Overview
The Solar Aggregation and Advanced Inverter Pilot Project, an initiative of the PowerPath DC Pilot Projects Governance Board, aims to explore the benefits of advanced inverter equipment, including improved communications and the expansion of solar hosting capacity. The pilot project was created to provide insights to assist the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (DCPSC) in identifying technologies and policies to modernize the District's energy delivery system, address grid integration challenges, and increase sustainability.
Award Details
The DCPSC awarded a $3 million contract for this pilot project to Ecogy Energy in partnership with Ecosuite. The project will now move into the implementation phase to demonstrate the value of distributed energy resources (DERs) as flexible grid assets. The DCPSC continues to explore opportunities for future advancements in this area and remains committed to addressing the District's clean energy and sustainability objectives.
Project Details
This pilot project will aggregate a diverse array of DERs, including solar PV, building load flexibility, battery energy storage, and EV charging stations, across three locations in the District. Ecogy Energy will manage the operation and maintenance of this aggregation throughout the pilot term, continually monitoring performance metrics such as generation output, inverter functionalities, and participant satisfaction.
Key Objectives
- The project will use utilizes advanced inverters and controls to increase the grid's solar hosting capacity.
- A primary goal is to deploy and validate a replicable, lower-cost alternative to the cellular cabinet telemetry equipment currently required by utilities, thereby reducing interconnection costs.
- The projectaims to prove the value of aggregated DERs as flexible assets that support grid reliability.
Although this is a pilot initiative, the expectation is that the DER aggregation will continue to operate effectively after the conclusion of the pilot period.
Background
This pilot was part of a broader effort under the Pepco Holdings, Inc.-Exelon merger agreement, which established a $21.55 million Pilot Project Fund Subaccount to support energy modernization projects in the District.