Breaking Barriers to the Energy Transition with Intelligence at the Edge

DISTRIBUTECH 2024 was a big week for Itron. The event coincided with a number of exciting announcements ranging from Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio, the launch of the Itron Enterprise Edition Cloud, the introduction of our Active Transformer Load and Voltage Monitoring applications and the acquisition of Elpis Squared, to name a few. Throughout the conference, I spent most of my time on the show floor with customers, partners, colleagues and industry leaders discussing the tangible ways Itron’s distributed energy management solutions, in combination with our grid edge capabilities, are transforming the way grid operators work together with customer program managers to address critical challenges. Keep reading for a few of my key takeaways from the industry’s leading transmission and distribution event.

Industry collaboration is key to accelerating the energy transition.

The conference included fantastic demonstrations of our work with ADMS providers, such as GE Vernova and Schneider Electric, in connection with our distributed intelligence platform that is out in the field at customer premises. These partner-led demonstrations also showcased how ADMS providers connect to Itron’s edge DERMS, reenforcing our collaboration with key players to solve challenges the industry and our customers are facing at large. It was important for Itron to show attendees how these collaborations will help utilities access valuable, flexible energy resources in addition to how Itron solutions will enable these assets to work in harmony across the grid.

Itron’s collaboration announcements with ADMS providers are a culmination of the feedback and discussions we’ve been having with customers in recent years. Utilities have expressed the need for both grid edge intelligence and grid operations with one integrated operator that can align to their specific use cases and address their needs holistically. This is the underlying theme of Itron’s recently announced partnerships.

Electric vehicle adoption continues to be top of mind for utilities.

As expected, there was plenty of buzz about the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and the need for utilities to prepare for increased energy demand. I like to remind people that we did it in the ‘50s with the air conditioner and we can do it again with EVs today. This time, we have a new tool in the chest to help us accommodate and manage new loads: autonomous load management through distributed intelligence.

Picture this: instead of leaving charging operations to chance, smart fleet owners can optimize them in accordance with grid-defined rules. Given a set of designated protocols, an integrated hardware and software platform can assess individual EV charging needs and dynamically regulate electricity flow in accordance with future performance expectations. Besides manually connecting the EV to the charging station, no human operators will need to make decisions about the charging operation, which removes human error and increases efficiency.¹ This is one of many ways Itron’s EV solutions can support a smoother transition to electrified transportation. Utilizing autonomous load management, utilities now have the option to proactively plan for distribution upgrades and can safely enable new loads to be interconnected to the grid. This directly enables society to accelerate toward decarbonization goals while simultaneously protecting utility infrastructure, increasing grid operational efficiencies and reducing energy costs to the consumer.

This ties to an additional announcement we made at DISTRIBUTECH, which is our collaboration with The Mobility House to revolutionize EV charging management. Together, we launched the Fast & Flexible Interconnect (FIX) program, which is designed to help utilities and grid operators address interconnection delays and infrastructure challenges associated with EV fleet electrification. With FIX, transportation electrification goals are achieved more quickly and at lower costs than traditional methods of distribution load assessments and infrastructure upgrades. 

There is a utility and industry learning curve around the role of intelligence at the grid edge.

In general, event attendees are more comfortable with planning and forecasting of grid operations and less by way of visibility and control of DERs. However, I had many great conversations with utilities centered around the role of grid edge intelligence in integrating renewable energy resources and accommodating DERs. More than ever, utilities need to manage load in a dynamic, autonomous and real-time manner. This led to the development of our Active Transformer Load and Voltage Monitoring (ATLM/ATVM) applications, which we unveiled at DISTRIBUTECH. In conjunction with distribution management systems, these applications provide unparalleled visibility and control from the medium-voltage network all the way to the customer premises, enabling utilities to better manage the integration of intermittent loads with the rising energy demand. Integrated into the utility control solutions such as ADMS, Itron customers can apply these insights to better manage demand and supply constraints on the distribution grid, respond to outages and enhance voltage management. These are essential steps to ensure the reliable delivery of energy to utilities’ end customers.

Itron’s strong presence at DISTRIBUTECH 2024 along with our various recent announcements reinforce our grid edge intelligence strategy and commitment to innovating new ways for utilities and cities to manage energy and water. Stay tuned for more exciting developments from Itron as we continue creating new efficiencies, connecting communities and increasing resourcefulness – today and in the future.