Start here / 01 Commercial landscape, radar and battlecard
Competitive landscape · the proof and the matrix
Rivals have documents. So does EKU. The rival documents read hold no measured report of a whole mixed-brand site with the cloud link down.
What does your site do on its own when the link drops, and can you show it?
Public documentation read 23 to 30 September 2026
Read the colors before the words. A Confirmed cell on a rival is their own documentation. A cell marked Stated by EKU comes from EKU's own technical documents; it enters public copy when engineering confirms the wording.
| Dimension | Maximus ecosystem (Maximus + Sophia + GeneSys) | ComAp ICCC + InteliNeo 5500 | Generac ARC | DEIF AGC-4 Mk II | Caterpillar ECS 300/400 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who owns the site-control logic | Stated by EKU | Confirmed | Confirmed | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Third-party genset controllers supported | Stated by EKU | Confirmed | Observed: no public proof found | Observed: no public proof found | Confirmed |
| Load and VAr sharing across brands on one site | Stated by EKU | Confirmed | Observed: no public proof found | Observed: no public proof found | Observed: no public proof found |
| Switchgear sequencing | Confirmed | Confirmed | Observed: no public proof found | Confirmed | Observed: no public proof found |
| Behavior when the cloud link drops | Stated by EKU | Observed: no public proof found | Observed: no public proof found | Observed: no public proof found | Observed: no public proof found |
| Black start and islanding | Stated by EKU | Confirmed | Observed: no public proof found | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Batteries, solar and load coordination | Confirmed | Confirmed | Confirmed | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Commissioning | Stated by EKU | Confirmed | Observed: no public proof found | Observed: no public proof found | Observed: no public proof found |
| Quantified outcomes published | Observed: no public proof found | Confirmed | Observed: no public proof found | Confirmed | Observed: no public proof found |
| Dimension | Maximus ecosystem (Maximus + Sophia + GeneSys) | ComAp ICCC + InteliNeo 5500 | Generac ARC | DEIF AGC-4 Mk II | Caterpillar ECS 300/400 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who owns the site-control logic | Maximus, a site controller above the genset controllers; fast loops stay on site and the cloud supervises Stated by EKU | The ComAp controller group; third-party gensets observed over Modbus Confirmed | ARC, local microgrid controller Confirmed | DEIF controller group Confirmed | ECS site controller with one genset controls group per site Confirmed |
| Third-party genset controllers supported | Caterpillar EMCP, ComAp InteliGen and InteliSys, DEIF AGC, Deep Sea and Woodward easYgen are named in EKU's comparison document; models and count for engineering to confirm Stated by EKU | DSE8610 MKII, DSE8620 MKII, DEIF AGC 150 for load sharing; InteliNeo 5500 "recognise and observe" over Modbus, no brands or count published Confirmed | No third-party controller brand is named in the documentation read; 65+ verified energy resources | No third-party controller is named in the documentation read; up to 992 DEIF-controlled gensets | ComAp, Deep Sea, DEIF and Woodward as compatible genset controls, one group per site Confirmed |
| Load and VAr sharing across brands on one site | Multi-unit synchronization, load sharing and reactive power control listed as functions; no published measurement Stated by EKU | Documented: up to 32 controllers over CAN, dead-bus closing Confirmed | Not published Not published | Documented within DEIF controllers; sharing across brands is not in the documentation read | Documented within one controls group per site; sharing across groups is not in the documentation read |
| Switchgear sequencing | GeneSys integrated MV/LV switchgear with supervisory control (Confirmed as product; sequences not published) Confirmed | Via InteliGen/InteliNeo paralleling; sequences in manuals Confirmed | Not published for third-party switchgear Not published | AGC-4 Mk II breaker control Confirmed | Not published in detail Not published |
| Behavior when the cloud link drops | Redundant on-site controllers; the site runs on its own if the connection is lost; protection stays in the relays. Design, not yet measured in public Stated by EKU | Controllers are local by design; no whole-site measurement published | Local controller by design; no measurement published | Local by design; no measurement published | Local site controller; no measurement published |
