2014 Portfolio: End-Use Energy Efficiency and Demand Response …mydocs.epri.com/docs/Portfolio/P2014/2014_P170.pdf · 2013. 6. 5. · 1 End-Use Energy Efficiency and Demand Response

1

End-Use Energy Efficiency and Demand Response - Program 170

Program Overview

Program Description The electricity industry must meet the expectations of customers' continuous demand for power as well as provide reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible service to customers. Utilities and policy makers in the United States and abroad are increasingly turning to energy efficiency as a resource to help address these challenges. Many U.S. states have enacted legislation that mandates specific energy-efficiency savings goals, and some explicitly require utilities to place energy efficiency atop their resource planning initiatives. Key to the realization of these goals is the development and adoption of emerging energy-efficient technologies and best practices.

Research Value This program is focused on the assessment, testing, demonstration, and deployment of energy-efficient and smart end-use technologies to accelerate their adoption into utility programs, which can influence the progress of codes and standards and ultimately lead to market transformation. The program also develops analytical frameworks essential to utility application of energy efficiency and demand response (DR), including assessment of resource potential, characterization of end-use load profiles, calculation of environmental impacts, and integration into utility resource planning.

This Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) program provides the following:

· Objective, independent technical assessment, testing, and demonstration of emerging end-use technologies for energy efficiency and the enablement of demand response technologies

· A framework to evaluate the readiness of emerging end-use technologies for utility programs, along a continuum spanning technology scouting, assessment and lab testing, research and development (R&D) field testing and demonstration, coordinated early deployment, and full program rollout

· World-class laboratory facilities to test emerging end-use technologies in simulated environmental conditions which mitigates members' technical risk for field demonstrations and larger-scale deployments or programs

· Multilevel assessment of enabling technologies for demand response: components and devices, home and building premise applications, and program integration into retail and wholesale markets

· Development of analytical frameworks to help members assess energy-efficiency potential, characterize end-use load profiles, extract insights from smart meter data, calculate net carbon emissions impacts, and incorporate demand-side resources into resource planning

· Technical staff with expertise in heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC); lighting; water heating; motors; power electronics; data centers; industrial end uses; building energy management systems and controls; and analytical framework for energy efficiency and demand response

Approach · Validate the performance of emerging end-use technologies—for example, energy savings and peak

demand reduction, reliability, and compatibility—to develop savings impacts to accelerate their adoption into programs and markets.

· Update the Energy Efficiency Technology Readiness Guide, a compendium of technical, economic, and market readiness information for a comprehensive set of end-use technology categories, to serve as a convenient reference for utility energy-efficiency professionals.

· Develop a model and database to help members conduct resource potential studies of energy-efficiency potential based on ongoing EPRI modeling to assess the technical, economic, and achievable potential for energy efficiency and peak-demand reduction at the national and regional levels.

· Conduct large-scale, multiyear field deployment of advanced energy-efficient technologies.


2 Electric Power Research Institute | Portfolio 2014

· Develop and refine an industry-standard modeling approach to quantify the impact of energy efficiency on reducing carbon emissions to inform utilities, policymakers and regulators.

· Produce in-depth technical reports and guidebooks: provide knowledge transfer through concise technical briefs, fact sheets, newsletters, and topical webinars throughout the year to members' staff and their end-use customers.

Accomplishments The research performed in this program has helped manage risk mitigation and avoided costs related to understanding and assessing emerging end use technologies, including

· assessment, testing, and demonstration of energy-efficient and demand-responsive technologies and systems to determine efficacy prior to deployments in utility pilots or programs, and

· synthesis of end-use load research results and techniques to provide predictive insights into electricity use forecasts.

The program also provided significant input into standards development process, including use-case functional specifications of demand-response–ready end-use devices through a multidisciplinary process involving utilities, equipment manufacturers, public agencies and other industry stakeholders.

