Transactive Control and MultiSpeak: Exploring Options for Utility DR, DER
QualityLogic performed an extensive analysis and mapping between Transactive Control functions and the MultiSpeak standard. One of the results of this analysis revealed that if Transactive Control nodes are incorporated within a utility, MultiSpeak could play an important role in exchanging the incentive and feedback signals between the nodes. Incentive signals (TIS) and Feedback signals (TFS) are used in a Transactive Control system as a means to control demand response (DR) and distributed energy resource (DER) assets. When incorporated within a utility, transactive nodes would be used to control downstream assets in demand response and distributed generation programs.
Our analysis of the MultiSpeak standard revealed that using existing MultiSpeak functionality fell short of the goals of MultiSpeak, as well as the needs of Transactive Control nodes, so a new endpoint was proposed. With our input, NRECA created a new endpoint (SB_TN) in the Sandbox portion of the V504 release. This endpoint is intended to be used by applications that implement Transactive Nodes within the utility (MultiSpeak functionality is organized around endpoints).
Making the TN endpoint available in the SandBox allows for further analysis to be conducted before adopting into the normative part of the standard. This endpoint implements the MultiSpeak methods InitiateTIS and InitiateTFS and has copied the schema for the signals that was developed by the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project. The addition of such an endpoint allows for MultiSpeak conventions to be adhered to, clarity in intent and usage to be expressed, and adopts the compact signal schema that has been developed for Transactive Nodes.
During the mapping analysis, QualityLogic also identified those MultiSpeak messages that would be used by Transactive Control nodes to control assets. As a result of this analysis, we have a blueprint for adopting Transactive Control within a MultiSpeak environment and enabling important DR and DER programs.
For more about QualityLogic’s interoperability test services and tools, visit our Smart Grid website.