Kitu Systems has secured a new patent for the “System and Method for Shared Control of Distributed Energy Resources.” Issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and authored by Kitu’s CEO Rick Kornfeld and Vice President of Engineering Chris Leclercq, this patent establishes a method for assigning rights to various parties to control the same distributed energy resources (DERs).

Multiple parties often have an interest in controlling the same distributed energy resource, each with different objectives. These varying controls can conflict, creating a need for a method that clearly defines the rights and priorities of each party. The shared control patent addresses this issue by providing a deterministic mechanism that allows multiple service providers to share the valuable control of a DER based on their contractual and/or regulatory priorities.

For example, the control- sharing mechanism outlined in the patent would allow a distribution utility to control the discharge of a battery storage device for grid stabilization purposes with higher priority than a commercial service provider discharging the battery for purely commercial purposes.

“Sharing the control of a distributed energy resource, such as a battery storage system or electric vehicle, is much like sharing another valuable commodity, such as water,” Kornfeld said. “This patent, which leverages the capabilities of modern DER control protocols, will be a key element in the deployment of these systems.”

News item from Kitu Systems