BYOD
Customer Engagement
Demand Response
EV Charging
Incentive Processing
Program Design
Program Management Automation
Flexible Dispatch
Virtual Power Plants
Platform
Grid-Edge DERMS
Customer Engagement
Demand Forecasting
Meet the Next Generation of Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Capabilities, Topline Demand Control
Combine AI, real-time control, and optimization to plan and coordinate the output of DERs to achieve reliable, aggregate control of your DER load shape.
Optimize Across An Ecosystem of DERs For a Controllable and Reliable Output, Utilizing DERs to Meet the Needs of the Grid
Accurately Account For Total Available DER Capacity
Using Topline Demand Control, you’ll define the desired population behavior (power flows), and controls at the device level will be set for you based on actual device behavior and your preferences, leveraging AI to provide certainty in predicting VPP performance.
This contrasts with typical DER event calling, where one defines the event and waits to see what the event response is.
This new model allows operators and program managers alike to understand the possibilities of the aggregate load shape and plan what you want it to look like, specifying exactly how much load should be dispatched at each point in the planning window.
Remove DER Event Calling Uncertainty
Take the guesswork out of event calling.
Topline Demand Control adds a layer of AI and complex control algorithms to dispatch DERs with specified accuracy. Designed to result in a specific output of energy that you pre-determine for a set duration of time, instead of typical demand response models which ask for a maximum amount of energy available and then measure that energy at the end of the event window.
With this added layer of prediction and optimization, you’ll get the load you need, when and where it is needed.
Reliably Manage DERs at Scale
Demand can now be considered as controllable and reliable as a gas turbine generator.
Topline Demand Control combines the capabilities of accurately predicting available DER capacity and optimized control over the aggregate output to bring greater reliability to DERs.
Instead of small gains or peak energy shavings, you can now begin to consider DERs as a constantly available energy source that you can predictably control and manage from the top down.
Save Costs, Stack Value, and Defer System Upgrades
Combine the power of Topline Demand Control with our flexible dispatching capabilities and unlock the locational value of DERs along the grid. Determine exactly which locations in your service area are at risk of overwhelm during extreme weather events or peak energy use, then accurately and reliably control demand for the duration and amount that you need during those event windows.
Better leverage traditionally underutilized behind-the-meter resources as a reliable demand-side power source, helping with capacity market planning and allowing system upgrades to be deferred.
Accurately Account For Total Available DER Capacity
Remove DER Event Calling Uncertainty
Reliably Manage DERs at Scale
Save Costs, Stack Value, and Defer System Upgrades
Using Topline Demand Control, you’ll define the desired population behavior (power flows), and controls at the device level will be set for you based on actual device behavior and your preferences, leveraging AI to provide certainty in predicting VPP performance.
This contrasts with typical DER event calling, where one defines the event and waits to see what the event response is.
This new model allows operators and program managers alike to understand the possibilities of the aggregate load shape and plan what you want it to look like, specifying exactly how much load should be dispatched at each point in the planning window.
Take the guesswork out of event calling.
Topline Demand Control adds a layer of AI and complex control algorithms to dispatch DERs with specified accuracy. Designed to result in a specific output of energy that you pre-determine for a set duration of time, instead of typical demand response models which ask for a maximum amount of energy available and then measure that energy at the end of the event window.
With this added layer of prediction and optimization, you’ll get the load you need, when and where it is needed.
Demand can now be considered as controllable and reliable as a gas turbine generator.
Topline Demand Control combines the capabilities of accurately predicting available DER capacity and optimized control over the aggregate output to bring greater reliability to DERs.
Instead of small gains or peak energy shavings, you can now begin to consider DERs as a constantly available energy source that you can predictably control and manage from the top down.
Combine the power of Topline Demand Control with our flexible dispatching capabilities and unlock the locational value of DERs along the grid. Determine exactly which locations in your service area are at risk of overwhelm during extreme weather events or peak energy use, then accurately and reliably control demand for the duration and amount that you need during those event windows.
