Understanding the DERMS Dashboard
The DERMS Dashboard provides a tabbed user interface containing summary and forecast information related to DERs for an electrical distribution system. It is accessed by selecting DERMS Dashboard... from the Web Workspace Tools menu.
Menus and Toolbar
The DERMS Dashboard window has the following menu and toolbar options.
File Menu
Actions Menu
Understanding the DERMS Summary Tab
The DERMS Summary tab displays high level information related to the system, weather zones, and large scale utility DERs. All of the information is based on real-time conditions and current output of all resources. It is meant to provide as a quick reference overview broken down by technology types that are currently having an impact on the system. This tab contains three tables that display the following information:
• The System Summary table contains the current output (MW and MVAr) for each technology type of DER, the current total DER output, the total generation capacity (MVA), and the current total load for the entire distribution system.
• The Weather Zone Summary table displays the current output (kW and kVAr) of each weather affected DER technology type for each weather zone. It also has a column for the total output and generation capacity (kVA) for the weather zone that sums the various technology types present.
• The Utility DER Summary table displays the current output (kW and kVAr) of the individual DER units that do not belong to a weather zone (for example, utility scale gas generators or batteries). This table will also show the generation capacity (kVA) of the unit.
System Summary Table
• Wind (MW/MVAr): The total wind generation on the system in MW and MVAr.
• PV (MW/MVAr): The total photovoltaic (PV) generation on the system in MW and MVAr.
• Fuel (MW/MVAr): The total fuel generation on the system in MW and MVAr.
• Battery (MW/MVAr): The total battery generation on the system in MW and MVAr.
• Total Generation (MW/MVAr): The total generation of all DER technology types summed together in MW and MVAr for the system.
• Generation Capacity (MVA): The total generation capacity of all DER technology types summed together in MVA for the system.
• Total Load (MW/MVAr): The total demand on the system from loads.
Weather Zone Summary Table
• Weather Zone: The name of the weather zone.
• Wind (kW/kVAr): The total wind generation in kW and kVAr for the weather zone.
• PV (kW/kVAr): The total Photovoltaic (PV) generation in kW and kVAr for the weather zone.
• Fuel (kW/kVAr): The total fuel generation in kW and kVAr for the weather zone.
• Battery (kW/kVAr): The total battery generation in kW and kVAr for the weather zone.
• Total Generation (kW/kVAr): The total generation of DER technology types summed together in kW and kVAr for the weather zone.
• Generation Capacity (MVA): The total generation capacity of all DER technology types summed together in MVA for the weather zone.
Utility DER Summary Table
• Resource Name: The name of the utility scale DER (for example, Large Battery or Diesel Generator).
• Substation: The substation the DER is a part of.
• Feeder: The feeder the DER is connected to.
• Power Source: The technology type associated to the unit (for example, Battery, Fuel, Hydro, and so on).
• Islandable: Indicates if the DER is capable of islanding an area of de-energized network.
• Capacity (kVA): The generation capacity of the unit in kVA.
• Output (kW/kVAr): The total output of the resource in kW and kVAr.
• Availability Price ($/MWH): The availability pricing in $/MWH for the DER unit.
• Utilization Price ($/MWH): The utilization pricing in $/MWH for the DER unit.
• Solution Time: The time the solution was last solved for this particular DER.
• NCA Status: Displays the Network Capacity Allocation Status if the DER is setup as a market participant. This will specify if the bid is accepted, denied, or curtailed.
Understanding the Weather Zone Forecasts Tab
The Weather Zone Forecasts tab allows you to see weather zone forecast information for a selected zone. With this information, you can see the forecast data (provided via an external weather service and/or the DERMS system via an adapter to NMS), and the current and forecasted output (kW, kVAr) for each DER technology type. The following information is available in the Weather Zone Forecasts tab:
• Date/Time
• Temp (F)
• Wind Speed (mph)
• Cloud Cover
• Wind Output (kW/kVAr)
• PV Output (kW/kVAr)
• Fuel Output (kW/kVAr)
• Battery Output (kW/kVAr)
• Total Generation (kW/kVAr)
The Weather Zone Forecasts tab shows information related to a specific weather zone. The forecast information displayed is for the real time output and configured forecast range. It is meant to show how DER output can change based on upcoming weather trends and forecasted conditions. For example, if the current day is supposed to transition to a cloudy day with no wind, you will be able to see how the forecasted PV and wind output begin to decrease as conditions start to change.
You can navigate to the Weather Zone Forecast tab in two ways:
• Select the Weather Zone Forecasts tab. Once the tab has opened, you need to select the zone you are interested in from the Weather Zone drop-down list.
• Select a weather zone row in the DERMS Summary tab's Weather Zone Summary table, right-click, and select View Forecast... from the context menu. The Weather Zone Forecasts tab will open with the selected zone forecast displayed.
Weather Zone Forecasts Table
• Date/Time: The date and time for the row of forecast and weather data that is displayed.
• Temp (F): The forecast temperature for the weather zones forecast date/time.
• Wind Speed (mph): The forecast wind speed for the weather zone forecast date/time.
• Cloud Cover: The forecast cloud cover level for the weather zones forecast date/time.
