Utility program experience
Kitu and Itron Utility DERMS Programs
Across closely connected roles with Itron and technology partner Kitu Systems, Andrew helped utilities scale secure, interoperable coordination of distributed energy resources. At Kitu, his work included the IEEE 2030.5 DER server and supporting ecosystem for Hawaiian Electric, along with research, innovation and market-development initiatives involving California IOUs and other utilities. His work addressed cybersecurity, smart-inverter communications, bidirectional power flow, DER registration and telemetry, dynamic controls, and the coordination of solar, batteries, EVs and flexible loads. He also contributed to the staged commercial and technical ramp from tens of thousands of managed assets toward a one-million-DER objective later achieved by the platform.
System Overview
- Utility & DERMS
- Server & aggregator
- Secure communication
- Solar · BESS · EVs · loads
The work in detail.
Kitu and Itron Utility DERMS Programs
A connected technology ecosystem
Itron provided the broader grid-edge and DERMS environment, while Kitu supplied open-standards communication, registration, telemetry and control. Kitu’s platform connected utility-server, aggregation and embedded-device software to support an end-to-end IEEE 2030.5 ecosystem across customer-owned solar, batteries, EVs and flexible loads.
Utility requirements and controls
The work addressed IEEE 2030.5 and Common Smart Inverter Profile implementation, California Rule 21 and Hawaii DER requirements. It included secure registration, authentication and communications; telemetry and operating-status visibility; remote scheduling and inverter controls; dynamic export and bidirectional-power-flow management; and DERMS and utility-system integration.
Interoperability and cybersecurity
Aggregator and OEM interoperability, cybersecurity, certification and fleet-scale testing supported coordination across different devices and utility systems. Open standards offered an alternative to proprietary, vendor-locked architectures. Kitu also contributed to standards implementation, certification tools, field trials and cybersecurity education.
Utility programs and commercial development
Andrew worked across both sides of the Itron–Kitu partnership, translating utility requirements into interoperable solutions. His work included the Hawaiian Electric IEEE 2030.5 server ecosystem and research, pilots, innovation programs and commercial development involving California investor-owned utilities and other large and smaller utilities.
Scaling the platform
Andrew describes a staged commercial and technical ramp through approximately 50,000, 100,000 and 200,000-device levels toward a one-million-managed-DER objective. These stages describe the program’s growth during his work, rather than a personal deployment total. His account distinguishes that contribution from Kitu’s subsequent report of more than one million active DERs on Citadel.