A third area of results contributed significantly on understanding and assessing regulatory compliance through benchmarking and standardization recommendations:

· Establishment of national and regional benchmarks for energy efficiency and peak-demand reduction potential to inform discussions of state energy efficiency targets among members, policy makers and other stakeholders.

· Analysis and recommendations for standardized measurement and verification (M&V) protocols for energy efficiency and demand response programs that can improve the cost-effectiveness of program M&V and reduce the ambiguity of impact attribution.

Finally, the 2012 and 2013 Technology Readiness Guides provided a methodology for benchmarking the status of technologies with respect to the stages of EPRI's Energy Efficiency Technology Pipeline and included a comprehensive assessment encompassing required and scored criteria, criteria weighting, and an estimation of technical potential for energy efficiency.

Current Year Activities · Expand the scope and breadth of laboratory testing to keep pace with new technologies and members’

need to understand how the technologies perform and characterize them in business cases. · Consolidate summary profiles of end-use technology categories into an updated comprehensive Energy

Efficiency Technology Readiness Guide for convenient reference. Provide assessment results for several technologies in readiness briefs.

· Develop methods for characterizing changes in household end use of electricity and load shapes of end-use devices in a timely and cost-effective way.

· Issue strategic technology briefs, industry briefs, workshops and other practical knowledge-transfer tools for members.

Estimated 2014 Program Funding $4.3M

Program Manager Ammi Amarnath, 650-855-1007, [email protected]



Summary of Projects

PS170A Analytical Frameworks (065578)

Project Set Description This project set develops and advances analytical frameworks, tools, and methodologies essential to utility application of energy efficiency and demand response, including assessment of resource potential, characterization of end-use load profiles, techniques to extract insights from smart meter data, calculation of carbon and other environmental emissions impacts, and integration into utility resource planning. This project set can help utilities assign value to the impact of energy efficiency and demand response technologies and programs. Participants will be well-positioned to quantify the full benefits of their energy-efficiency and demand-response portfolios and justify associated investments in regulatory filings.

Project Number Project Title Description

P170.002 Impact of Energy Efficiency on Emissions of CO2 and Other Pollutants

This project will refine the EPRI National Electric System Simulation Integrated Evaluator (NESSIE) model as a potential industry-standard approach to converting energy efficiency savings to CO2, SOx, NOx, and Hg emissions reductions.

P170.005 Load Research: Customer Insights & End-Use Data Collection

This project builds on work that focused on developing methods to extract customer insights from household smart meter data to create a Load Shape Library. Future projects will expand the work into the commercial sector and include more detailed building types.

P170.022 Energy Efficiency Potential Analysis Tools: Model and Database

This project will maintain and update the approach, model, and database developed through EPRI research to study energy-efficiency potential more quickly, cost-effectively, and in line with industry standards.

P170.023 Integrating Energy Efficiency and Demand Response into Resource Planning

This project in 2014 will present a case study of a utility or regional planning organization that is actively involved in integrating demand-side resources into its resource planning process.

P170.002 Impact of Energy Efficiency on Emissions of CO2 and Other Pollutants (069236)

Description Little consensus exists among experts and policy makers on how to quantify the atmospheric emission reduction value of energy-efficiency measures. A standardized and accepted methodology for this conversion would facilitate more accepted attribution of energy efficiency's impact on carbon emissions for policy considerations. Since 2007, EPRI has been examining the issue of assessing the impact of energy efficiency measured on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, establishing in 2008 a proof-of-concept approach to calculating the marginal emissions reduction impact of selected major commercial end uses. In 2009, EPRI expanded its model to include major residential and industrial end uses, and it further refined this methodology to account for the impact of energy efficiency on capacity expansion. In 2010, EPRI developed a spreadsheet calculator based on its National Electric System Simulation Integrated Evaluator (NESSIE) model for members to perform customized analyses for their region. In 2011, this calculator was customized to facilitate the inclusion of utility-specific data inputs for CO2 emissions and end-use load profiles. The user interface and presentation of results were also enhanced to provide added functionality and ease of use. The 2011 calculator was also updated to reflect an expanded EPRI energy-efficiency measure database. In 2012, the calculator was further updated by enhancing its capability to estimate the impact on net CO2 emissions that results from switching from fossil fuels to cleaner energy to power selected end uses. In 2013, EPRI further refined its modeling capability by producing



emissions results using EPRI's U.S. Regional Economy, GHG, and Energy Model (US-REGEN). This will have the added advantage of updating the emissions results according to results from a more recent Annual Energy Outlook (AEO).

