The release of ANM Strata 3.0, Smarter Grid Solutions’ (SGS) third generation Distributed Energy Resources Management System (DERMS), moves power companies a step closer to being able to monitor and manage tens of thousands of distributed energy resources (DER) simultaneously.

The release of ANM Strata 3.0, Smarter Grid Solutions' (SGS) third generation Distributed Energy Resources Management System (DERMS), moves power companies a step closer to being able to monitor and manage tens of thousands of distributed energy resources (DER) simultaneously.

At present, utility control systems can only handle a limited number of renewable, grid-edge connected energy resources, but the need to manage many thousands is an immediate prospect. ANM Strata 3.0 elevates the capabilities of power utilities to the next level, making it easier for them to manage more DER than ever before, and helping them meet the renewable energy targets mandated by a growing number of state and local utility commissions.

As well as handling more DERs, the new product release includes significantly enhanced management of battery energy storage. This has become a key component in the energy supply equation, with systems needing to balance and optimize the use of the electricity generated by intermittent renewables, and helping provide the required flexibility to keep the grid stable while minimizing the overall cost of energy supply.

As with all of its software, SGSs' new product natively incorporates the latest cyber-security features and specialized data management functions to ensure secure grid operations and to mitigate data privacy issues.

Colin Gault, head of products at SGS, said: "ANM Strata 3.0 is a leap forward in power utilities abilities to meet the challenges of the avalanche of DER deployment, greatly enhancing their ability to reach the ambitious goals for net-zero energy being demanded by legislative bodies and consumers alike.

"Renewable energy and energy storage are essential components to decarbonize our power networks and this software will enable much larger numbers of energy devices to be integrated into the grid while maintaining supply stability.

"With the latest version of our software, we have made some foundational changes to the underlying platform that support our product vision of mass scalability with no impact on system availability, security or performance."

Other enhancements include:

extensions to the existing DER dispatch application;
customizable dashboard which can be shared with colleagues;
asset scheduling with user defined validation rules specified;
the dispatch application now supports power factor dispatch;
improvements to the auto-configurations of merit order stacks in the configuration tool