| Black start and islanding | Controlled restart of several units with gradual load pickup; planned and unplanned islanding; about 1 ms sampling and under 50 ms response as design figures Stated by EKU | Dead-bus closing documented Confirmed | Microgrid islanding is the product's purpose; no measured case published | Documented in product manuals Confirmed | Documented for Cat assets Confirmed |
| Batteries, solar and load coordination | Maximus covers gensets, BESS, PV, fuel cells, switchgear (Confirmed as product scope) Confirmed | InteliNeo 530 BESS controller; Advanced Reporting for hybrid sites Confirmed | ARC coordinates generators, storage and solar Confirmed | iE 250 and AGC-4 Mk II hybrid control Confirmed | Up to 32 assets including BESS and solar Confirmed |
| Commissioning | EKU-led: definition, hardware-in-the-loop testing with pass and fail criteria, commissioning, support; duration not published Stated by EKU | Emulation tool for office validation (Confirmed, 5 May 2026) Confirmed | Dealer-led; not published | Utility software; not published in detail | Dealer-led; not published |
| Quantified outcomes published | None public. Three reference projects are described in words in EKU's platform presentation; the field case is under leadership correction None | Oilfield case: 16 gensets, 6 MW Confirmed | None found None | Houston construction hybrid case Confirmed | None found for ECS None |
Sources: ComAp Inter-Controller CAN Convertor and InteliNeo 5500 documentation (read 23 Sep 2026); Generac ARC product page; DEIF AGC-4 Mk II datasheet; Caterpillar ECS 300/400 data sheets (Oct 2025) and VisionLink page (read 24 Sep 2026); EKU Control Box datasheet DRM-203, official product pages, EKU's Maximus platform presentation and two EKU comparison documents received 1 Oct 2026. Vendor documentation is the vendor's own claim. Absence of public proof is not proof of incapacity.
The input: engineering reads each statement in EKU's own documents and confirms the wording. What it unlocks: the EKU column moves to Confirmed, and the battlecard can quote it.
Leadership pointed to the Maximus fact sheets. They state the design. Observed, 23 to 30 September: The rival documents read hold no measured report of a whole mixed-brand site with the cloud link down. That says nothing about what a vendor can do.
| What the documents state | Where | How to use it in public |
|---|---|---|
| The site keeps running without the cloud. Redundant controllers on site; the site runs on its own if the connection is lost; fast control loops stay on site and the cloud only supervises. | Maximus platform presentation; comparison document | Stated by design. The measured record on a real site is the proof plan below. |
| Speed. About 1 ms sampling and under 50 ms response on critical events. | Maximus platform presentation; comparison document | Design figure. Quote it as "designed for", never as a measured site result. |
| Protection stays apart. Dedicated protection relays work on their own, whatever the state of the site controller. | Comparison document | Stated. Engineering confirms the wording. |
| Genset controllers it works with. Caterpillar EMCP, ComAp InteliGen and InteliSys, DEIF AGC, Deep Sea and Woodward easYgen. | Comparison document | This fills the blank in the matrix. Engineering confirms models and count before any page names them. |
| More than generators. Batteries from six makers and solar inverters from eleven are listed, plus gas processing and fuel systems. | Comparison document | Stated. Name makers only as technical compatibility, never as partners. |
| Protocols. Modbus TCP and RTU, CAN J1939, DNP3, SunSpec, OPC UA, Ethernet/IP. | Maximus platform presentation; comparison document | Stated. One protocol is listed as supported in one document and as roadmap in the other: see below. |
| Black start and islanding. Controlled restart of several units with gradual load pickup; planned and unplanned islanding. | Maximus platform presentation | Stated. A good second measurement after the cloud-link test. |
| Three reference projects. A two-site microgrid with batteries; a battery plant for a data center; a fleet of mobile generator units. | Maximus platform presentation | Outcomes are described in words, without figures. Each one is a candidate for the case template. |
Sources: EKU's Maximus platform presentation and two EKU comparison documents exported 23 June 2026, received 1 October 2026. A vendor's document is the vendor's own statement. Label for every line: stated by EKU, not yet published, not yet measured on a site.
