edge”. Leading game-changing technology for today’s and tomorrow’s connected energy internet.