FALLS CHURCH, Va. – ConnectDER, the company that enables utilities and homeowners to expand access to distributed energy resources (DER), has received a $1.5M High Performing Grid award from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The funding will help the company develop and productize its next-generation meter collar adapters that enable rapid, low-cost, and universal interconnection of power and data to otherwise unmanaged DERs like solar, energy storage, and electric vehicles. ConnectDER is also developing the next generation of an inverter monitor and control (IMC) device allowing utilities to safely manage DERs, specifically PV systems in a low cost, safe, and secure way.
The goal of the project is to develop a product with a secure data connection from the grid operator to the DER to increase the DER’s ability to support the grid, and its islanding capability, all while lowering the cost of DER integration. By leveraging proprietary overcurrent protection and interconnection capabilities, the technology lowers the cost to increase grid hosting capacity and enable site-level resiliency.
“The future of the energy grid is distributed, clean, resilient, and affordable and New York is leading the way. We’re thrilled to work with NYSERDA to help deliver the clean energy future,” said Whit Fulton, CEO and Founder of ConnectDER. “We are diligently working to unlock the potential of distributed energy resources including solar, storage, electric vehicles, and beyond.”
Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA said, “NYSERDA is pleased to support technology that will help residences with solar power and electric vehicles make full use of those assets for resiliency and lower costs, while unlocking the potential usefulness of those distributed assets for the whole grid. ConnectDER is an innovative project that supports the State’s commitment to develop, pilot and test the smart grid technologies and solutions that will accelerate progress toward a high-performing electric grid for New York State.”
