DER
Distributed Energy Resource
A Distributed Energy Resource (DER) is a small-scale energy asset located at or near the point of consumption, including battery storage, rooftop solar, EV chargers, backup generators, smart thermostats, and demand-flexible loads. Unlike centralized power plants, DERs are distributed across the grid, often behind the meter at homes, businesses, or community facilities. DERs can be aggregated into Virtual Power Plants to provide grid services collectively. Key characteristics: local (site-level), modular (can scale from kW to MW), and bidirectional (can consume, generate, store, or curtail electricity).
How Molecule Systems Relates
Molecule's MOS 350 edge OS integrates with 1,000+ DER makes and models via Modbus, OCPP, and API protocols. The protocol-agnostic architecture means any DER - regardless of manufacturer or communication standard - can participate in VPP programs through the Molecule execution layer without firmware modifications.
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Deployed alongside EG4 Electronics · Lightsmith Energy · Enersponse · RCT Power