Xcel Energy Rolls Out Ventyx Smart Grid Operations Solution for SmartGridCity™
Integrated Software Suite Empowers Utility with Virtual Power Plant Capabilities
ATLANTA, September 09, 2009 – Ventyx, the world's largest private software, data and advisory services provider to the energy and utility industry, today announced that major U.S. electric company Xcel Energy has successfully implemented the Ventyx Smart Grid Operations Solution in Boulder, CO, the nation's first fully integrated SmartGridCity™. The Ventyx solution is an integral component of the utility's SmartGridCity initiative and will provide the capability to turn data from the Smart Grid into the actionable intelligence required to deploy and effectively manage the Boulder Smart Grid.
"The Ventyx Smart Grid Operations solution plays a fundamental role in turning the vision of SmartGridCity into reality by helping us aggregate diverse data from the Smart Grid and make it actionable in our commercial operations," said Randy Huston, Xcel Energy's project delivery executive for SmartGridCity. "The solution transforms the data from an individual meter level to an aggregated level called Virtual Power Plants to support commercial operations of the grid, and takes the day-ahead/balance-of-day plans from operations and creates price signals that can be put onto the customer data portal for customer choice or price options. This capability connects the results of the demand response programs and distributed energy resources to our trading portfolio operations and investment decisions. As a result, the software will help us give SmartGridCity customers greater control over their energy consumption, while realizing the benefits of implementing a Smart Grid."
Ventyx Smart Grid Operations is a software suite that supports the commercial and retail utility operations required to deliver effective demand response (DR) programs, distributed energy (DG) management, renewable generation and resource optimization for successful Smart Grid deployments. It achieves this by enabling utilities to aggregate customer-level DR and distributed generation into commercially actionable Virtual Power Plants. The solution also improves DR program management, effectively managing customer enrollment, device tracking and DR forecasting. Furthermore, Smart Grid Operations enables utilities to efficiently calculate and communicate price and environmental signals to customers, portals and load control programs. And, it provides advanced reporting capabilities for documenting program- and customer-level economic and environmental benefits, a key to meeting corporate, regulatory and DOE measurement and reporting requirements.
"The Ventyx Smart Grid Operations solution meets a growing need among utilities deploying Smart Grids because it enables them to process and act on complex information from across the entire energy value chain from generation to consumption," said Ventyx President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Carpenter. "It provides generation portfolio optimization and scheduling and advanced customer program management, both of which are required to deploy and manage the most comprehensive Smart Grid programs. And, we back our solution with deep domain expertise in the utility industry, so we are intimately aware of the challenges in deploying Smart Grids and how to overcome them. As a result, customer programs like Xcel Energy's SmartGridCity can increase operational efficiencies, maximize and optimize the use of distributed energy resources and help the energy consumer make more informed choices about how and when they use power."
Ventyx is a founding member of the Xcel Energy SmartGridCity Consortium, established in December 2007 to provide guidance, products and services needed to bring Xcel Energy's Smart Grid vision to life. Over the last year SmartGridCity has installed 15,800 smart meters, laid 200 miles of fiber, enabled 45,200 premises with broadband over powerline (BPL), deployed/integrated more than 20 disparate applications, built 95 new interfaces and performed more than 300 test cases for go-live preparation. The rollout of the Ventyx Smart Grid Operations solution is part of Xcel Energy's completion of the first phase of the project, which has already realized some early benefits.
"Our SmartGridCity vision is becoming reality, thanks to the efforts and advanced technology of partners like Ventyx," said Huston. "To date, the project has helped us improve operational efficiency, reduce outages and improve the overall customer experience. As we continue to leverage the Ventyx Smart Grid Operations solution, utilizing Virtual Power Plants across the Boulder Smart Grid, I expect that these benefits will continue to expand."
For more information, visit the Ventyx Smart Grid News Website or the Xcel Energy SmartGridCity Website.
About Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company with regulated operations in eight Western and Midwestern states. Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.3 million electricity customers and 1.8 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies. Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis. More information is available at www.xcelenergy.com.
Media Contact:
Ventyx Corporate Communications
Gary Frazier, 770-989-4188
gary.frazier@ventyx.com
Ventyx is a trademark of Ventyx Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
