Latimer Controls is an innovative startup spun-off from masters research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the University of Colorado.
About The Technology
Latimer Controls’ Flexible Solar Management System (FSMS) is a backend software hosted locally on the power plant controller (PPC) of a transmission-connected solar site. It integrates seamlessly with existing SCADA, PPC, and EMS systems, requiring no additional hardware.
Utilizing industry-standard DNP3 and Modbus protocols, the FSMS leverages a site-specific pre-trained deep learning model to make real-time data-driven estimates of inverter potential high limits (PHL) using current and voltage measurements. The aggregated plant PHL and power generation levels are then communicated to the grid operator, who uses this data to request a plant-level power setpoint that enhances grid stability.
FSMS optimizes power setpoints for each inverter, meeting the grid operator’s requests while continually updating PHL estimations at subsecond intervals. This innovative approach addresses the challenge of intermittency in standalone utility-scale PV generation at its source.
Latimer Controls’ FSMS provides advanced inverter-level active power controls, enabling solar assets to function as flexible resources. This allows grid operators to achieve real-time visibility of PHL, reserve headroom for regulation, operate solar as a stable baseload or intermediate resource, provide frequency response with automatic generation control (AGC), scale solar penetration without compromising reliability or value, and minimize system-wide curtailment.