Emerson’s Ovation™ energy management architecture adapts to the unique operational demands, regulatory constraints, and load profiles of specialized power environments. Explore our tailored software and control solutions across key energy applications.
Always-On Performance with Powerful Microgrid Automation
Emerson’s microgrid automation solution integrates proven industry expertise spanning a wide range of energy resources with a unified platform for real-time control and intelligent optimization across distributed energy assets. One solution for total energy control across complex energy environments.
Intelligent Control and Optimization for Resilient Energy
By combining Emerson’s Ovation™ Automation Platform and AspenTech Microgrid Management System™, organizations can:
- Support resilient power operations through coordinated control and optimization
- Optimize cost, performance, and emissions
- Unlock new revenue from energy markets
Together, these technologies deliver end-to-end microgrid intelligence—from millisecond-level device control to long-term economic optimization and grid participation.
A Layered, Integrated Approach from Field to Enterprise
Emerson applies a layered approach for microgrid automation, distributing AI-enabled intelligence across assets and throughout an organization so the right decisions are made at the right time.
- Enterprise
Fleet coordination and energy market participation
- Optimization
Forecasting, scheduling, economic dispatch, DER optimization
- Operations
SCADA, visualization, alarm management, operator decision support
- Control
Real-time automation, load balancing, voltage/frequency control
- Field
Device protection, I/O, and asset-level control
Continuous Feedback Ensures Adaptive, Intelligent Performance
Together, the Ovation Microgrid Control System, Ovation Microgrid Energy Management System, and AspenTech Microgrid Management System create a continuous feedback loop that enables adaptive, intelligent operations across every layer of the microgrid. Macro-level forecasting and economic optimization drive strategic operating schedules, while deterministic edge control executes millisecond-level protection to maintain resilient, uninterruptible power.
The Ovation™ Microgrid Control System provides real-time, deterministic control and physical protection to maintain reliable, resilient power operations. Engineered around the high-performance Ovation Microgrid Controller, the system executes sub-second electrical control, grid synchronization, fast load shedding, and islanding response. By combining high-speed execution with robust hardware, it maintains voltage and frequency stability while securely coordinating distributed energy resources (DERs), conventional generation, energy storage, and mission-critical loads.
Explore the Ovation Microgrid Controller & Control System →
Proven Capabilities that Deliver Results
Reliable Operations
- Seamless islanding and grid synchronization
- Supply-demand balancing and load shedding
- Voltage and frequency regulation
Optimized Energy
- Economic dispatch of generation assets
- Peak shaving and cost reduction
- Emissions optimization strategies
Clear Insights
- Real-time monitoring and dashboards
- Historical analysis and reporting
- Predictive analytics and AI-driven insights
Asset Management
- Multi-site coordination and control
- Remote operations and centralization
- Distributed energy resource orchestration
Built for the Most Demanding Operations
Emerson's microgrid automation solution supports a wide range of industries and use cases.
Ensure continuous uptime with resilient power islands
Improve resilience and operational continuity
Maintain uninterrupted operations for critical processes
Optimize limited resources and reliability in isolated environments
Protect essential services from disturbances
Enable renewable integration at scale
Purpose-Built Energy Management Systems for Mission-Critical Infrastructure
BESS Energy Management Systems
Maximizes battery asset life and ROI through high-speed cell-to-grid monitoring, state-of-charge (SOC) balancing, degradation mitigation, and rapid frequency response execution.
Take Control with Emerson’s Microgrid Automation Solution
Built for Power Systems
Purpose-built for power generation, grid, and microgrid applications— not adapted from generic platforms.
Unified Control & Optimization
A single platform for operational insights, real-time control, forecasting, and optimization
Comprehensive Lifecycle Support
Comprehensive lifecycle programs with expert service, product support and educational offerings
Unmatched Reliability at Scale
Trusted globally for uninterrupted operations with high-speed response and fail-safe architectures.
Asset and System Protection
DHS-Certified anti-terrorism automation technology and ISO-27001 certified cybersecurity software
Ai-Driven Performance
AI-enabled guidance to help improve decision-making, cost, efficiency, and sustainability outcomes.
Proven Control Strategies
Six decades of control system engineering expertise from a global power and water industry automation leader
Future-Ready Platform
OEM-agnostic architecture supporting evolving technologies, standards and markets
Technical Deep Dives: Microgrid Orchestration & Energy Resilience
Navigating modern power challenges requires an integrated approach to grid-edge control, high-speed islanding, and supervisory energy management. Explore our technical articles and problem-solution guides to discover how the Ovation™ Automation Platform orchestrates complex distributed energy resources, secures mission-critical operations, and solves the pressing energy demands of modern microgrid architectures.
Frequently Asked Question About Microgrid Automation Solutions
A microgrid is a localized, self-contained energy system that can operate in parallel with, or independently from, the main utility grid. It typically integrates multiple distributed energy resources (DERs) such as solar arrays, wind turbines, energy storage batteries, and backup generators that are all controlled by software that coordinates how this energy is generated, stored, and consumed. While microgrids vary in scale, they are primarily deployed to serve critical, energy-intensive environments where power failure is not an option.
Key applications include:
Data Centers & Critical Infrastructure: Ensuring continuous uptime and seamless transition to isolated "power islands" during grid disturbances.
Campuses & Process Industries: Protecting essential services and complex industrial processes from costly operational interruptions.
Remote & Distributed Operations: Optimizing local resources and ensuring reliable electricity in isolated environments, while integrating renewable energy at scale.
Microgrid automation refers to the complete, end-to-end orchestration of an independent energy system that handles everything from long-term economic forecasting down to real-time asset control. While a microgrid control system acts as the microgrid’s "brain" that executes extremely fast control actions at the device level, microgrid automation encompasses the broader software ecosystem that integrates multiple distributed energy resources (DERs), optimizes power costs, and manages grid participation.
A Microgrid Energy Management System (EMS) operates at the site level, bridging real-time plant controllers with supervisory software to optimize facility energy flows, manage battery state-of-charge (SOC), and enforce site resilience policies (like N+Z reserve headroom) across minutes to hours.
A Microgrid Management System (MMS) functions at the enterprise level, utilizing advanced predictive analytics, unit availability, weather forecasts, historical trends, and more to evaluate marginal operating costs and market pricing to determine and optimize dispatch plans and bulk power opportunities.
Together, they deliver a unified solution for total energy control, bridging the gap between high-level economic optimization and millisecond-level physical execution:
The AspenTech Microgrid Management System operates at the macro layer, utilizing advanced algorithms to predict energy loads, manage electricity market participation, and optimize long-term operational costs and emissions.
The Emerson Ovation Automation Platform operates at the execution layer, providing the rugged, real-time control, cybersecurity resilience, and millisecond-level speed required to balance loads, shed power, and safely manage physical devices.
Behind-the-meter power generation is a specific application of a microgrid that refers to energy assets located on the customer side of the utility meter that may or may not be utility-grid connected.
Not exactly. A microgrid is a general application defined power system that can operate connected to or separated from the utility grid. A power island is often used as a more specific application term for industrial, institutional, or commercial facilities or campuses that can independently generate and manage their own power resources. Regardless, Emerson’s Microgrid Automation solutions can be effectively applied to either a microgrid or power island.
