Grid Intelligence

Grid, Heal Thyself

While smart grid assets yield an abundance of data, the challenge for today’s rural utilities remains knowing how to turn that information into lower costs, more revenue, and greater network reliability.

NRTC offers a variety of grid intelligence solutions because we know that no two electric cooperatives are the same. Some prefer to manage all aspects of the grid for their operations center, while others embrace programs that engage their residential member-consumers and/or C&I customers. And, some want a comprehensive program that incorporates both approaches.

Regardless of each member’s situation and preference, NRTC’s goal is the same – to help you enhanced grid reliability, efficiency, sustainability through innovative technology tools that integrate with your existing infrastructure.

Monitor and Stabilize Voltage Levels

NRTC offers an affordable set of solutions to control voltage levels throughout the electric distribution chain. DVI, a leading provider of grid analytics software, has developed the EDGE solution with tools to control and reduce voltage for peak demand.

EDGE integrates with existing SCADA and AMI systems to hold voltage at industry guidelines. It screens historical data for existing voltage outliers. Utilities maximize savings on each distribution feeder while adapting dynamically to grid changes.

EDGE is tested and ready, based on years of field experience. It clears the way for conservation voltage reduction (CVR), Volt/VAR optimization and demand voltage reduction (DVR) implementation. Utilities are in command, even during the most challenging voltage events.

Anticipate Issues Through Predictive Analytics

NRTC’s menu-style predictive analytics solution, through a partnership with GridCure, helps co-ops use data to optimize energy strategy and improve smart grid operations by synthesizing complex data into meaningful, problem-specific insights. Through this platform, utilities can analyze and diagnose grid issues faster, save engineering operations time, recover lost revenue, create new revenue stream and improve reliability and customer satisfaction.

There are separate modules for blinks, transformers and feeder cables so you can focus on those areas that are of most importance to you. There’s an intuitive interface with a simple dashboard and customizable features so you can aggregate, cleanse, process and analyze your data to yield actionable insights.

Consumer-Friendly Demand Management

Consumers want more control over their electric consumption. NRTC works with Nest Labs, makers of the popular brand of Nest smart thermostats, to give our electric cooperative members an innovative demand response tool.

NRTC members’ residential customers can use Nest systems to save some money on their monthly bills, and, in turn, our members can remotely control the thermostats when they need to reduce load.

It’s a win-win – a program that engages the co-op’s member, putting them in control and offering a true member benefit, and that helps you avoid costly demand charges.

Demand Management For Your Largest Loads

An electric utility’s commercial and industrial (C&I) customers represent an important part of their load profile.

Through our partnership with PowerSecure, a part of the Southern Company, NRTC can help our co-op members provide a tangible demand management to these valuable customers –leveraging back-up generation to meet back-up power requirements and avoid high-cost power and demand charges.

Best of all, it does so by leveraging assets the C&I customer already has in place