Going forward, EPRI intends to advance its methodology and results among utilities and policy makers as an analytically rigorous and practical approach to quantify and monetize energy efficiency's impact, not only on CO2 emissions but also on other pollutants such as sulfur oxides (SOX), nitrogen oxides (NOX), and mercury (Hg). EPRI will also make annual updates to its NESSIE model and associated calculator tool to update emission reduction intensities based on the latest U.S. AEO projections, data on regional generation resources, and end-use load shape characteristics.

Approach This project entails the continued development and application of a modeling approach to help utilities and policy makers assess the impact of energy-efficient technologies on CO2 as well as SOX, NOX, and Hg emissions reductions. This project will use previous EPRI modeling work from 2008 to 2013. Products will include a technical update and set of data tables that ascribe marginal CO2, SOX, NOX, and Hg impacts for specific categories of energy efficiency as a function of U.S. region and market penetration, taking into account end-use load shapes and generation mix as a function of time.

Impact This project provides members with an analytical basis to convert electricity savings from energy-efficiency programs by end use into reductions in emissions that accomplish the following:

· Enables quantification of the emission reduction impact of energy-efficient technologies · Offers members a framework to work effectively with customers, regulators, and policy makers to

establish a societal business case for new technologies, thereby enabling greater adoption of energy-efficient technologies

· Provides a bounded set of values for marginal CO2, SOX, NOX, and Hg impact that balances the need for analytical rigor consistent with prevailing emissions offset and trading markets with the practicality of utility implementation

· Assists in monetization of emission costs

How to Apply Results The data tables from this project will provide impacts on marginal emission of CO2, SOX, NOX, and Hg from a variety of major end uses as a function of U.S. North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) regions and assumptions of the market-penetration levels of efficient end-use technologies. In this way, energy-efficiency projects can achieve greater acceptance as a strategy for reducing emissions of these particular pollutants.

2014 Products

Product Title & Description Planned Completion Date Product Type

Impact of Energy Efficiency on Emissions of CO2 and Other Pollutants: The 2014 update will be a modification to the software which will include the impacts from other pollutants such as sulfur oxides (SOX)nitrogen oxides (NOX), and mercury (Hg). EPRI will also modify the software to update emission reduction intensities based on the latest U.S. Annual Energy Outlook projections, data on regional generation resources, and end-use load shape characteristics.

12/31/14 Software



P170.005 Load Research: Customer Insights & End-Use Data Collection (067472)

Description There is growing evidence that consumers are changing the ways they use electricity. However, utilities are still relying on load profile data collected several years ago, in addition to even older and sparser end-use data, to understand customer usage patterns. As a result, there is a growing and troublesome disparity between how utilities plan to serve electricity loads, which involves large—and in many cases indivisible—investments in generation, transmission, and distribution plants and the loads they will actually serve. Just as important, utilities need to be able to characterize loads and their constituent elements to a higher level of detail to design pricing plans. Then utilities may need to offer incentives to modify the level and profile of usage to better match underlying supply costs and reflect external costs. Moreover, realizing the benefits that appear to be associated with offering consumers timely and actionable feedback on usage requires that a robust characterization of all customer load profiles be established.

Deploying smart meters provides the utility with the means to more accurately profile household load profiles and track changes in those profiles over time. New load research methods are needed to mine these data to provide insight and structure for pricing and feedback initiatives. Additionally, robust load research methods that can support other uses of smart meter data, such as supporting distribution system operations and enabling the adoption of distributed generation technologies, are needed.

