Summary
Radical decarbonization begins with a new view of the role of distribution grid planning, from siting renewables and storage to electrifying buildings and transportation. To do this without driving up costs for customers and stranding assets is a challenge that can only be solved with access to comprehensive grid data and truly integrated analytics.
It is critical in this environment for distribution planners to view and understand time series data and develop baseline load and DER forecasts that account for external factors such as weather, block load changes, and corporate forecasts. Planners must also be able to integrate scenario-based analyses with load flow capabilities.
Kevala’s platform provides planners with an IGP tool that can solve these challenges by using previously siloed data, econometric analysis, and physics-aware modeling to plan for a more robust, affordable, environmentally sustainable, and safe electrical grid.While planning in the face of increasing complexity of the grid and its operation is difficult, it is made more difficult as utilities try to support the carbon reduction goals of governments and customers.
Just as the complexity of the grid continues to increase, carbon emissions do as well. Notwithstanding the myriad emissions reduction goals that utilities and states and other governments have articulated, carbon emissions continue to rebound from the pandemic decline. Failure to recognize and use locational carbon intensity data risks inhibiting rapid decarbonization at scale, results in inefficient grid investment and furthers inequality for communities that suffer from higher levels of pollution and a higher share of wallet for energy.
Kevala supports an evolving IGP process that considers carbon emissions, DERs, rates, programs, and grid infrastructure.
