Bentley Systems Announces OpenUtilities Solutions for Grid Modernisation

Bentley Systems announces the availability of OpenUtilities DER Planning and Design Assessment Solutions, the latest of Bentley’s electric utility software offerings that provide decision support and cost-based models and simulations for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) integration. In partnership with Siemens’ Digital Grid business unit, OpenUtilities Solutions for DER empowers electric utilities, electricity suppliers, and distribution network operators (DSO) with software applications to analyse, design, and evaluate DER interconnection requests through desktop and cloud-based services . OpenUtilities Solutions for DER create automatic network analysis models for Siemens’ PSS SINCAL with the integration of GIS-based network data including ESRI, GE, and Smallworld. The solutions generate an electrical digital twin for utilities. Some of the major challenges utilities encounter with DER integration are system complexity, increased regulatory requirements, high customer demand, and cost management. Digital twins can provide huge efficiencies in grid operations by streamlining DER interconnection applications with optimised workflows to better assess operational impacts, long-term strategic scenarios and investment decisions.