Based on the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), SAP Distributed Energy Resources (SAP DER) offers a reliable data backbone. SAP DER connects technical asset data with business agreements and orchestrates millions of prosumer devices into coordinated services.

From energy sharing and dynamic pricing to cloud-native and interoperable flexibility markets, the solution connects meters, markets and customers to enable business models such as energy communities, virtual power plants and demand response. In conjunction with a carefully selected partner network of specialized technology companies, SAP enables utility companies to shape their energy transition independently.

Data is the backbone of the energy transition, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage

The energy transition is changing the electricity landscape. The energy market is changing. Utilities are moving away from centralized generation to providing energy from millions of distributed systems such as solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations, heat pumps and battery storage systems, powered by consumers and prosumers. The number of connected assets is growing rapidly and generating huge amounts of operational, business and customer data. The reliable and consistent management of this data is one of the central challenges of the coming energy decade.

At the same time, digital energy platforms and new market participants are taking over customer relationships and putting together integrated offers that combine connectivity, flexibility and billing under one roof. Utilities that remain idle now risk being downgraded to mere suppliers of raw materials.

To unlock the full potential of distributed energy sources, utilities need more than just connectivity. you need Data orchestration. All information from processes, partners and devices is harmonized and brought together into a reliable, intelligent data basis that ensures that you can use your energy transition competence without having to rely on third-party services.

From decentralized systems to intelligent orchestration

The solution SAP Distributed Energy Resources (SAP DER) was developed to overcome exactly this challenge. The SAP BTP-based solution enables utilities to manage data on distributed energy sources (production, consumption and storage) at scale while ensuring reliability, performance and consistency.

SAP DER serves less as a system to control operations, but rather focuses on data orchestration and integration. The solution helps data from distributed energy assets flow seamlessly between operational, commercial and analytical systems, providing a central data source that connects the physical and digital energy worlds.

“The complexity of prosumer energy data our customers must deal with is increasing exponentially. They need data that is reliable and consistent across all their data sources, and that’s where SAP Distributed Energy Resources comes into play.”

Kim Maren Ekrutt, Co-Head Global Industry Business Unit Utilities, SAP

The two pillars of the SAP DER solution

1. Complex installation and orchestration of prosumer data: technical and economic basis

Manage the full spectrum of prosumer data, which includes both complex technical asset details such as meters, photovoltaic systems, batteries, electric vehicles and their charging stations, and heat pumps, as well as the commercial information essential for the smooth operation of decentralized energy resources. This includes master data from customers and prosumers, product structures, tariffs, contracts, grid connection agreements, feed-in contracts and all business relationships surrounding each system.

By combining technical system data with commercial attributes and contract information, the solution provides a coherent and reliable overall picture of each system. This is the be-all and end-all, because purely technical information is not enough to manage decentralized energy resources. Commercial products, grid contracts, flexible tariffs and performance incentive agreements determine how energy flows are measured, billed, shared or monetized.

This pillar will become the basis for energy communities, participation in virtual power plants, flexibility programs, dynamic pricing, capacity and congestion management, and any business model that involves prosumers and distributed energy assets.

2. Management and distribution of energy

Track and analyze how energy is consumed, produced, stored and distributed, enabling new energy communities and peer-to-peer business models. Thanks to high-resolution energy data and intelligent allocation algorithms, energy suppliers can offer both private and commercial customers transparent, fair and compliant energy sharing solutions.

Networking of data, processes and people

Utilities already rely on SAP solutions for business-critical processes such as meter-to-cash, asset management and customer experience. With SAP DER, this basis can be expanded by combining all assets, contracts and customer interactions in a uniform data model. This integrated approach transforms technical data into real value, driving use cases such as smart tariffs, dynamic pricing and energy sharing. For utility companies, this means a central digital backbone that connects two worlds: on the one hand, the classic meter-to-cash world (from meter reading to invoicing) – and on the other hand, the emerging flexibility markets with increasing decentralization of energy supply.

A partner network for flexibility in the energy market

No single supplier can cover the entire breadth of the decentralized energy landscape. SAP has built a network of hand-picked technology partners, each of whom brings in-depth specialist knowledge and thus optimally complements SAP’s business data platform. All data remains with the utility company – it therefore retains full control over the business logic and the customer relationship.

SAP’s technology partners extend the platform in six critical areas:

• Flexibility management and virtual power plants: Orchestrate and leverage prosumer assets. These include electric vehicles, batteries, heat pumps and solar inverters – for flexibility markets and intelligent charging management.
• Sharing energy through energy communities: Design and manage energy communities with transparent allocation, dynamic local pricing and full regulatory compliance.
• Power grid congestion and capacity management: Anticipate, identify and solve bottleneck problems in the low-voltage network – and thereby generate additional revenue through flexibility marketing.
• Energy portfolio management and trading: Leverage access to wholesale and flexibility markets with real-time pricing, dynamic quoting and risk management.
• Customer information and load breakdown: Provide behind-the-meter visibility through non-invasive load monitoring and device-specific analytics.
• Demand response and load management: Develop and implement energy demand management programs that combine customer incentives, dynamic pricing and automated equipment control.

“Our task is to support utilities not only in dealing with increasing data complexity, but also in using it specifically for their own benefit. With SAP Distributed Energy Resources and our partner network, we bring together data, processes and partners on an intelligent platform, thereby enabling utilities to shape their own energy transition.”

Kim Maren Ekrutt, Global VP and Co-Head Industry Business Unit Utilities

About SAP Distributed Energy Resources

SAP Distributed Energy Resources provides utilities with a public cloud platform that helps them model, manage and share the data surrounding distributed energy generation. The solution is integrated into the industry-specific SAP for Utilities portfolio and is supported by a global network of selected partners. It enables reliable data exchange, intelligent energy management and innovative customer services – aspects that are crucial in the age of decentralized energy generation.

Mateu Munar is Senior Director of the Utilities Industry Business Unit at SAP.