Over the past decade, we've helped electric utilities better understand Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) and navigate the vendor selection process. We've also implemented and integrated ADMS solutions, providing direct experience and firsthand knowledge across all major operational technology vendors. Throughout this journey, we have observed an interesting pattern of innovation driven by utility customer needs, vendor research and development teams, and research institutions.
Vendor-Led Innovation. True breakthrough innovations by ADMS vendors that proactively involve entirely new modules or capabilities are comparatively rare. They are commercially driven business organizations that will typically highlight a few new features with each product release to support the needs of a broad customer base.
Customer-Driven Innovation. More substantial product improvement and innovation is often the result of input and pressure from customer advisory groups established by ADMS vendors. These groups help prioritize critical product enhancements, which have included:
- Cybersecurity: heavily influenced by mandated security regulations and compliance with IT best practices.
- DER Integration and Management: often tied to a Distributed Energy Management System (DERMS) integration or the additional of a DERMS module to the ADMS.
- Load Modeling and Disaggregation: in response to demands for better modeling of behind-the-meter load and generation such as solar and electric vehicles.
- Interoperability: the push for open standards to support integrations beyond the control room.
These developments go beyond new product features. They represent necessary responses to a rapidly changing distribution system and a more complex regulatory environment.
User Experience (UX) Focused Innovation. According to cognitive scientist and design expert Donald Norman, “New technology should start by respecting old technology. Innovation doesn’t mean replacing everything, it means making what already works, work better.” While the engineering-centric culture of most ADMS vendors has historically been slow to adopt UX design principles, the mindset is evolving. Several vendors have hired UX designers, often from outside the utility sector, to rethink how users interact with an ADMS; resulting in noticeably improved usability and product demonstrations.
Monumental Innovation by Research Labs. Our experience spans the full spectrum of ADMS innovation, which includes research initiatives sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. We have been actively involved in a project at the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) called FAST-DERMS, which stands for Federated Architecture for Secure and Transactive Distributed Energy Resource Management Solutions. Although still in the research stage, the project introduces a federated ADMS and DERMS architecture that deserves attention from commercial vendors. We believe that any vendor that adopts a FAST DERMS like architecture will provide utilities with notable advantages including:
- Faster control responses due to reduced latency in the approach
- Improved integration of DER aggregators and microgrids, especially through modular DERMS capabilities
- Scalability needs in response to the falling cost of IoT sensors, edge computing, and low-power and low-cost communication
- Lower total system cost by using open-source technologies and protocols like OpenFMB and MQTT
The Road Ahead. Whether incremental or transformative, all levels of ADMS innovation are beneficial. ADMS vendors, customers, and research institutions have an important role to play—as do our consultants at Qualus who are dedicated to keeping a pulse on new developments and supporting utility clients in their ADMS journey.
Want to Learn More?
If you'd like to explore the latest in ADMS and DERMS from a vendor-neutral, technically grounded perspective, let us know. We offer a 2-day, in-person QualU training seminar in Lake Mary, Florida as well as customized training at utility locations. For more information, click here.
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