Finding
In software-defined energy, the control software - not the hardware - largely decides what a battery, microgrid or flexible load is worth
Software-defined energy treats batteries, solar, chargers and controllable loads as one programmable system. An energy management system (EMS) forecasts generation, load and prices, then schedules every device - charging the battery at midday, discharging at the evening peak, slowing fleet charging when the site nears its demand limit. Two identical batteries can earn very different revenue under different software.
Inverters are the hinge: grid-forming inverters can set voltage and frequency themselves, letting a microgrid island and restart without the grid. Market rules decide what software can earn - ERCOT's energy-only market rewards fast batteries, which is one reason Texas leads new US storage. See AI in Energy, Microgrids and Energy Orchestration.
Functions
SDE functions
| Function | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Forecasting | Predict solar, load, prices | Day-ahead and intraday |
| Optimization | Plan charge/discharge | Arbitrage, peak shaving |
| Dispatch | Send setpoints to devices | Inverters, chargers |
| Grid services | Frequency and voltage support | ERCOT ancillary services |
| Islanding | Run without the grid | Grid-forming inverters |
Sources
Sources and scope
- Scope
- Software-Defined Energy
- Sources
- ElectronsX framework
- Updated
- October 2026