Meralco plans new center to handle more EVs, solar power
With the rise of renewable energy (RE) and other advanced technologies, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is planning to develop a “twin” system control center (SCC) that would monitor and accommodate the growth of electric vehicles (EVs), batteries, and solar at the household level.
In a media roundtable with Meralco’s head of networks Froilan J. Savet, he explained that the company is planning to build a new SCC that would complement the existing supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and the advanced distribution management system (ADMS). These systems provide real-time monitoring and control over the entire distribution network.
“We will call it the Grid Edge Operations and Control Center (GEOCC). We need this for resiliency and to respond to the changing energy landscape,” he told reporters on Friday, Oct. 17.
The planned GEOCC, which is targeted for completion by 2030, would help capitalize on recent advancements, particularly the increasing number of EV charging stations, batteries, and solar rooftops. This plan would be included in Meralco’s new regulatory period application, also known as the first RP, and is expected.
Moreover, it might be high time for Meralco to adapt to new technologies, as Savet said, customers now have more options for sourcing their electricity. He added that under the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC) rules, a new role has been established that allows distribution utilities like Meralco to manage smaller, distributed energy sources.
“There’s an emerging role for the distribution utility (DU) under the PEMC rules. I think DOE (Department of Energy) recognized this as the distribution system operator,” he said.
Meralco currently has one SCC, which helps restore power services during outages, detects and isolates faults, plans and manages switching operations, and manages network performance to assure reliable and efficient power delivery. This allows them to maintain network reliability, operational efficiency, and customer service continuity throughout their service areas.