National Grid Employs Trimark's T1-S SCADA to Provide Portfolio-Wide Controls for Groundbreaking Eastern Massachusetts Test Bed

Trimark Associates, Inc. (Trimark) has been selected by Borrego Solar Systems Inc. to provide supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) for a test bed of 14 photovoltaic (PV) generation sites owned by National Grid. Trimark has just been awarded a SCADA contract for the latest two, each 1 megawatt (MW) generation resources to be co-located in Fall River, Massachusetts.
 
National Grid is pioneering solutions to mitigate grid issues related to distributed energy resources. It will apply Trimark’s experience, engineering services and industry-leading T1-S SCADA software to provide grid stability support. Trimark has developed a suite of advanced inverter controls (AIC) for its T1-S Power Plant Controller that will enable grid operators to manage point-of-interconnection (POI) power characteristics in real time. The T1-S Power Plant Controller will enable National Grid to autonomously respond to voltage or frequency deviations at the POI with the applicable AIC function. Through Trimark’s secured cloud-based T1-S Vantage™ HMI, National Grid can configure and schedule AIC functions from their operations center at any time based on its daily, real-time or seasonal conditions. These AIC controls include automatic voltage regulation, demand response, automatic generation control and power quality management (e.g. VARs, power factor, apparent power and frequency).
 
Trimark President and CEO Mark Morosky says, “Our contribution to the National Grid initiative exemplifies the innovative thinking and technical excellence for which we’re known. We’re proud to be a partner in the development of solutions that will benefit the solar industry, power utilities and individual communities.”
 
Trimark is currently deploying AIC at 12 other National Grid PV generation sites that range from 650 to 1000 kilowatt in generation capacity. Trimark was selected to be part of the trailblazing initiative due to its extensive experience and thorough technological understanding of metering, monitoring and controlling power production facilities.
 
National Grid Director of Customer Solutions Fouad Dagher says, “Trimark is providing us with unique solutions to the challenges we face when deploying new systems that are equipped with advanced inverter technology. As distributed generation penetration continues to increase in Massachusetts and nationally, the knowledge learned at these sites will provide valuable insight into how advanced inverter control affects the electric grid. Trimark is playing a key role in that effort.”
 
National Grid is the largest natural gas distributor in the Northeast. National Grid continues to transform its distribution networks to support cleaner and more resilient renewable energy options, such as PV, in line with regulatory initiatives within its territories. The company chose to host its PV test bed in Massachusetts, which has a goal to install 1600 MW of solar generation by 2020.
 
Borrego Solar developed the sites, and designed and built the installations for National Grid. The installations are being used to test advanced inverter controls to support grid stability in a real-world grid environment. This will produce results that will help advise the industry on the deployment of advanced technology and lead to additional and more reliable solar capacity in Massachusetts where some areas are electrically constrained.
 
Trimark Associates, Inc.
 
National Grid
 
Borrego Solar Systems Inc.