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

The traditional concept of the grid edge is being redefined to encompass assets and activities that lie beyond the meter, including behind-the-meter devices, distributed energy resources, and consumer-side infrastructure. As electrification expands and more devices interact with the grid, utilities and energy providers must rethink grid management and data strategies. This shift requires new frameworks for visibility, control, and coordination across the full energy ecosystem.

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By Charlie Nobles · · Charlie NoblesEnergyMeterMetering
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Key takeaways

01

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

02

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

03

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

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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.

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Charlie Nobles
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About the Expert

CN
Charlie Nobles

Partner, Energy & Resources at EY

Charlie Nobles is a partner at EY focused on the energy and resources sector. He works with utilities and energy companies on grid modernization, distributed energy resources, and the evolving landscape of energy infrastructure. His work spans strategy, technology, and operational transformation across the energy value chain.

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