GridUnity Chosen by Entergy’s Utilities to Manage the Interconnection of Distributed Energy Resources
Cloud-based platform will make it faster and easier to bring distributed-scale renewable energy and battery storage online
GridUnity announced today that Entergy Services, LLC has selected the company’s cloud-based Interconnection Lifecycle Management software product to streamline the interconnection process for distributed energy resources. Entergy delivers electricity to approximately 3 million customers through five operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
GridUnity’s platform was selected to simplify and accelerate the process of adding distributed energy resources including solar power and energy storage to the grid. The GridUnity platform provides the flexibility and scalability to address the full lifecycle of the interconnection process and will enable standardized automation across all jurisdictions resulting in a consistent experience for Entergy’s five utilities and their respective customers.
With the GridUnity tool, applicants receive immediate, automated feedback if an entry is incomplete, ensuring all submitted applications meet established standards. Entergy staff will now be able to review and respond to submitted applications in less time than was previously required, providing guidance throughout the rest of the interconnection process. Use of the GridUnity tool will create a more transparent and near-real-time interconnection queue, freeing Entergy’s engineers and other employees involved with the interconnection process to spend more of their time addressing the higher-value needs of customers.
“Over the past five years, through our work with numerous utilities, we’ve been able to hone our platform to perform notably better than legacy tools and processes,” said Brian Fitzsimons, CEO of GridUnity. “Our goal is to help move the industry forward through technology innovation that allows for increased penetration of distributed energy resources. The ability to streamline interconnection processes is one of the keys that unlocks access to the future of energy.”
Transforming the experience for interconnection applicants, the GridUnity platform brings increased efficiencies to Entergy’s processes. Having access to up-to-the-minute information helps ensure customers and other stakeholders stay up to date on their interconnection status while Entergy staff can process interconnection requests more quickly. The adoption of a single consistent format for submission of data and supporting documentation also creates a predictable and repeatable experience for users.
About GridUnity
GridUnity® is a pioneer in cloud-based distributed energy analytics solutions. With advanced grid planning and operations capabilities, the company is leading the global shift toward highly reliable and responsive distributed energy operations. GridUnity is the only solution that integrates customer engagement, engineering automation and distribution system planning in one unified platform, enabling clients to transform their customer service and operational model. Clients include North American investor-owned utilities and independent system operators serving 20 U.S. states and 30% of the U.S. population. For more information, please visit gridunity.com and for the latest news, follow @GridUnity on Twitter or LinkedIn.