NonDER

NonDER is a term that appears in some technical writings with varying definitions, and there is no universally accepted meaning. In the energy sector, where DER stands for distributed energy resources, nonDER is commonly used to describe resources, strategies, or planning approaches that are centralized or non-distributed. This usage contrasts centralized generation, long-distance transmission, and bulk-storage assets with distributed assets such as rooftop solar, residential storage, or demand-response programs. The nonDER framing is often employed in policy analyses and grid-planning discussions to examine reliability, cost, and regulatory implications when leaning on centralized infrastructure.

In regulatory and market contexts, nonDER may denote the portion of the system that lies outside the DER category, or it may be used to discuss traditional utility-scale assets and operations. The term is sometimes used to discuss governance, pricing, and optimization principles that differ from those applied to DER-based resources.

Usage and spelling vary; nonDER may appear with a hyphen or different capitalization. Because it is not standardized, readers should verify its intended meaning within a given source.

See also: Distributed energy resources, centralized generation, grid modernization, energy policy.