Case Study: APG&E — Building a Custom DERMS Platform
Building a DER Orchestration & Flexibility Engine for a Leading REP
Industry: Energy / Retail Electricity
Focus: DERMS & VPP Platform Development
Project Scope: End-to-end DER orchestration platform — device enrollment, demand response dispatch, and Enode integration for a leading retail electricity provider across ERCOT, PJM, and NYISO.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Standing Up a Demand Response Program from Scratch
APG&E, a leading retail electricity provider operating across ERCOT, PJM, and NYISO, selected Codibly as its technology partner to build a Demand Response and DER orchestration platform. The objective: stand up an MVP that enrolls customers, manages connected devices, and orchestrates demand response events across APG&E’s service territory — then scale it into a full flexibility engine.
Codibly architected the platform as a standalone orchestration layer, loosely coupled from APG&E’s internal retail systems, and integrated it with Enode, their device connectivity partner. The result: a production-ready DERMS that went from zero to operational DR capability in 12 weeks.
Key Challenges
- Building a DER orchestration program from scratch within an existing retail platform ecosystem.
- Integrating with Enode’s device connectivity layer for thermostat control as the first DER asset class.
- Designing a modular architecture that can absorb EVs, heat pumps, and additional flexible loads over time.
- Providing operations teams with real-time visibility into event dispatch, device telemetry, and program participation.
CHALLENGE & GOALS
What APG&E Needed to Launch DER Orchestration
Demand Response from Zero
APG&E had little existing DR infrastructure. The platform needed to deliver enrollment, dispatch, and monitoring as a unified MVP — not a multi-year roadmap.
Loose Coupling to Retail Systems
The orchestration layer had to integrate with APG&E’s existing retail platform without creating hard dependencies on legacy infrastructure.
Device Ecosystem Integration
Enode provides the device connectivity layer. The platform needed meter-to-device mapping and thermostat integration as the first controllable asset class.
Modular, Standards-Ready Architecture
The system had to be designed for growth: additional DER types, advanced incentive models, and standards-based grid communication (OpenADR, IEEE 2030.5) as programs expand.
SOLUTION & DELIVERY
A Full DER Orchestration MVP, End to End
Codibly designed, built, and delivered the complete DER orchestration platform, covering device management, flexibility dispatch, and program operations. The platform now enables APG&E to:
- Run a DER orchestration program connected to retail customer systems and device ecosystems via Enode.
- Enroll customers and meters, linking devices to retail accounts for program participation.
- Operate through an internal UI that supports customer filtering, device grouping, and event scheduling.
- Monitor command execution and asset telemetry in real time — including thermostat setpoint tracking, opt-out detection, and control status.
- Schedule demand response events with rollback capability and full participation tracking.
The architecture supports growth: additional DER types, advanced incentive models, and standards-based grid communications can plug in without reworking the core platform.
IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH
How Codibly Delivered the Platform
Standalone Orchestration Layer
Architected as an independent platform, loosely coupled from APG&E’s retail systems. This separation ensures the DERMS can evolve without creating dependencies on legacy infrastructure.
Enode Integration
Deep integration with Enode’s device connectivity API for thermostat enrollment, control dispatch, and telemetry feedback — with the integration pattern ready for additional device classes.
Operational Tooling
Built an internal operations UI for customer management, device grouping, DR event scheduling, and real-time monitoring — designed for program managers, not engineers.
MVP-First, Growth-Ready
Delivered a production MVP covering the full DR workflow. The modular architecture is ready for EVs, heat pumps, battery storage, and standards-based grid communication as APG&E scales.
RESULTS
Positioned for Multi-ISO Flexibility Markets
- Production DERMS delivered: End-to-end DER orchestration — from enrollment to event dispatch — operational in a single engagement.
- Real-time visibility: Command execution monitoring, device telemetry, and participation tracking across the entire fleet.
- Modular growth path: Architecture supports onboarding EVs, heat pumps, battery storage, and additional device classes without platform rework.
- Standards-ready: Clear integration path to OpenADR, IEEE 2030.5, and other grid communication protocols as DR opportunities emerge across its ISO markets.
- Flexibility market readiness: APG&E is positioned to participate in automated flexibility markets and scale its demand response programs across its service territory.
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