SPAN has officially announced the launch of SPAN Edge, which would be an Intelligent Service PointTM device, designed to help utilities better manage the distribution grid and rapidly enable home electrification.
According to certain reports, this cost-effective and scalable product arrives on the scene bearing an ability to deliver real-time, autonomous power controls, while simultaneously making it possible for grid operators and ratepayers to benefit from the increased utilization of existing distribution networks.
More on the same would reveal how SPAN Edge is designed to be installed in under 15 minutes by a technician. Alongside that, it allows homeowners to add EV chargers, heat pumps, batteries, and more, without increasing a home’s electrical service.
In case that wasn’t enough, the technology also provides you with utilities unprecedented coordination at the grid-edge.
Before we dig any further, we must take into account how, in a bid to meet the forecasted demand growth, well over half of the planned $1.3 trillion spend on U.S. utility infrastructure, by 2030, will focus on improving transmission and distribution. In that regard, SPAN Edge technology brings forth an ability to cut down on these costs by up to 50% for high grid value communities and still meet demand growth.
Not just that, the solution in question will also look to combine these cost savings with faster deployment timelines, and it will do so for the purpose of meeting regulator and ratepayer objectives.
Talk about the whole value proposition on a slightly deeper level, we begin from its promise to support rapid residential electrification. You see, SPAN PowerUp can very well help homeowners, who have 100-200A service, add electric loads without requiring increased utility service.
Next up, there is the potential for providing multi-home demand flexibility. This translates to how utilities can leverage SPAN Dynamic Service RatingTM (DSR) to temporarily set a virtual limit for a home’s total consumption. The stated setpoint can then be applied to groups of homes during peak times for load flexibility, including overall system balancing or specific transformer loading.
All in all, based on utility grid analysis, any neighborhood leveraging SPAN Edge should be able to double the utilization of utility infrastructure.
Another detail worth a mention is rooted in the potential for deferring or avoiding costly infrastructure investment. With DSR technology guaranteeing demand levels for groups of homes, utilities can expect to add electric load and defer or avoid expensive enhancements to upstream feeder, transformer, or substation infrastructure, offering significant cost savings and deployment speed advantages.
“We see great promise in SPAN Edge as a strategic tool for grid modernization efforts. We value the solution’s ability to enhance customer engagement, support load growth, and improve operational flexibility and system utilization — helping to drive greater efficiency and cost savings,” said Shinjini Menon, Senior Vice President of System Planning & Engineering.
Beyond that, there is a facility in place to improve end-customer satisfaction. In essence, SPAN can seamlessly provide end-customers visibility and control over how their loads are managed. This it will do through a user-friendly mobile app which can be customized for each utility.
Markedly enough, unlike other grid-enabled devices like smart meters, EVSEs, smart thermostats, and other point solutions for demand response, SPAN Edge will also bestow users with unparalleled control to prioritize and change which electric loads are managed.
Hold on, considering we haven’t yet touched upon the scope for going past VPP and demand response, as well as the solution’s knowhow in the context of integrating seamlessly with utility operations.
“SPAN is focused on delivering purpose-built solutions that outperform legacy means to address load growth,” said Arch Rao, founder and Chief Executive Officer of SPAN. “Traditional infrastructure upgrades are slow and expensive to deploy, while behind-the-meter devices are complicated by intermittent reliability and control limitations. SPAN Edge is powerful, scalable and reliable, providing device-level visibility and control. By equipping utilities with an innovative, at-the-meter solution designed to affordably meet load growth, SPAN is helping to catalyze an electrified future for all.”
