Electric Access System Enhancement (EASE)
Streamlining the integration of distributed energy resources for improved system resiliency
Southern California Edison
Recipient
Rosemead, CA
Recipient Location
22nd
Senate District
49th
Assembly District
$907,900
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
SCE and subcontractor KITU Systems wrapped up the field demonstration of the EASE pilot program. The SCE research team has completed the final use cases for the system, hardware-in-loop testing of the DER provision service, and a cybersecurity report that assesses how to securely integrate third party aggregators with SCE's utility interface. SCE submitted the Final Report that conveys the projects research findings, and that report is currently in the publications process.
The Issue
The current trend of rapid solar PV adoption requires a host of grid modernization efforts to manage the substantial progress SCE envisions in decarbonizing the electricity provided on the grid. The existing paradigm for integration of renewables is based around legacy enterprise control solutions and a relatively static distribution planning approach. Dynamic visualization of capacity, automation of the interconnection process, and self-discovery of new devices into distributed control subsystems as part of a hierarchical control paradigm are required to achieve scalable integration of distributed energy resources (DER) in excess of 50% of peak load.
Project Innovation
Distributed control capabilities will enable distributed intelligence and control capability to support fast, automated decisions and improve overall resiliency of the system. This project implements a plug and play concept to facilitate service discovery from PV and batteries both under direct control and being controlled via aggregator to streamline all interconnection types and rationalize multiple systems and processes. In addition, the project explores and demonstrates distributing the existing enterprise functions, i.e. state estimation and optimization, out on the distribution system and to the edge, where necessary and desirable to securely operate the system closer to limits. This project is a federal cost share project to SCE's EASE project under U.S. DOE's ENERGISE program.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
This project will form an architecture and cooperative framework enabling a "system of systems" approach that streamlines the integration of DERs from planning to operations and enables cross optimization between different participants (IOU, third-party DER owners, CAISO) to allow exchange of services and improved use of assets.
Affordability
The primary mechanism through which this project will benefit investor-owned utility ratepayers is through lower costs associated with streamlining the DER interconnection process and DER integration with utility control systems.
Reliability
This project will streamline the DER interconnection process and the DER integration with utility control systems, and may also facilitate the integration of microgrids.
Key Project Members
Juan Casteneda
Subrecipients
Kitu Systems
Match Partners
Southern California Edison
Kitu Systems
U.S. Department of Energy
