Smart inverters are key to building a flexible grid solution
Any deployed solution for grid management needs to offer affordable control configuration. Just as much of the world is moving from hardware-based control to cloud-based for cost savings, so too should any grid management tool. Hardware or on-premise solutions have many hidden costs beyond the original cost of the hardware itself, such as installation, maintenance, upgrades/replacements and additional data links. The main costs with cloud-based solutions are incurred from the initial licensing fees and any setup or integration charges. The cost-effectiveness of cloud-based solutions compared to local-control systems accelerates the adoption rate of new technology and improves its ROI, which will enable the grid to catch up to the new energy reality.