📋 Case Study

Texas ERCOT VPP: Industrial BESS + CHP + Smart Loads

Legacy CHP controllers lacked telemetry; BESS vendors used proprietary APIs; no common time-series data model across assets

🏗️ Project Overview

Aggregation of 42 industrial sites (BESS, CHP, HVAC, process loads) for ERCOT ancillary markets

🎯 Challenge

Legacy CHP controllers lacked telemetry; BESS vendors used proprietary APIs; no common time-series data model across assets

🔧 Design Approach

On-site OPC UA servers with unified semantic modeling (IEC 61850-7-420 + custom profiles), centralized ISO bidding engine, and cybersecurity-hardened zero-trust overlay network

📐 Design Diagram

Challenges • Legacy CHP: no telemetry • Proprietary BESS APIs OPC UA Servers IEC 61850-7-420 + custom profiles CHP T/E Ratio = 1.85 BESS η penalty = $2.13/MWh Smart Loads ISO Bidding Engine Cybersecurity-Hardened Zero-Trust Overlay Network (TLS 1.3, device attestation, micro-segmentation) → ISO Market Interface

AI-generated project design illustration

📐 Key Calculations

CHP Thermal-Electrical Coupling Ratio

Thermal Output (MMBtu/hr) / Electrical Output (kW)
Result: 1.85
Determines dispatch flexibility window

BESS Round-Trip Efficiency Penalty

(1 − η_bess)^2 × Energy Arbitrage Spread
Result: $2.13/MWh
Reduces net arbitrage margin

📊 Results

Enabled 122 MW aggregated resource; achieved 97.3% settlement accuracy; passed ERCOT ERS certification in 8 weeks

💡 Lessons Learned

  • OPC UA + IEC 61850 bridging cut integration labor by 64%
  • Thermal inertia modeling was critical for CHP ramp compliance
  • Zero-trust segmentation prevented lateral movement during simulated red-team test

Key Takeaways

  • 1OPC UA + IEC 61850 bridging cut integration labor by 64%
  • 2Thermal inertia modeling was critical for CHP ramp compliance
  • 3Zero-trust segmentation prevented lateral movement during simulated red-team test