• Wind (kW/kVAr): The total forecasted wind generation in kW and kVAr for the weather zones forecast date/time.
• PV (kW/kVAr): The total forecasted Photovoltaic (PV) generation in kW and kVAr for the weather zones forecast date/time
• Fuel (kW/kVAr): The total forecasted fuel generation in kW and kVAr for the weather zones forecast date/time.
• Battery (kW/kVAr): The total forecasted battery generation in kW and kVAr for the weather zones forecast date/time.
• Total Generation (kW/kVAr): The total forecasted generation of DER technology types summed together in kW and kVAr for the weather zones forecast date/time.
Understanding the Utility DER Forecast Tab
The Utility DER Forecasts tab allows you to see Utility Scale DER forecast information for a selected resource. With this information, you can see the forecasted output (kW, kVAr) of the resource that has been provided via an external DERMS system via an adapter to NMS.
The forecast information displayed is for the real-time output and configured forecast range. It is meant to show you how DER output can change based on the forecast data provided for the resource (for example, battery used for peak shaving).
You can navigate to a specific Utility DER Forecast in two ways:
• From the DERMS Summary tab:
• Select the resource you are interested in from the Utility DER Summary table. Right-click and select View Forecast… from the context menu. The DERMS Dashboard window will display the Utility DER Forecasts tab with the selected resource name populated in the Resource Name field, and with the resource's forecast data displayed in the Utility DER Forecast table.
• From the Utility DER Forecast tab:
• Select the resource you are interested in from the Resource Name drop-down list. The Utility DER Forecasts table will be populated with the selected resource's forecast data.
The Utility DER Forecasts tab will also show information related to Network Capacity Allocation (NCA) if the device is configured as a market participant DER and bidding into the day ahead market. The NCA Forecast information will be displayed on a table within this page and represent the results of the analysis stating for each configured forecast interval the bid status of the unit and its recommended output.
Utility DER Forecasts Tab Layout
The top section contains the following information:
• Resource Name: The name of the utility scale DER (for example, Large Battery or Diesel Generator).
• Substation: The substation the DER is a part of.
• Feeder: The feeder the DER is connected to.
• Power Source: The technology type associated to the unit (for example, Battery, Fuel, Hydro, and so on).
• Islandable: Indicates if the DER is capable of islanding an area of de-energized network.
• Market Participant: Specifies if this DER is bidding into the day ahead market and is consider in the Network Capacity Allocation Analysis.
• Aggregator: Displays either Y or N if the DER belongs to an aggregator or not.
• Capacity (kVA): The generation capacity of the unit in kVA.
Utility DER Forecasts Table
The Utility DER Forecasts table contains the following information:
• Date/Time: The date and time for the row of forecast data that is displayed.
• Output (kW/kVAr): The forecasted total output of the resource in kW and kVAr
• Solution Time: The time the solution was last solved for this particular DER.
Network Capacity Allocation Forecasts Table
The Network Capacity Allocation Forecasts table specifies the results of the Network Capacity Allocation (NCA) analysis and displays the bid status and recommended output for each forecast interval. See section
Understanding Network Capacity Allocation for more information.
• Date/Time: The date and time the NCA analysis row corresponds to.
• Proposed Output (kW/kVAr): The total output in kW and kVAr the generator wanted to bid into the market.
• Allowed Output (kW/kVAr): The total output in kW and kVAr the generator can produce as determined by the NCA analysis. If the generator exceeds the allowed output flow constraints will be created on the network.
• Price ($/MWH): The price of generation for this particular interval as provided with from the generator with the bid.
• Bid Status: The bid status for this NCA analysis interval; the values may be Accepted, Denied, or Curtailed. For example, if the NCA analysis determined the generator cannot produce any power during this interval without creating flow constraints, the Bid Status would be set to Denied. If the generator output needed to be reduced from the proposed output, but not fully reduced, the bid status would be Curtailed. If the proposed generator output does not create any flow constraints and can be fully utilized, the bid status will show as Accepted.
Viewing Violations for a NCA Forecast
When viewing the NCA forecast for a particular DER, the flow and/or voltage violations that caused curtailment can be displayed. You can view these issues for each forecast hour. Right click the forecast of interest, and then select View Violation.... When the Network Capacity Allocation Violation dialog box opens, you can then select the option to view the Proposed or Allowed violations. The Proposed violations correspond to issues that would occur with the proposed generator output, this is essentially the output the generator intended to supply. The Allowed violations correspond to issues that would occur with the NMS recommended generator plan, under ideal circumstances the number of allowed violations should be zero. The following columns will be displayed in the NCA Violation dialog box.
• Device: The device name where the violation has occurred.
• DER Name: The DER name that has sensitivity to the violation.
• Feeder Name: The name of the feeder where the violation has occurred.
• Violation: The type of violation that has occurred (for example, Switch Overload, Conductor Overload).
• Phase: The phase on which the violation has occurred
• Value: The power flow value on the device (for example, amps for switches/conductors, kV for voltage issues).
• %: The percent overload of the violation
• Limit: The limit on the overloaded device
• Pre-Existing Viol: Specifies if this was a pre-existing violation that existed before any generator schedules were taken into account.