envelio Introduces Grid Connection Navigator to U.S. Utilities
envelio, a European smart grid software provider, has launched its Grid Connection Navigator (GCN) application in North America. The tool is designed to streamline the initial steps of the interconnection process, allowing users to assess available grid capacity, identify suitable sites, and estimate projected connection costs. Utilities can benefit from reduced manual effort and more actionable connection requests. The new application complements envelio’s existing interconnection tools, including Grid Connection Study and Online Connection Check.
As distributed energy resources (DERs), electrification, and large loads grow, interconnection processes and queues can become bottlenecks. Developers and companies often face uncertainty about whether a site is technically and commercially feasible, leading to delays and higher costs. Utilities, meanwhile, are tasked with reviewing a large volume of incomplete or speculative requests.
The Grid Connection Navigator aims to address these challenges. “Hosting capacity maps are the right tool — but a new approach is needed to keep pace with today’s multiple challenges like load growth and flexibility to name a few,” said Luigi Montana, CEO of envelio Inc. “With the Grid Connection Navigator, we’re taking that next step. Instead of a static map, we provide an interactive, data-driven view of the grid powered by a true load-flow–based algorithm without approximations or heuristics. This gives developers the right information at the very beginning of their planning, while helping utilities focus their resources on requests that are genuinely feasible. The result is greater operational and financial flexibility — and ultimately a faster path to deploying DERs, EV charging infrastructure, and large loads.”
At the core of GCN is an interactive grid-capacity map that lets users evaluate available capacity before submitting requests. The application provides indicative cost calculations and can be embedded directly into a utility’s self-service portal for immediate access. Unlike traditional hosting capacity maps, the system updates continuously, incorporating power-flow–based hosting capacity assessments and seasonal or time-series variations to give near-real-time visibility into grid conditions. This granularity supports planning for battery storage projects and flexible interconnections, where timing and variability are critical.
envelio first introduced its Intelligent Grid Platform (IGP) to the U.S. market last year. Less than a year later, a U.S. utility became the first worldwide customer to deploy the Grid Connection Navigator. Several other U.S. utilities have expressed interest, reflecting the growing attention to tools that support planning, operation, and transformation of electric distribution grids.