| Point | What the documents say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| How many gensets one Station View runs | "100+" in the presentation, "up to 60+" in the comparison document. | Engineering picks one figure. Use it everywhere. |
| IEC 61850 | Listed among the supported protocols in the presentation, and as "roadmap" in the comparison document. | Say "roadmap" until engineering confirms. A buyer in a utility will ask. |
| Retired words | The documents use the compatibility shorthand that leadership retired in July, on almost every page. | Replace with "mixed-brand" and "cross-manufacturer integration" before the next customer sees them. |
| How rivals are described | One rival's site controller is described as working only with its own engines. That maker's data sheets of October 2025 list four other makers' genset controls as compatible. Another rival is described as having no battery control and no site-level layer; it documents a battery controller and load sharing with other makers' controllers. | Do not hand the comparison to a customer as it stands. A rival's engineer can take it apart in one meeting. Update the rival columns from the matrix on this page first. |
Engineering lead, with the sales lead
Week 1 of October
Engineering lead
Week 1
Engineering lead and site owner
Week 2
Site engineer
Weeks 3 to 6
Engineering lead
Week 7
Marketing lead
Week 8
What the test looks like. The cloud link is cut on purpose. The gensets keep running, protection and load sharing stay on site, and the log records what happened and when.
| Step | What | Who | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Pick the site | One mixed-brand site already running Maximus: at least two genset controller brands, one battery or solar asset if available, GeneSys or third-party switchgear. Name the asset mix in the report. | Engineering lead, with the sales lead | Week 1 of October |
| 2 · Define the four numbers | Response: seconds from a dispatch command to stable output. Duration: hours the site holds the commanded level. Repeatability: the same sequence and timing across at least five logged events. Link loss: the sequence the site runs when the cloud link is cut, who owns protection and load sharing, and what the operator sees. | Engineering lead | Week 1 |
| 3 · Agree the test | A written one-page test plan: events to trigger, instruments, who records, safety approval by the site owner. | Engineering lead and site owner | Week 2 |
| 4 · Run and log | Run each event at least five times across two days. Sophia logs are the record; screenshots are the backup. | Site engineer | Weeks 3 to 6 |
| 5 · Report | One page: site description, asset mix, the four numbers with method and date, limits, confirmed by the engineering lead. | Engineering lead | Week 7 |
| 6 · Publish | A page on ekupd.com in buyer language, the FAQ block, and a one-line claim for the battlecard: measured on one site, dated. | Marketing lead | Week 8 |
| Number | Accepted when |
|---|---|
| Response | A median and a worst case over the logged events, in seconds, with the command type stated. |
| Duration | Hours sustained at the commanded level, with the fuel and battery limits stated. |
| Repeatability | At least five events with the same sequence; the spread of timings reported. |
| Link loss | The full sequence after the cut, the time to local control, and confirmation that protection and load sharing stayed on site. |
| Honesty rules | Anonymous site is fine; numberless is not. No comparison with a rival is made on the page; the rival matrix stays internal until the engineering lead confirms it. |
Closing
The competitive question is no longer who can run mixed brands; it is who can show, with numbers, what the whole site does on its own.
One measured report replaces every exclusivity claim EKU ever made and gives sales a question to put to every vendor.
Engineering lead owns steps 1 to 5; marketing lead owns step 6. Review the matrix at each quarterly re-sweep.
Validation status. Rival cells Confirmed at their public documentation, 23 to 30 Sep 2026. EKU cells Stated by EKU, from its own documents received 1 Oct 2026, until engineering confirms the wording. The protocol is a working plan, dated 30 Sep 2026.
Working foundation for executive review. Not approved external copy. Prepared for EKU Power Drives, 30 September 2026, by KanbinaLUMINA