What does 'beyond the meter' mean in the context of the energy grid?

'Beyond the meter' refers to assets, devices, and systems on the customer side of the utility meter, such as rooftop solar, battery storage, electric vehicles, and smart home devices. These resources increasingly interact with and influence the broader grid but have historically been outside utility visibility and control. As their prevalence grows, they must be incorporated into grid management strategies.

Why is redefining the grid edge important for utilities?

As more distributed energy resources connect at the customer level, utilities face new challenges in maintaining grid stability, forecasting demand, and integrating renewable energy. Without a broader definition of the grid edge, utilities risk losing operational visibility and control over an increasingly complex system. Redefining the edge enables better coordination, reliability, and optimization across the entire energy network.

What technologies or strategies help utilities manage beyond-the-meter resources?

Advanced metering infrastructure, distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS), and data analytics platforms are key tools for managing beyond-the-meter assets. These technologies allow utilities to monitor, dispatch, and optimize customer-side resources in near real time. Combined with updated regulatory frameworks and grid architecture, they support a more flexible and resilient energy system.

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Energy

Redefining the Energy Grid Edge Has to Include What’s Beyond the Meter

The energy industry's understanding of where the grid actually ends is expanding far beyond what meters can measure

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Energy teams put it to work with Customer Stories & Case Studies.

By Charlie Nobles · May 7, 2024, 5:41 PM UTCCharlie NoblesEnergyMeterMetering

Key takeaways

The grid edge now extends well beyond the utility meter to include behind-the-meter assets like EVs, solar panels, and smart appliances.

Utilities need new data strategies and technology frameworks to gain visibility into and coordinate with distributed energy resources.

Redefining the grid edge is essential for grid reliability, resilience, and supporting the broader energy transition.

The concept of the “grid edge” in the world of energy management is undergoing quite some transformation right now. Traditionally defined by the boundary of metered electricity delivery, the grid edge is now seen as a broader and more complex interface that includes not just the meter, but also behind-the-meter technologies and upstream elements like distribution transformers. This shift reflects deeper changes in how energy systems are monitored and managed, revealing critical “dark areas” in energy distribution to where that stands for consumers. With energy systems becoming smarter and more integrated, understanding and redefining these boundaries can lead to more efficient and reliable power distribution.

The grid edge is now seen as a broader and more complex interface that includes not just the meter, but also behind-the-meter technologies and upstream elements like distribution transformers.

What exactly constitutes the new “grid edge,” and how can utilities adapt to these expanded boundaries?

On the latest Experts Talk roundtable examining the modernization of the power grid, Charlie Nobles, Vice President of Utilities Business Development at Ubicquia, Inc., provided some explanation using his own experience leading a metering organization.

Some of Nobles’s insights specified that:

The grid edge is no longer just about where electricity is metered; it encompasses everything from the distribution transformers to behind-the-meter technologies.
As technologies evolve, the grid becomes more complex, integrating various elements that were previously considered outside the traditional grid edge.
There is a critical need for enhanced monitoring and visibility at all points between the substation and the customer. This is vital for maintaining system reliability and efficiency.
Developing robust data communication and telemetry pathways is essential to manage and monitor these expanded grid boundaries effectively.
Utilities must strategically redefine the grid edge to include these broader elements, which requires a shift in both operational focus and technological adoption.

By expanding their understanding and monitoring of the grid edge, they can illuminate previously dark areas of the network, enhancing both performance and customer service.

Nobles's perspective demonstrates that utilities are at a turning point and by expanding their understanding and monitoring of the grid edge, they can illuminate previously dark areas of the network, enhancing both performance and customer service.

Video TranscriptExpand ↓

My perspective is, and I'd like to talk about this just a second, is how we define grid edge. In the past, it's been at the load, the delivered load, and smart meters. And I used to run the metering organization for Progress Energy, so I come from a metering AMI world. And that was the edge. And we used the term grid edge, and I'm not so sure that's a proper term anymore. When you add the complexity and sophistication of the behind the meter loads. And now look upstream from the meter to other things, like, that are possible, like what we're doing at Ubiquia, monitoring distribution transformers in real time. What's the edge? Is the edge does it start at the transformer and move down? Is the edge still at the demarcation point of where the load is provided to the customer? Is the edge inclusive of the behind the meter loads, which oftentimes are actually provided, by the utility. So it's a more complicated grid. There's a lot of moving parts. I think we are underrepresented in terms of monitoring the grid proper. We have a lot of edge devices, but but now edge, I think, is broadening from a very sharp edge to a much more blunt edge that's more encompassing. So that's a very complicated landscape that we have to solve. Yeah. I'll jump in here, Charlie. So this is really important, I think, is to define the grid edge, and we ask a lot of different utilities. And from where I'm sitting, prior to my role at Itron, I was at Electric Power Research Institute where we're really independent nonprofit trying to understand how to characterize these things. Oftentimes, what we hear is that grid edge is, you know, please shine a light on the darkness of of where where I cannot see. And as a distribution system operator or utility, as we call it in the states, it's from the substation down to the thermostat hanging on the wall in your living room. And so so being able to, expose and have some data communications, telemetry pathways to define, the grid conditions from the substation all the way down to the customer premise.

About the author

Charlie Nobles

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