Electrotek Concepts (Edison, NJ) has been awarded a contract by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Cooperative Research Network (CRN) to study the feasibility of aggregation and dispatch of customer or third-party-owned on-site generation installed primarily for backup power. The contract includes the development of monitoring, control and communication technologies to implement distributed generation (DG) aggregation and dispatch for the New York State Independent System Operator.
J. Charles Smith, president of Electrotek, said, “Distributed generation represents an opportunity to enhance the reliability of the power supply system while lowering the cost of electricity, but that potential is now constrained by numerous technical, financial and management issues. This project will develop a simple methodology for cooperatives to determine the feasibility of a simple, Internet-based system for dispatching multiple distributed generators, the best business arrangements for implementing such a project, and the costs and benefits available to them. It represents an important step forward for cooperatives to determine the most cost-effective approach for aggregating available electric supply from existing DG units and enhancing the reliability of their electric supply systems.”
