TRUFlex™ Load+DER Management

The TRUFlex Load+DER Management system helps utilities manage a wide variety of residential and commercial loads responsively, reliably, and flexibly, all while reducing costs and providing a proactive path to implement demand-side flexibility programs.

Mitigate imbalances between electricity supply and demand through comprehensive demand-side management programs

TRUFlex Load+DER Management (TRUFlex) takes traditional load management and DER management capabilities to a new level. TRUFlex includes a portfolio of software applications, connected devices and edge applications that harness the power of grid data and establish interactive demand flexibility with behind-the-meter loads, such as electric vehicle chargers, solar and storage inverters and smart appliances.

Benefits

Used in concert with Tantalus’ groundbreaking TRUSense Gateway™ devices, TRUFlex provides a comprehensive and cost-effective way to manage the entire grid, including devices located behind-the-meter without ripping and replacing existing meter infrastructure.

Reverse-compatibility with existing, legacy systems
Seamless management of program participant enrollment and information
Behind-the-meter device association as well as command and control of these devices
Interactive device fleet management, including system health monitoring, diagnosing and resolving performance problems
Program management, including control timing and strategies
Controlling event dispatch and participation tracking

TRUFlex Load+DER Management Applications

TRUFlex includes a suite of applications to improve the overall management of a utility’s load profile to mitigate outages tied to extreme weather events or failing assets and protect vulnerable customers with medical equipment and critical loads across the distribution grid.

TRUFlex Protect

TRUFlex Protect is a unique and revolutionary application that makes emergency load shed as painless as possible for utilities and the customers they serve. Increased demand for electricity, retirement of generation assets and the potential for prolonged extreme weather events are causing blackouts and reliability challenges for utilities across the United States. TRUFlex Protect helps utilities maintain critical loads and deliver power to customers with specific needs or life-saving equipment while ensuring an equitable rotation of curtailment across a community.

TRUFlex Load Champ

TRUFlex Load Champ is the ideal answer for retrofitting control onto large loads and Level 2 electric vehicle chargers that exceed the 30-amp capacity of typical load control switches. The application enables utilities to control individual loads and delivers advanced load shedding at a customer site during emergency situations. Load Champ is an edge application available on TRUConnect™ AMI remote disconnect meters and enables utilities to leverage meters as a fully functional load control device capable of managing single-phase loads up to 200-amps with reliable and trackable event-based dispatch. For utilities that employ separately metered loads under a load management program, TRUFlex Load Champ delivers an ideal solution as control capabilities and traditional metering are fully integrated.

OptiCycle™

OptiCycle™ is an application loaded onto Tantalus’ suite of LC-2300 load control switches that delivers adaptive cycling through analytics to provide customized control adapted to the unique building envelope and site characteristics of each premise.

TRUFlex Load+DER Management Devices

With a suite of intelligent, connected devices, utilities have the necessary flexibility to design demand-side programs based on their needs and priorities.

TRUFlex DER Gateway

TRUFlex DER Gateway is a field device that integrates customer DERs with utility operational systems so they can be monitored and controlled to ensure grid stability. Utilities struggle to integrate behind-the-meter DERs, such as solar inverters, due to the complexities of supporting a variety of protocols and unique characteristics of each device. As various protocols and characteristics continue to emerge, the TRUFlex DER Gateway bridges the gap by creating a homogeneous set of field resources, thereby removing a major obstacle to scale load programs as DERs continue to be installed across a distribution grid.

TRUFlex Control Gateway

TRUFlex Control Gateway is a field device that manages DERs within a specific zone to stay within demand limits and meet defined goals. These gateways provide command and control of microgrids and generation facilities. Within a specified zone, a TRUFlex Control Gateway leverages over forty control modes to limit peak demand, adjust to peak pricing, participate in utility events and operate a microgrid in island mode. Coupled with the TRUFlex DER Gateway, Tantalus provides utilities with unified resources that are compliant with Rule 21.

TRUFlex Load Controller

TRUFlex Load Controller is a field device that is ideal for retrofitting traditional loads such as electric water heaters and central air conditioning systems to unleash tremendous value through demand-side flexibility programs. Most of the untapped demand flexibility available today lies in ‘dumb’ loads such as electric water heaters and central air conditioning. Tantalus offers a better alternative for traditional load control with its LC-2300 family of load control switches. These switches install easily in the home and retrofit up to four standard loads for the control and monitoring required to enable load flexibility. Commonly supported load types include electric water heaters, central air conditioning and heat pumps, electric thermal storage and irrigation control systems. Its small footprint and indoor/outdoor design make new installations and retrofits of existing legacy load controllers easy. Multiple models are available with different relay configurations.

TRULight Intelligence™

TRULight Intelligence™ is a field device that supports advanced and easy-to-deploy lighting control capabilities in an economical manner. Streetlighting control and related smart city applications are important tools in managing the energy and operational costs of a municipality. Tantalus TRULight Intelligence provides an easy-to-deploy solution with advanced features that leverages the TRUConnect Network for economical operation. TRULight Intelligence also extends TRUConnect coverage. This makes it the ideal solution where TRUConnect coverage is required beyond the electric AMI meter footprint to read electric, water and gas AMR meters using Tantalus’ TRUScan technology.