NI and Innovari Help Grid Operators Improve Utilization, Lower Costs

10/24/2017

NI, the provider of platform-based systems that enable engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges, announced a technology collaboration with Innovari to help utility companies around the world improve system utilization, manage distributed energy resources and foster relationships between customers, local communities and regulators.

Innovari’s Interactive Energy Platform (IEP) uses artificial intelligence, “big data” analytics, proprietary optimization routines and grid-edge hardware built on NI technology to deliver capacity and address grid demand. Utility companies and commercial utility customers (retail chains, grocery stores, universities and more) have benefited from deployed systems, including:

• Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) has embraced a forward-looking strategy that focuses on edge-of-grid resources as opportunities, rather than threats, and users as partners, rather than just bill-paying customers. The company deployed the IEP because the technology provides real-time, deep situational awareness into the grid – helping to reduce the likelihood and duration of power outages to optimize performance. The solution also supports many primary business goals such as promoting economic growth in the region and improving the customer experience. As a result of the program, KCP&L has gained more than 400 hours of operation per year with the 15 MW project that engaged over 200 commercial and industrial customers.
• Mumbai-based electric utility Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) implemented the IEP on commercial buildings and mobile generators to stabilize the grid in regional areas under stress. Since October 2014, RInfra has responded to hundreds of grid events using the IEP and has shown that the demand side can be a real part of their resource plan year-round. RInfra customers see benefits too with reduced energy costs and greater control of their facilities. The Raghuleela Mall has almost a MW of controlled capacity including 60 air-handling units and multiple 400 ton chillers.

Innovari’s grid-edge hardware, called Energy Agents, attaches to participant buildings to deliver important two-way communication of energy information back to the utility and balance edge-of-grid resources for an optimized grid. The agents are designed with CompactRIO Single-Board Controllers and LabVIEW software for distributed sensing and control.

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Company profile:  National Instruments