Better leverage traditionally underutilized behind-the-meter resources as a reliable demand-side power source, helping with capacity market planning and allowing system upgrades to be deferred.
Optimize Your Energy Assets With Next-Generation VPP Capabilities
Topline Demand Control Features
Get Granular Control Over Demand
Control a fleet of DERs to meet an event’s specified aggregate goals with accuracy and reliability.
Respect Program & Customer Constraints
Optimize the end-use customers’ comfort alongside the utility’s programmatic goals while maintaining the macro control needs during an event.
Adjust Commands in Real-Time
Automatically adapt commands to account for unpredictable differences between expectations and reality to provide unparalleled robustness.
Intelligent Performance Planning
Visualize the future time-varying capabilities of the DERs and prescribe the performance before a VPP event.
Make demand as controllable as a gas turbine with topline demand control.
Frequently Asked Questions About Topline Demand Control
What defines “topline demand?”
Topline demand is the instantaneous total aggregate demand for a collection of DERs on the grid. At every instant in time, the output of the generation fleet must exactly equal the topline demand, or the grid becomes imbalanced. DERs, such as thermostats, water heaters, EVs, and batteries, are a significant component of the residential topline demand. Furthermore, adjusting the operations of DERs can significantly impact the shape of the topline demand.
What is Topline Demand Control (TDC)?
Topline Demand Control is the ability to intelligently dispatch, control, and optimize DERs during a virtual power plant (VPP) event to provide a specified aggregate load shape (e.g., provide a constant “topline” power output that resembles a supply block to grid operators).
How does Topline Demand Control work?
Our topline demand control solution combines our patented, scalable real-time control with model predictive control (MPC) technology to provide robust aggregate control of DERs. MPC combines real-time data, digital twins, and optimization to find the best solution in the presence of individual and program constraints. The software system will optimize DER output to more predictably and confidently meet load-shaping goals.
How does Topline Demand Control differ from conventional control in virtual power plants (VPPs)?
Unlike the conventional control of VPPs, topline demand control goes beyond simple aggregation of distributed energy resources (DERs) to intelligently predict and adjust DERs to produce a desired topline output. Conventional VPPs are less reliable because they are designed to control DERs over an event window, sending the same command to all available devices and measure the result of energy shifted at the end of an event. TDC allows utilities to specify the exact amount of energy over precise periods of time and reliably receive exactly that aggregate amount over each specified period while optimizing around device, customer, and capability constraints.
How is Topline Demand Control different than traditional DERMS?
Topline Demand Control is not an alternative technology to DERMS. It is actually a very specific class of advanced control that DERMS can implement.
Why is Topline Demand Control a game-changer for utility operations teams?
Topline Demand Control (TDC) allows operations teams to think about behind-the-meter DERs in the same way they think about their supply-side resources. TDC provides visibility into the time-varying “plant parameters” of the VPP and accurate control over VPP throughout the planning horizon. Therefore, Operations Teams have an accurate estimate of available DER capacity and precise, reliable control over the output of the capacity. . . Instead of anticipating fluctuating supply needs for the increasingly more dramatic Duck Curve, for example, batteries, thermostats, and other resources can be aggregated and become a resource in the Operations Team’s supply stack. Combine TDC with flexible dispatching capabilities, and the Operations Team can leverage it to optimize DERs along specific constraints along the grid.
What do I need to get started taking advantage of Topline Demand Control?
Topline demand control combines Virtual Peaker’s Shift DERMS Suite capabilities with the powerful forecasting capabilities within Envision’s Forecasting Suite. This premium solution is available to all new and current users. Request a demo for a tailored view of how TDC can help your utility.
Webinar: Grid-Edge Innovation: Driving VPP and DR Growth and Enrollments
Attend this webinar to learn how utilities can prepare themselves to capitalize on increased adoption of grid-edge DERMS technology and ever-growing VPP capabilities.
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