This project supports the longer-term plan established as part of the EPRI's roadmap process to begin developing whole premise and end-use load data by sector, by building type and by climate zone. The development of a national database hinges upon finding new, lower-cost methods to collect these load shapes accurately. Of course, the seeds for this data collection effort have been planted through the industry's embrace of interval meters. This approach will make whole premise load shape analysis much more cost-effective.

End-use load shape development is more complicated and, currently, more costly. EPRI is conducting two efforts to enable the disaggregation of end-use load research data less expensively. The result of those efforts should produce end-use load shapes accurately and at much lower cost than is currently available.

Finally, the Load Shape Library will be used to house the data collected as part of these above-described efforts. Activity in 2013 will consist of maintaining the database and updating it to include new data that become available and to provide enhancements desired by program members. 2014 will further expand upon the primary and secondary sources of data that will be housed in the Load Shape Library. 2014 should also see the development of a measure database where energy efficiency, demand response, and new technologies such as photovoltaic and electric vehicle load shapes may be housed.

Approach The Load Shape Library was created in 2013. Data available to EPRI was used to populate the database. A workshop was convened to review the library's functionality and solicit improvement from members.

In 2014, this project will focus on methods of pushing the data collected as part of EPRI's National Campaign for Premise and End-Use Load Shape Data into the Load Shape Library. This data will be available at the sector, building type, region and, of course, end-use levels. The project will also collect interval data from host utilities and correlate those results with survey data collected from each. A survey instrument will collect basic appliance stock, housing characteristics, and homeowner details such as number and age of occupants. The project will identify the data that can be gathered from smart meters at various types of commercial buildings to support pricing, feedback, forecasting, operations, and other applications that would realize value from more comprehensive characterization of load profiles.

Impact · Improve the understanding of customer usage characteristics and load profiles. · Stimulate the development of low-cost, accurate methods for collecting end-use load data. · Accelerate the collection of end-use data. · Improve the accuracy of load forecasting, market planning, and rate design.



How to Apply Results The load profile data will be applied to a range of needs for electric utilities. For example, improved data on customer consumption characteristics will be invaluable to every aspect of electric utility enterprise business activities—from system planning to pricing planning, from energy-efficiency program design to system operations and financial and accounting activities. Moreover, the results will be valuable for public policy inquiries aimed at improving sector performance and optimally achieving economic and environmental policy objectives.

2014 Products


Inclusion of Recently Obtained Premise and End-Use Load Data: Modifications will be made to the database to allow inclusion of additional primary interval data collected as part of the "National Campaign for Premise and End-Use Data" project and other sources of credible end-use data. Furthermore, secondary end-use interval data will also be added into the Load Shape Library as it becomes available. Primary whole premise data, consistent with the National Campaign will also be added along with customer survey data.

12/31/14 Software

P170.022 Energy Efficiency Potential Analysis Tools: Model and Database (072089)

Description With the promulgation of energy-efficiency mandates in many states and other jurisdictions, utilities and policy makers have a keen interest in understanding the potential for energy efficiency at the national, regional, sub-regional, state, and service territory levels. Many load-serving entities are required by their regulatory commissions to submit energy-efficiency-potential filings on a periodic basis; these undertakings typically require significant investment in consultants. Yet, the fundamental approach to modeling energy-efficiency potential through equipment stock turnover is well understood and has been applied by many firms, as well as by EPRI. Moreover, utilities that engage firms to help them conduct studies of energy-efficiency potential typically pay for existing databases of technology performance and costs. However, there is minimal sharing of such models or databases among utilities, which would make such studies consistent and comparable in addition to driving down their costs and timelines.

In response, EPRI will share its tools with utility members for conducting energy-efficiency-potential studies.

Approach In this project, EPRI will share tools that members can use to help them conduct energy-efficiency-potential studies more quickly, cost-effectively, and in line with industry standard. These tools include an equipment stock turnover model, a database of energy-efficiency measures, and associated documentation in a technical report.

