Consultation Services

Comprehensive Energy Consultation

On Grid Engineering offers tailored consultation services to help clients make informed decisions throughout project lifecycles. From early conceptual planning to long-term operational strategies, our experts provide objective, data-driven guidance to optimize technical performance and financial outcomes.

Whether you are a utility, developer, or industrial facility, our consultation services cover feasibility assessments, technology evaluations, regulatory navigation, and strategic roadmap development.

Feasibility & Conceptual Planning

In the initial stages, we help clients evaluate project viability and develop high-level plans:

• Resource & Site Assessment: Solar irradiance, wind resource, and grid access analyses to identify optimal locations.
• Technology Evaluation: Comparing PV, wind, BESS, and hybrid configurations based on cost, performance, and site constraints.
• Preliminary Financial Modeling: LCOE, IRR, and NPV calculations under various incentive and tariff scenarios.
• Regulatory & Permitting Guidance: Outlining key requirements, timelines, and stakeholders for land use, environmental, and grid interconnection permits.
• Risk & Sensitivity Analysis: Identifying critical variables (e.g., commodity prices, policy changes) to inform robust project planning.

Technical Advisory & Engineering Support

Our deep technical expertise ensures sound engineering decisions across disciplines:

• System Architecture Reviews: Evaluating proposed electrical layouts, interconnection schemes, and single-line diagrams.
• Power System Studies Oversight: Reviewing load flow, short-circuit, dynamic stability, and protection coordination analyses performed by third parties.
• Design Validation & Optimization: Assessing equipment selection, conductor sizing, and BESS integration to enhance efficiency and reliability.
• Control Strategy Consultation: Advising on SCADA/EMS architecture, inverter settings, and grid support functionalities for renewables and BESS.
• Site-Specific Recommendations: Geotechnical, civil, and environmental considerations to integrate engineering requirements seamlessly.

Regulatory Compliance & Interconnection Advisory

Navigating evolving regulations and interconnection processes can be challenging. We assist clients with:

• Interconnection Process Management: Guiding through utility tariffs, LGIA/SGIA negotiation, and RCA (Reliability Coordination Agreement) steps.
• Grid Code Interpretation: Ensuring compliance with IEEE 1547, NERC, FERC, and local utility requirements for inverter-based resources.
• Permitting Strategy: Coordinating with environmental consultants, agencies, and land authorities to secure timely approvals.
• Incentive & Tariff Analysis: Reviewing federal, state, and local incentive programs, net metering policies, and time-of-use tariff structures.
• Policy Impact Assessment: Evaluating potential effects of policy changes (e.g., interconnection standards, carbon pricing) on project economics.

Project Development & Management Support

From concept to commissioning, we provide hands-on support to keep projects on track:

• Project Scheduling & Milestone Planning: Developing detailed timelines for engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning phases.
• Cost Estimation & Budget Control: Refining CAPEX and OPEX estimates, conducting cost-benefit analyses, and tracking expenditures against budget.
• Procurement Advisory: Advising on equipment specification, RFP development, and vendor bid evaluations to ensure quality and value.
• Construction Oversight Briefings: Providing design clarifications, addressing RFIs, and reviewing contractor submittals to uphold design intent.
• Commissioning & Performance Testing: Advising on test plans, witnessing critical tests (e.g., relay settings, inverter performance), and ensuring as-built compliance.

Operational Excellence & Performance Optimization

After commissioning, we help clients maximize returns and maintain high performance:

• Performance Benchmarking: Establishing KPIs, such as availability, capacity factor, and efficiency metrics for PV, wind, and BESS.
• O&M Strategy Development: Crafting preventive maintenance plans, spares inventory strategies, and vendor management processes.
• Data Analytics & Reporting: Implementing tools for real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and periodic performance reports.
• Revenue Optimization: Advising on market participation strategies (energy arbitrage, ancillary services) for BESS and hybrid assets.
• Continuous Improvement Programs: Identifying retrofit opportunities, software updates, and process improvements to extend asset life.

Grid Resilience & Modernization Advisory

As grids evolve, our consultation addresses resilience and smart grid integration:

• Microgrid & DER Integration: Advising on microgrid control architectures, islanding strategies, and DERMS/ADMS coordination.
• Grid Hardening Strategies: Recommending system upgrades, undergrounding options, and redundant paths to minimize outage impacts.
• Advanced Inverter Functions: Leveraging volt-VAR, frequency-Watt, and ride-through settings to enhance grid support.
• Cybersecurity Readiness: Assessing vulnerabilities in SCADA, relays, and communication networks, and developing mitigation plans.
• EV Infrastructure Planning: Integrating electric vehicle charging loads and V2G considerations into distribution network designs.

Training & Stakeholder Workshops

Knowledge transfer is vital for long-term success. We offer:

• Customized Training Programs: Hands-on sessions on system operation, safety protocols, and equipment maintenance for client staff.
• Executive Briefings: High-level workshops to educate stakeholders on emerging technologies, market trends, and regulatory shifts.
• Technical Workshops: In-depth courses on grid codes, protection coordination, and renewable integration best practices.
• Simulation Drills: Scenario-based exercises for emergency response, black start procedures, and fault clearance operations.
• Documentation & Manuals: Providing detailed operation & maintenance manuals, SOPs, and as-built documentation for ongoing reference.

Emerging Technologies & Future Directions

Our forward-looking advisory services ensure clients stay ahead of industry shifts:

• Energy Storage Evolution: Exploring second-life batteries, flow battery innovations, and integrated hydrogen solutions.
• Digital Twins & AI-Driven Analytics: Leveraging real-time data models for predictive maintenance, optimization, and virtual commissioning.
• Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading: Advising on blockchain-based platforms and community energy exchanges for prosumer networks.
• Grid Decentralization: Evaluating strategies for distributed microgrids, community solar, and localized energy markets.
• Advanced Grid-Forming Controls: Preparing for high-renewable penetrations with synthetic inertia and dynamic stability solutions.