Advanced Microgrid Solutions and Pedernales Electric Cooperative Win $3.24 Million Department of Energy Grant to Advance Grid Integration of Solar Energy in Texas

SAN FRANCISCO, and JOHNSON CITY, Texas, Feb. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS) and Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) announced today that they were awarded a $3.24 million grant by the Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate the use of advanced energy storage technologies to integrate high penetrations of solar energy into the electric grid in Texas. 

The project is a collaboration among leading-edge companies in the energy storage space including AMS, Opus One Solutions and GridBright in partnership with Pedernales Electric Cooperative.  Pedernales is the largest electric distribution cooperative in the United States, serving nearly 290,000 meters over more than 8,100 square miles in Texas.

"Texas is the new frontier for integrating renewable energy into the electric grid," said AMS CEO Susan Kennedy. "The enormous penetration of wind and solar in Texas has created significant challenges in managing the distribution grid.  PEC is taking on a challenge the whole country is facing."

The grant is part of the DOE SunShot Initiative, launched in 2011 to accelerate the adoption of cost-competitive solar technologies by 2020.  The project technology team will be led by AMS along with technology partner Opus One Solutions and grid management experts, GridBright.  This is the second technology collaboration between AMS and Opus One.

"This project will demonstrate end-to-end optimization of DER resources and give distribution operators the situational awareness and control needed to maintain grid reliability while cost-effectively serving our members," said Dr. Peter Muhoro, PEC Chief Strategy Officer.

The AMS Armada™ platform will be used to design, optimize and manage fleets of distributed solar and other distributed energy resources (DER) that maximize the economic value of stored energy behind-the-meter at end-use customer sites in concert with Opus One's GridOS® software platform which will provide full grid visibility, DER optimization, and real-time transactional capability to PEC at the distribution system level.

"Opus One is excited to be working with AMS again, to deliver a techno-economic model that optimizes high penetration of solar PV, utilizing battery storage and leveraging Opus One's GridOS^® intelligent en‎ergy management platform," said Opus One CEO Joshua Wong.

"Tomorrow's electric grid requires energy storage solutions managed by advanced software that continuously optimizes distributed resources to accommodate the variability of renewable generation," said Alain Steven, Chief Technology Advisor of AMS and former Chief Technology Officer of PJM Interconnection. "Combining technology solutions that simultaneously co-optimize both customer load and distributed generation will demonstrate the full power of Distributed Energy Resources to manage the most dynamic grid conditions. It's really exciting."

The AMS-Opus One solution will demonstrate cost-effective integration of high penetrations of distributed resources in the power grid of the future, while meeting the core objectives of reliability, resiliency, and affordability. 

About Advanced Microgrid Solutions | Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS) is pioneering the use of advanced energy storage systems for energy management and utility services.  With more than 120 MW of energy storage projects under contract, including 90 MW / 360 MWh of grid support in capacity-constrained areas in Southern California.  AMS's grid-scale energy storage projects include a fleet of Hybrid Electric Buildings®, as well as grid independence projects at regional water districts and California State University campuses. AMS designs, finances, installs and manages advanced energy management solutions for commercial, industrial and government building owners. AMS's energy storage portfolio management software provides continuously optimized resource management, cost reduction and revenue generation for large-scale energy users and utilities.  To learn more, visit www.advmicrogrid.com and follow us on twitter: @advmicrogrid.

About GridBright | GridBright helps electric utilities improve grid operations through smarter solutions for managing resiliency, distributed resources, and renewables. The utility business is evolving, and new investments in technology need to be made wisely to survive this transformation. GridBright consultants have a minimum 15 years of experience with utility software solutions and helping clients navigate industry changes.  We have hands-on experience building, deploying, and integrating the leading grid and DER management applications.  To learn more, visit us at: www.gridbright.com/about-us/.

About Opus One Solutions | Opus One Solutions is a software engineering and solutions company with the vision of a Connected Distributed Energy Network. Through GridOS®, its intelligent energy networking platform, Opus One optimizes complex power flows so that it can deliver real-time energy management to distribution utilities and other managers of distributed energy assets. GridOS is modular, scalable, and integrates seamlessly with existing data systems to unlock greater potential for distributed energy resources, including renewable generation, energy storage, and responsive demand. GridOS also facilitates the management of microgrids — from homes to businesses to communities — for unparalleled grid resiliency and value to the electricity customer. To learn more, visit www.opusonesolutions.com and follow us on twitter: @OpusOneSolns.

About Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc. | Founded in 1938 by then-Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson, PEC is a member-owned electric cooperative serving nearly 290,000 meters across Central Texas. An industry-recognized leader providing outstanding member service and reliable electricity, PEC conducts its business via a transparent and democratic process and highly encourages member participation. For more information, visit www.pec.coop.

About the SunShot Initiative | The U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative is a national effort to drive down the cost of solar electricity and support solar adoption. SunShot aims to make solar energy a low cost electricity source for all Americans through research and development efforts in collaboration with public and private partners. To learn more, visit www.energy.gov/sunshot.

SOURCE Advanced Microgrid Solutions

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