EPRI is continuously enhancing its energy-efficiency-potential model and database through ongoing assessments conducted at the national, regional, sub-regional, state, and service territory levels. The current energy-efficiency-potential evaluation model represents largely static technology choices and costs, and considers only electrical energy consumption. It is desirable to accommodate dynamic inputs throughout the forecast period to better represent the reality of customer decisions and technology evolution. For instance, a more efficient technology choice in 2012 might become the de facto standard in the future, and should therefore represent the baseline consumer purchase where appropriate. To better represent the way in which stock of appliances changes over time, non-electric fuels must also be included in the process. This is particularly true in the case of space heating technologies, where natural gas represents the majority of energy consumed for heating in the United States. The decision to replace a furnace with a more efficient heat pump provides a more complete picture of the impacts of highly efficient electrical technologies.



In this project, EPRI will update its base energy-efficiency-potential model to represent current technology choices and costs, which entails first updating the technology database by sector across 10 U.S. census divisions and three individual states. In addition, fossil fuel consumption will be incorporated to model the impacts of fuel switching.

With updated energy and demand impacts and incremental technology costs, the mechanics of the model can be updated to incorporate changes over the forecast period. This will include factors such as:

· changing technology costs, · accelerated stock turnover, and · changes in codes and standards.

With dynamic inputs, the model will better model changes in electricity consumption over time and allow sensitivity analyses to be performed (e.g., to identify the impacts of varying levels of stock turnover rate).

Impact This project will share EPRI tools that members can use to help them conduct energy-efficiency-potential studies more quickly, cost-effectively, and in line with industry standards. These tools will include the following:

· An enhanced energy-efficiency-potential model that features fuel switching and allowance for dynamics over the forecast horizon, to better represent the impacts of energy-efficiency measures on fossil fuel consumption by U.S. census division

· An updated database of energy-efficient measures · A technical report documenting the methodology behind the model and how to apply it

How to Apply Results Members can apply the tools produced through this project—including a report, software model, and database—to conduct customized studies of energy-efficiency potential more quickly, conveniently, and at lower cost. EPRI can help interested members apply the results in supplemental studies.

2014 Products


Energy Efficiency Potential Model - Technology and Measure Update: The assembled package consist of a software update to the energy efficiency potential calculator will reflect the latest Annual Energy Outlook forecast and changes to the efficiency database which reflect changes in impacts caused by change sin baselines, codes and standards, technology improvements and new technologies. The package will also include documentation of these changes and a users manual to assist in the interpretation and use of the calculator too.

12/31/14 Assembled Package

P170.023 Integrating Energy Efficiency and Demand Response into Resource Planning (072090)

Description A key aspect of effective demand-side planning—including energy efficiency and demand response—is the inclusion of projected impacts into the utility resource planning process. The inherent nature of demand-side resources, including their varying product life cycles and dependence on consumer behavior, make it more complicated to incorporate it into the resource planning process. Resource planning uses fixed blocks of generating capacity and fuel costs with assumed lifetimes. This makes dynamic modeling of alternative supply-side and purchase options a more reasonable possibility. Energy efficiency is different in that its impacts build over time, thus producing cost savings that might be difficult to isolate, and has operational and risk characteristics that make it more or less flexible than conventional supply-side resources.



Approach The project in 2014 will build upon the results from case study work in 2013 by delving deeper into the influences that can affect the decision process among competing objectives and stakeholders. Influences such as rate structure, price response, weather, energy efficiency, and demand response impact load and opt-out preferences by customers, and may confound the optimized use of energy-efficiency and demand-response portfolios.

The 2014 case study will look at data collected as part of the National Campaign for Premise and End-Use Load Shape Data to estimate load weightings and load shape volatilities, risks, and uncertainties that affect the optimization of a utility's portfolio.

Impact More precise modeling of energy-efficiency and demand-response impacts, and their inclusion in resource planning, can yield significant cost savings to utilities. This project will help members determine the optimal investment in energy-efficiency and demand-response resources to achieve cost-effective resource objectives.

