National Grid Announces Selection of Opus One Solutions to Develop First-of-Its-Kind Distributed System Platform

Project will fulfill New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision initiative at Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
Sep 26, 2016 4:30 PM ET

NEW YORK, NY, September 26, 2016 /3BL Media/ - National Grid announced today that it has selected Opus One Solutions (Opus One) to develop the first field demonstration of a distributed system platform (DSP), which will integrate distributed energy resources from the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) with National Grid’s local electricity distribution system. New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision initiative encourages the development of DSPs to help customers and utilities benefit from a higher penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) including renewable generation, energy storage, responsive demand and smart microgrids. The platform will create markets, tariffs and operational systems that will allow resource providers to monetize products and services, while the utility becomes the purchaser and aggregator of DERs.

Over the next two years, Opus One will partner with National Grid on all aspects of the DSP demonstration, from financial modeling to the design, commissioning and operation of a real-time DSP market. The DSP will communicate the electric distribution system needs of the grid, and in parallel generate potential revenue and investment opportunities for BNMC member institutions with DER capabilities. The project will help demonstrate the future of the electricity grid, where customers have a greater role in how they use energy.

 “This partnership with National Grid will bring real-time visibility and management to the electricity distribution system and to enable new utility business models for the future,” said Joshua Wong, President & CEO of Opus One. “This first-of-its-kind platform can become a blueprint for utilities across North America.”

“We have a long-standing energy partnership with the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, and the development of the DSP demonstration with Opus One Solutions is the next logical step,” said Dennis Elsenbeck, Director of Stakeholder Engagement for National Grid’s New Energy Solutions group.  “This demonstration will help us determine the path forward for DSP development and market engagement.”

The DSP demonstration is one of four that National Grid is developing in response to New York State’s Reforming the Energy Vision initiative.  The company is also conducting a community solar program in the Fruit Belt neighborhood of Buffalo immediately adjacent to the BNMC; working with Clarkson University and others on a community microgrid in Potsdam, NY,; and developing a demand response program in Clifton Park, NY.

About National Grid

National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity and natural gas delivery company that connects nearly 7 million customers to vital energy sources through its networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain.

Through its U.S. Connect21 strategy, National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions. Connect21 is vital to our communities' long-term economic and environmental health and aligns with regulatory initiatives in New York (REV: Reforming the Energy Vision) andMassachusetts (Grid Modernization.)

For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com, or our Connecting website. You can also follow us on Twitter, watch us on You Tube, Friend us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.

About Opus One Solutions

Opus One Solutions is a software engineering and solutions company with the vision of a Connected Energy Internet, delivering real-time energy management to the modern grid. Through GridOS®, its intelligent energy networking software platform, Opus One delivers a new level of visibility and control to electricity distribution by solving and optimizing complex power flows. GridOS applies sophisticated analytics, using a small number of data points, to create a full 3-phase AC unbalanced grid model. Seamlessly integrating with existing utility data systems, GridOS modular and scalable solutions provide powerful grid management capabilities to unlock greater potential for distributed energy resources including renewable generation, energy storage and responsive demand. GridOS further facilitates the management of microgrids from homes to businesses to communities for unparalleled grid resiliency and value to the electricity customer. Visit Opus One Solutions at opusonesolutions.com and on Twitter @OpusOneSolns

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Media contact:

Paula Haschig

National Grid

Email:  paula.haschig@nationalgrid.com

Steve Brady

National Grid

Email:  stephen.brady@nationalgrid.com

Surbhi Jain
Opus One Solutions Energy Corporation
Email: sjain@opusonesolutions.com