Market Trends: DERs Are Evolving From Assets To Orchestrated Solutions

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Executive Summary

Organizations are rapidly deploying distributed energy resources (DERs) to manage rising energy price volatility, grid constraints and growing electrification demands. As adoption becomes more common, these DER buyers are becoming aware of the benefits of coordinating behind-the-meter generation, storage, curtailment and sales back to the grid, within a more cohesive energy system. This report finds that the technology vendors serving these buyers must break out of their established lanes, integrating generation, storage and demand to optimize cost, improve resilience and unlock additional capacity. However, most vendors are stymied by competing standards and legacy systems. Vendors that manage to defy these challenges and develop scalable, interoperable coordination platforms will be best-positioned to maximize returns and support long-term energy transition goals.

Summary for decision-makers
Some 93% of firms have on-site energy system infrastructure – and the base is broadening
Firms now demand multiple coordinated outcomes from their energy infrastructure
DER value is created in two stages: deployment and coordination
DER solutions benefit when energy, signals and data flow cleanly between layers
The line between asset and coordination software is the DER market’s main battleground
The future tech stack will be built around coordination and flexibility

Figure 1. System architecture for DERs
Figure 2.
Market map of DER technologies and software layers

About the Authors

Gus Brewer

Gus Brewer

Consultant

As a Consultant in the Advisory Services team, Gus has completed multiple market and product strategy engagements for ESG, EHS and energy technology providers. Prior to this, ...

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Ryan Skinner

Ryan Skinner

Research Director

Ryan is a Research Director at Verdantix, where he leads a team of analysts delivering research, data and advisory services that help clients navigate the fast-evolving landsc...

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