How to Apply Results The case study approach provides specific examples of elements that are effective and those that are not. An EPRI technical report will provide a documented example of how a large utility incorporates energy-efficiency and demand-response resources into its planning process, and will review both effective and ineffective solutions as well as trade-offs that must be evaluated.

2014 Products


Confounding Factors for Optimizing a Utility's Portfolio - A Case Study: This report will investigate factors which can produce greater amounts of risk to a utilities portfolio of assets as well as factors which may produce reduced levels of risk to the portfolio. Factors under consideration will focus on recently collected end-use data from the National Campaign for the Collection of Premise and End-Use Data. Other factors may include demand-side and energy efficiency resources and their affect on portfolio uncertainty.

12/31/14 Technical Report

PS170B Demand Response Systems (065571)

Project Set Description The projects in this set assess, test, and demonstrate the application of technological advances in end-use devices and buildings such as smart thermostats, lighting controls, and building energy storage to enable more sophisticated and effective demand-response and peak-load management in homes, buildings, and industrial facilities. This project set also approaches the valuation of demand response in programs by evaluating the decision criteria for developing a demand-response portfolio in the context of retail and wholesale market structures. Finally, it offers members an opportunity to work collaboratively with other utilities, government agencies, and manufacturers to define the requirements of end-use devices that are designed "DR-ready" to participate in demand-response programs “out of the box,” which carries the potential for dramatic operational and cost benefits to members.




P170.006 Enabling DR-Ready Devices and Programs

This project continues activities started in 2009 to identify functional capabilities for residential end-use devices to be "DR-Ready.” The 2014 project will focus on clarifying DR-Ready priorities of utilities and methods for ensuring customer perception of value, and identify gaps and areas for refinement in DR-Ready criteria specification by end-use category. Through a workshop with industry stakeholders, the project will vet, advance, and disseminate consensus findings.

P170.007 Peak Load Management of Thermal Loads

This project assesses and demonstrates the state of the art in end-use thermal technologies for electric load management. It will develop an evaluation framework for assessing utility value of thermal energy storage as a subset of distributed energy resources (DER), with modeled valuation in future years.

P170.009 Intelligent Buildings The project consists of two parts: building energy management systems and lighting controls. In 2014, the building controls segment will focus on advanced control architectures that enable more cost-effective efficiency upgrades in commercial buildings. It will also assesses the integration of demand-response gateways into existing building energy management systems that feature interoperable and open communication standards. The second segment will determine realistic performance, market potential, energy impact, and improved quality of light that can be expected with the use of intelligent lighting control. It also begins the effort to develop specifications for products to be deemed “DR-ready.”

P170.018 Demand Response Program Assessment Tools (Retail and Wholesale)

In 2011, this project developed an evaluation framework for sustainable demand response implementations. In 2012, the project described the wholesale operations landscape, including practical challenges faced by different types of electric power companies when utilizing DR in wholesale environments. Given an understanding of the opportunities and risks stemming from bulk power operations, in 2013 the project provided a roadmap toward realizing the full value of DR in wholesale operations. In 2014, the project will expand focus to support an integrated demand-side program assessment approach. By considering both energy efficiency and demand response objectives, the project will detail methods for optimizing between them within the end-to-end context of wholesale and retail environments.

P170.006 Enabling DR-Ready Devices and Programs (067473)

Description Despite its well-documented and demonstrated benefits to society, utilities, and consumers, demand response (DR) remains a critically underused resource in the United States. One of the key barriers to greater participation is the cost to utilities of installing equipment in buildings and homes to enable load control and demand responsiveness of air conditioners, water heaters, pool pumps, appliances, lighting, and other large end uses that contribute to peak demand. Three decades of experience in DR also suggests that customers’ reluctance to sacrifice comfort and have unknown controls installed in their homes or businesses is a barrier to more widespread participation in utility DR programs. However, these barriers would be overcome if major power demand-intensive devices and plug loads came ready to support DR functionality while managing consumer requirements out of the box (“DR-Ready”).



