A STRATHCLYDE University spin-out has signed its first international partnership which will allow its cutting-edge technology to be sold in new territories including Australia and the Middle East.

Smarter Grid Solutions (SGS) is teaming up with Enzen Global Solutions (EGS) in a move that will allow EGS to take SGS software products to new markets in India, the Middle East, South Africa and Australia.

SGS technology has already saved energy firms in the UK around £100 million and the new deal could earn it thousands or millions of pounds in the coming years. The company has become a world leader in technology that enables existing power grids to be better used to avoid new builds and incorporate renewables and other energy resources, turning them into smart grids.

Its new deal marks a significant growth for SGS and its Active Network Management technology, and could be the first in a number of potential partnerships across the world.

EGS is the first company to be appointed as the approved integrator of SGS products outside of the company’s markets in North America and Europe.

The partnership was announced at the India-UK Energy for Growth Dialogue in Delhi, an event led by Indian government ministers to promote opportunities for UK companies in its fast growing energy sector.

Alan Gooding, an SGS executive vice president, said, “We are excited to be working with EGS and expanding the global reach of SGS.

“This partnership will allow utilities, including the Indian distribution companies, to benefit from our distributed energy resource (DER) management products.

“These products have been proven to vastly improve grid efficiency and reliability, reducing the cost of renewable integration and maintaining electricity supplies, vitally important to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”

Dr Uma Rajarathnam, Enzen’s head of applied research and collaboration, added, “Our focus at Enzen is to address the challenges in integrating high ingress of renewable, DER seamlessly into electricity grids.

“Through our partnership with Smarter Grid Solutions, we are building a centre of excellence in active network management to help our customers efficiently integrate, control and manage DER in real-time and enhance the flexibility of the grid.”

Glasgow-based SGS’s active network management (ANM) is the engine of the smart grid – the control technology needed to manage DERs.

Its “grid-edge” integration of distributed and renewable energy manages the behaviour of these different sources and means that utility companies can maximise their return from existing assets.

Its products also help electricity distribution utilities and DER operators to manage grid congestion, interconnection hosting capacity, along with DER integration and management.

SGS already has customers around the globe, as well as offices in London and New York.

Its investors include Scottish Equity Partners, the Scottish Investment Bank and the University of Strathclyde.

Its new partner Enzen is a global energy, water and environment company serving the energy and utilities sector.