Plug & Play DER Challenge seeking smart grid concepts

The Plug & Play DER Challenge recently announced a call for concepts to improve interoperability of facilities with distributed energy resources (DERs) with the utility grid.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is organizing and administering the initiative for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium in collaboration with DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the Smart Electric Power Alliance, the Electric Power Research Institute and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, along with other project industry advisors.

The project aims to improve interoperability to enable improved integration of end-use systems such as buildings, electric vehicles, and DERs.

“The future of local solar power and electric vehicle charging requires coordination with the flexibility in demand and storage to ensure a reliable and resilient electric grid,” Steve Widergren, principal engineer at PNNL and interoperability project lead for the consortium, said. “Integration must be simplified across the board. This event challenges industry to leapfrog to a universal way that all these technologies can connect and operate in harmony with little fuss or bother.”

For the first phase of the challenge, teams will establish specifications for an interface that supports DER integration and develop proposals for demonstrating the integration process with hardware and software. Presentations and initial concept proposals are due on Sept. 7.

Qualifying submitters will receive an invitation to present their concepts for a DER integration interface at North American Smart Energy Week Sept. 24 to 27 in Anaheim, California.

The challenge will conclude with live demonstrations of the hardware and software interface at an event targeted for 2019.