Approach DR-Ready refers to end-use devices able to receiving a signal from a utility, such as economic information or emergency messages, and respond automatically to that signal by modulating operation to adjust or shift demand. This project expands on prior EPRI efforts to accomplish the following:

· Identify capabilities of devices so they can be considered DR-Ready. · Define and refine functional capabilities in a way that describes what a DR-Ready device must be able to

accomplish, given specific inputs and conditions (e.g., shift load for a certain period of time or reduce load by a certain percentage).

· Identify utility programs that are most likely to be supported by device manufacturers and consumers, including factors such as whether there is one- or two-way communication with the device and how consumer privacy is addressed.

· Develop a roadmap for industry migration to ubiquitous mass-market demand response.

The project builds on EPRI collaboration with the EPA and DOE in 2008–2013, as well as manufacturers and other stakeholders, to identify opportunities to make end-use devices' DR-ready communications and response capabilities a labeled attribute going forward.

Impact · Influence equipment manufacturers to develop DR-Ready equipment useful to utilities and other grid

operators by providing technical requirements and business case. · Have influence in steering criteria for DR-ready end-use technologies aligned with current and future

utility objectives for using demand response. · Participate in a utility collaborative to influence DOE standards and EPA ENERGY STAR "Connected"

criteria towards including critical DR-Ready functionality while maintaining grid security (and avoiding unintended consequences of restoration after a DR event).

· Improve the cost-effectiveness of future DR programs by mitigating the expense of installing on-site equipment for participating customers through DR-Ready end-use devices.

· Increase DR capability and expand the potential market of DR program members through the market entry of DR-ready end-use devices.

How to Apply Results Members will have first-hand access to influence the definition of DR-Ready, including functional capabilities and signaling criteria to influence operation of DR-Ready devices in coordination with grid needs. Utility staff involved in the planning and design of DR and integrated demand-side management (IDSM) programs and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI)/smart grid systems can participate in the dialogue through this project, and help collectively steer manufacturer specifications on their products and ENERGY STAR "Connected" criteria development to include end-use equipment attributes that would allow for “out-of-the-box” capabilities supportive of grid needs. Equipment manufacturers can apply the functional guidelines established through this project to develop and refine prototype DR-ready technologies, which can, in turn, be tested in EPRI’s laboratory and could be deployed in field trials in members’ service territories in conjunction with DR programs. The advent of DR-Ready devices into the marketplace can expand members’ DR potential, increase dispatchability and reliability, and lower program operating costs.



2014 Products


Developing DR-Ready criteria to support grid needs and enhance Customer Value Proposition (CVP): Guiding principles are provided for refining DR-Ready criteria in support of grid needs and enhancing customer perceptions of value. Distinct attributes that customers value are associated with DR-Ready device capabilities, including remote operation, automated controls, configurable response settings, information feedback, and automated alerts. Examples of ranked order priorities and technology criteria are provided in association with specific customer segments (e.g., segments of residential, small business, retail store, etc.). Furthermore, guiding principles are provided on 1) factors to consider when refining DR-Ready criteria supportive of grid needs, and 2) methods for enhancing customer perceptions of value, towards mass market adoption of enabling DR capability.

12/31/14 Technical Update

P170.007 Peak Load Management of Thermal Loads (067474)

Description Reduction of peak loads and shifting such loads to off-peak are important issues facing utilities. Technologies such as thermal energy storage (TES) provide a cost-effective way to respond to this need. TES is also is an option that can efficiently enhance the productivity of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. TES includes both cool storage in the form of ice or water storage and hot storage in the form of water or other phase-change materials (PCM). However, TES remains an underused technology, in spite of the fact that cool storage is an appropriate technology in approximately 60–80% of new commercial installations.

Important questions remain on how utilities can value TES technologies. With the rising importance of demand response (DR), both for peak load reduction and other services such as renewable integration, understanding this value would be key to accelerating adoption of TES technologies. To this end, this project will develop an evaluation of TES technologies using EPRI’s Energy Storage Valuation Tool (ESVT) to identify the value of various technologies in different parts of the world considering local grid and market structures.

