At LF Energy Summit 2024 in Brussels, Juan Carlos Oviedo Cepeda and Rodrigues Kwate Kwate from Hydro-Québec shared an approach to grid management in their presentation titled “Custom Grid Functions for Active Customers Using OSED (Open Source Edge DMS).” Their talk focused on how utilities can harness edge computing to create smarter, more responsive energy systems for active customer participation, especially in a fragmented ecosystem of energy assets and devices. Here’s a summary of the key points they discussed (full video follows at the end):
Hydro-Québec’s Unique Position in Renewable Energy
Hydro-Québec is one of the largest electricity producers in Canada, generating over 95% of its power from renewable sources, primarily hydroelectric. This vertically integrated utility serves 8.5 million customers, providing some of the cheapest electricity rates in North America, while balancing the challenges of managing a vast network of assets in both urban and remote regions.
The Challenge: Fragmented Systems and Inconsistent Protocols
One of the primary challenges Hydro-Québec faces is the fragmentation of communication protocols and control systems among different energy assets – ranging from customer-owned devices to grid infrastructure. These assets use various proprietary systems, often developed by manufacturers like Tesla, Johnson Controls, or Google. This lack of standardization complicates utilities’ ability to control and optimize customer-side energy assets in real-time.
The current state of the industry involves disparate systems that often require unique protocols for each device or system, making it difficult to efficiently manage assets across the grid. The presenters emphasized the importance of enabling the utility to integrate and manage devices at the edge, beyond traditional centralized control structures.
Enter OSED: The Open Source Edge DMS
To address these challenges, Hydro-Québec has developed the Open Source Edge DMS (OSED), a platform designed to bring intelligence to the edge of the grid. The OSED framework allows utilities to manage and control customer-side assets more effectively by distributing the “brain” of the system closer to where energy generation and consumption occur.
Key Features of OSED:
- Protocol Conversion: OSED can standardize communications across different protocols (e.g., MQTT, BACnet, REST), allowing utilities to interface seamlessly with a wide range of devices and systems.
- Customizable Grid Functions: OSED enables the deployment of custom grid functions, such as demand response or optimization of dynamic tariffs, tailored to the specific needs of a utility or customer.
- Edge Intelligence: By positioning intelligence at the edge, OSED enhances local decision-making, reducing the need for centralized control and ensuring faster, more responsive actions. For instance, it can prioritize energy consumption or charge electric vehicles based on grid conditions.
Building and Devices as Grid Assets
Oviedo and Kwate emphasized that buildings – and the systems within them (e.g., HVAC, electric vehicles, battery storage) – need to become interactive, responsive assets that serve the grid. OSED aims to transform buildings into active participants in the energy system, reacting to signals from the grid to adjust energy usage in real-time. This capability aligns with Hydro-Québec’s vision of a more integrated and dynamic energy landscape.
Overcoming Control System Fragmentation
One of the key propositions of OSED is the ability to coexist with existing control systems in buildings without replacing them. Many buildings already have advanced control systems in place, such as those provided by Niagara, Delta, or Johnson Controls. Rather than replacing these systems, OSED can interface with them, allowing utilities to gain access to the building’s assets when necessary, without interfering with their regular operations.
Future Vision: An Open, Cloud-Agnostic, Hardware-Agnostic Platform
Hydro-Québec envisions OSED as a platform that can work with any cloud provider (AWS, Azure, IBM) and any hardware, promoting interoperability and scalability. The platform’s flexibility allows for deployment in various environments, from small residential buildings to large commercial enterprises.
The future of OSED is focused on creating a modular, open source ecosystem that allows utilities to deploy custom grid functions easily. As they quoted from Phil Simon’s concept of platforms, “Platforms aren’t just products or services; they are ecosystems that allow others to create value.” This is precisely the vision behind OSED—a vibrant, open platform that can drive innovation in the energy sector.
