Service and Software Modeling for Utilities Gauges Distribution Conditions, Eases Planning and Testing Battelle today debuts its new Grid Command™ Distribution services and software for utilities at the DistribuTECH/UPCE 2013 Conference & Exhibition in San Diego, Calif.
Battelle now can support utilities with modeling tools for effective planning, testing and resource deployment. It is built as a front-end addition for GridLAB-D, a distribution system simulation and analysis tool developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a Department of Energy lab that Battelle manages.
The offering helps utilities make informed decisions before they invest in new technologies. For instance, it models the impact of alternative energy sources and advanced technologies on the grid to improve investment and operational efficiency. The new front-end software was developed as part of an ongoing smart grid demonstration project in Columbus as part of AEP Ohio’s gridSMART program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Grid Command Distribution allows utilities to:
• Quickly build circuit models with multiple configurations
• Assess complex resource deployment scenarios
• Provide insight into grid sensitivity and capacity under changing conditions
“We can aid utilities with a study so they can understand their future distribution grid and the impact of new technologies to customers in terms of reliability, cost and quality of service,” said Jason Black, a Research Leader at Battelle. “What used to take a month now takes a few hours.”
Battelle’s Grid Command Distribution is part of a full-service portfolio that includes Grid Command Active Demand Management and Grid Command Transmission (powered by HELMTM technology from Gridquant). Active Demand Management gives consumers and producers unprecedented control over everyday energy decisions. HELM, a proprietary suite of software and services originally developed by Gridquant, offers utilities visibility into transmission grid conditions even up to the point of collapse.
About Battelle
As the world’s largest independent research and development organization, Battelle provides innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing needs through its businesses in national security, health, energy and the environment. It advances scientific discovery and application by conducting $6.2 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization.
Battelle also is one of the nation’s leading charitable trusts, focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
For more information contact Katy Delaney at (614) 424-7208 or delaneyk@battelle.org, or T.R. Massey at (614) 424-5544 or masseytr@battelle.org.