Alectra Expands Business Relationship with Sunverge Energy
New Programs for Net Zero Energy Emissions and Blockchain to Connect with Sunverge Dynamic Virtual Power Plant
SAN FRANCISCO: Alectra Utilities and Sunverge are expanding their business relationship with the deployment of two new programs: the Net Zero Energy Emissions (NZEE) program and a distribution level ancillary services market platform based on blockchain. These programs are broadening the scope of Alectra’s use of the Sunverge Dynamic Virtual Power Plant (VPP) platform and are part of Alectra’s ongoing strategic initiatives in decentralizing the grid through distributed energy resources and value creation through new services.
The goal of the NZEE program is to optimize the use of electric and gas resources to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and move towards NZEE. The NZEE program consists of hybrid-heated homes in the community with Sunverge’s DER platform controlling, managing and optimizing electric demand management (with solar PV + storage) and thermal load control to automatically and continuously optimize between electricity and natural gas for thermal energy needs based on the bulk power grid’s GHG emissions. The Sunverge Dynamic VPP platform will receive real-time grid supply emissions data to determine optimal operation between gas and electricity, and coordinate across solar PV, energy storage, micro-combined heat and power (mCHP) with integrated air source heat pump, EV charger, thermostat and hot water heater controllers in order to minimize greenhouse gas emissions on an aggregated community wide VPP basis.
Alectra Utilities also selected Sunverge to be one of the first technology vendors to integrate with their upcoming Blockchain-enabled transactive energy platform. The platform, designed and implemented by Alectra, will facilitate contracting, compliance, and settlement of distribution level market services. The objective is to validate how blockchain technology can be leveraged to support the energy sector by tracking and assigning attributes and value to renewable energy generation that can be exchanged among parties with minimal cost. The Sunverge VPP platform will control residential solar PV, energy storage and EV chargers for localized demand response events, GHG reduction programs, and EV load shifting programs and interface with the Blockchain platform to provide the requisite ledger transactions for settlement. All aspects of market participation – availability, response time, duration – will be measured and instantly verified on the blockchain.
“Our goal is to leverage decentralization in many forms to responsibly create greater value and new services for our customers and community,” said Vikram Singh, Director of Advanced Planning at Alectra Utilities. “Our initial investments in DERs and VPP technology have proven it works and our choice of Sunverge has enabled us to continue our innovation.”
“Alectra is very creative and forward thinking in their approach to leveraging our platform,” said Martin Milani, CEO of Sunverge. “Our business relationship is leading the way to combining technology with new business strategies and services that will better serve the interests of the utility, the community, and the market as a whole.”
About Alectra Utilities Corporation
Alectra Utilities Corporation serves approximately one million customers across an 1,800 square kilometre service territory and 15 communities including Alliston, Aurora, Barrie, Beeton, Bradford, Brampton, Hamilton, Markham, Mississauga, Penetanguishene, Richmond Hill, St. Catharines, Thornton, Tottenham and Vaughan. It is part of the Alectra family of companies, which also includes Alectra Inc. and Alectra Energy Solutions Inc.
About Sunverge Energy
Sunverge Energy provides the leading open, dynamic platform for Virtual Power Plants (VPP) with near real-time control, orchestration and aggregation of behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DERs). The Sunverge platform provides co-optimization of services on both sides of the meter, helping customers have access to backup power, reduce their energy bill and maximize the use of their renewable energy while helping utilities to efficiently and proactively manage DERs on the distribution grid, lower operational costs, increase feeder resiliency and meet their renewable energy and carbon reduction goals. The Sunverge platform provides near real-time autonomic and intelligent control of distributed energy resources that is efficient, reliable and responsive to utilities and their customers. Visit sunverge.com.
Source: itnewsonline
