Manage the Grid Edge with the ConnectDER Bridge
The ConnectDER Bridge™ helps utilities solve the grid management challenges that come with dramatic increases in distributed energy resource (DER) deployment. By enabling utility interaction with solar inverters, the ConnectDER Bridge can triple a utility’s DER hosting capacity without requiring feeder or substation upgrades and eliminates ‘last to connect’ grid upgrade costs for solar customers.
For Utility Connection to PV Inverters
The ConnectDER Bridge gives utilities real-time, high-resolution visibility and parameter setting for site-level solar production through a secure, private connection that integrates directly with existing AMI infrastructure.
Connected through the inverter serial port, the ConnectDER Bridge wirelessly and securely connects to the customer’s Smart ConnectDER™ meter collar installed in the meter socket. The ConnectDER Bridge is a secure, private, universal, and wireless path from the sited inverter to the utility’s head-end system (no customer internet required). The ConnectDER Bridge is a utility-owned adapter at the customer site, just like a meter or demand response device for load control.
Features include:
- Mounting in the chassis of the inverter, connecting through the serial port
- Converts generic commands from IEEE 2030.5 head-end to model-specific inverter MODBUS registers
- Factory-paired with WAN base station in the Smart ConnectDER meter collar adapter
- Works with specific inverter models, with more models being added regularly
- Supports both read and write access to the photovoltaic (PV) inverter
- Acts as an aggregator of last resort for DER resources on the utility’s grid
