Podcast
Reshaping Energy Infrastructure: Scaling Microgrids through Standardization and VPPs
Recently, On the Grid Edge, Schneider Electric’s Bala Vinayagam, SVP Microgrids joined Peter Asmus to shed light on the significance of microgrids and virtual power plants (VPPs) within the context of the a rapidly evolving distributed energy resources landscape.
Listen in to a discussion on the unique characteristics of microgrids, their pivotal roles in fostering flexibility, decarbonization, and the transformative potential of transitioning from unidirectional power flow to a dynamic bi-directional flow by integrating demand side energy into VPPs.
Learn how Schneider Electric’s Microgrid Flex offering harnesses the power of AutoGrid Flex to connect Microgrids to virtual power plants to unlock a new energy potential and new revenue streams. Microgrid Flex is a plug-and-play offering that standardizes integration and facilitates the seamless and highly scalable adoption of microgrids.
The Speakers:
Peter Asmus
Director of Strategic Marketing
Bala Vinayagam
SVP – Microgrid Business, Schneider Electric
Since 2021, upon my arrival in Boston from Toronto, I have enthusiastically embraced my role as Senior Vice President, Microgrids in the Digital Energy Division of the Energy Management Business at Schneider Electric. I currently lead a team that delivers energy optimization, grid resilience, and decarbonization solutions to the commercial and industrial markets. My passion lies in advancing innovation and digital technology in the electric power industry—especially within protection, monitoring, automation, and control of the electric grid, from substations to enterprise.
I have held a diverse set of global senior leadership roles both at General Electric and in Schneider Electric with functional expertise in Product Management, Strategic Marketing, Sales and Commercial Operations. I earned my B.Tech. in Electronics and Electrical Engineering at Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India; my M.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan; and my Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Western University, Canada.
