Vancouver-based Enbala Power Systems has opened up another channel to market for its virtual power plant (VPP) software. The company inked a strategic alliance with Alcara Technologies under which the latter will add the Symphony by Enbala VPP software to its utility product offering.

Bud Vos, president and CEO at Enbala, described the partnership as a win-win for both companies, saying utilities can now take advantage of “a streamlined and straightforward approach” for grid balancing activities by leveraging more effectively distributed energy assets.

“The combined solution provides utilities and grid operators with the next generation of control, accuracy and flexibility needed to manage the technical challenges posed by an increasingly distributed grid and to achieve many new value streams that weren’t previously possible,” he said.

Enbala’s VPP software works by controlling and optimizing distributed energy resources such as customer-installed solar, flexible loads and behind-the-meter storage and then shifts power usage in real time to match the moment-to-moment fluctuations of electricity demand and meet utility grid-services needs.

As a supplier of smart infrastructure to electric, gas and water utilities, Alcara will be able to further complement its portfolio of communications infrastructure and demand response systems to improve its customers network stability, efficiency and reliability.

The partnership will enable utilities to address their growing needs to optimize and better manage generation costs, support the integration of renewables and other DERs, maintain grid reliability and stability, manage changing demand patterns and economically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our alliance with Enbala enables Aclara to add a new and powerful capability to our solution suite that addresses the growing importance of efficiency and renewable energy resources to our customers,” added Allan Connolly, president and CEO at Aclara.