PROVIDENCE – Utilidata Inc., which develops software for the energy industry, announced it has created a smart grid chip in collaboration with Nvidia Corp.
Embedded in smart meters, the chip is designed to “enhance grid resiliency, integrate distributed energy resources – including solar, storage and electric vehicles – and accelerate the transition to a decarbonized grid,” according to Utilidata.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory will be among the first to test the smart grid chip, Utilidata said, to scale and commercialize its real-time optimal power flow technology, which allows for the seamless, efficient integration of an increasing number of distributed energy resources.
“To date, the scalability and commercial potential of technologies like RT-OPF have been limited by single-use hardware solutions,” said Santosh Veda, group manager for grid automation and controls at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “By developing a smart grid chip that can be embedded in one of the most ubiquitous utility assets – the smart meter – this approach will potentially enable wider adoption and commercialization of the technology and redefine the role of edge computing for DER integration and resiliency. Enhanced situational awareness and visibility from this approach will greatly benefit both the end customers and the utility.”
This kind of technology will become increasingly crucial as more distributed energy resources come online, Utilidata officials said. More-complex systems are needed to support real-time, autonomous grid operations.
Susan Shalhoub is a PBN contributing writer.
