Xcel Energy Schneider EcoStruxure ADMS Saves 330 GWh Energy in 43 Months

Xcel Energy has generated 330 GWh of energy savings (~$25M) within the first 43 months by using Schneider Electric's grid management solution EcoStruxure ADMS with its integrated Volt-Var-Optimization (IVVO). Xcel Energy is a utility holding company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, operating an electric distribution network across eight states and serving over 3.7 million electric customers. The IVVO project was initiated to deploy advanced technology with the challenge and expectation of delivering energy and demand savings to the customer base, as well as environmental and operational benefits. EcoStruxure ADMS and its integrated IVVO solution provided one pillar of Xcel Energy's strategy, allowing for centralized, automated, and continuous optimization of distribution grid operations. Conservation voltage reduction, peak demand management, and active power losses minimization are all integrated into a single platform. The system was deployed across 90 substation transformer areas (+30 more planned), with phased implementation of three different ADMS instances and the relevant distribution applications like IVVO and FLISR. The platform manages 2000 DA devices and approximately 3000 feeders, with 3000+ total planned feeders in ADMS. Results include 1-1.5% demand reduction, 2-3% energy reduction, and 60% DER growth within 4 years in the IVVO targeted area. Everything started two years prior to the IVVO project initiation, when Xcel Energy made a strategic decision to implement an Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) as a platform for the future. Xcel Energy's specific challenge was the large implementation scope, as it included multiple distribution control centers and an overall service territory with more than 3000 feeders.