Approach TES technology is used to shift load from on-peak periods to off-peak periods. This project is a continuation of activities conducted between 2008 and 2012 that included testing commercially available TES units. Efforts in 2014 will continue to evaluate new thermal storage technologies and also initiate a new modeling and evaluation effort to attempt to evaluate the value of these systems for utilities in various parts of the world with different drivers for load shifting.

In the technology evaluation arena, recently developed building materials with embedded PCM will be evaluated for use in shifting and dampening the daily peak loading of buildings. Assessments will focus on the amount, placement, cost, and climate-specific effectiveness of these new building materials. Other new traditional thermal storage technologies are being developed from international sources, particularly Japan (such as TES with an Eco-Cute water heater). TES technology will be examined to identify the features of available units, testing the most promising systems for the North American market and others, publicizing the results, and acting on any improvement opportunities uncovered in the evaluation.

On the modeling front, EPRI will develop a framework for incorporating thermal energy storage and demand response into the Energy Storage Valuation Tool developed by EPRI's Energy Storage program. This effort will attempt to clearly define utility benefits of these systems, without overlapping customer benefits. These benefits may include avoided peak generation (system capacity), T&D deferral, ancillary services, reliability, and others, in addition to the benefits that may accrue to customers in the form of reduced electric bills. In 2014, a framework will be developed for valuation considering both utility and customer benefits. This framework will be



applied to the ESVT in future years to estimate the net utility benefit. These results can then be utilized by members in designing programs to incentive TES technologies.

Impact · Benefit from unbiased technical assessments of new TES technologies with the potential to reduce

demand and shift substantial load to off-peak hours, and understand their impact on energy efficiency. · Assess state-of-the-art international and U.S. TES technologies for DR applications. · Establish the capability to transfer new TES technologies to utility customers, building operators, and

commercial customers. · Provide an understanding of the value streams and valuation methodology for customer-sited storage.

How to Apply Results Project findings and products will be employed by utility program managers to understand and construct programs to enable peak load shifting. Results will provide utility account representatives, marketing staff, and energy-efficiency specialists insight into technologies as they work closely with customers in key residential, commercial, and industrial market segments and transfer new technology that can help utilities shift or lower peak demand. Members also can help customers improve energy efficiency, reduce pollution, enhance indoor air quality, and improve productivity.

2014 Products


Valuation of Customer Side Energy Storage using ESVT: Energy storage located on customer premises can provide benefits to both the customer and the utility. It is important to understand the value of these technologies for the utility. This project will develop a framework for valuation of TES technologies considering their operating characteristics, customer value and utility needs. This work will lead to adaptation of EPRI’s Energy Storage Valuation Tool (ESVT) to evaluate net utility benefits of customer energy storage systems in future years


Peak Load Management of Thermal Loads Using Advanced TES Technologies: Analysis and testing of thermal energy storage systems (either hot or cold) using various storage mediums like water and phase change materials (PCM). Identify available technologies and test the most promising products on the market. Provide utilities with a clear understanding of the technologies tested and quantify the peak-load reduction possible with the use of tested technologies.


P170.009 Intelligent Buildings (067476)

Description An intelligent building is one that optimizes operational efficiency and responds to grid conditions to help utilities manage energy demand while providing a safe, healthy and comfortable environment for its occupants. Such a building considers a multiplicity of external inputs—primary among them utility demand response (DR) requirements and the weather—to help ensure the lowest operational cost of operation and ensure that it does not create imbalances in the utility grid in terms of power quality, varying load factors, and similar issues. An intelligent building monitors and controls all its subsystems: lighting; heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) (boilers, chillers, rooftop units); plug loads; and, increasingly, renewable generation and electric vehicles. Intelligent buildings also monitor occupant comfort and make adjustments when comfort is reduced.

This project evaluates the capability of advanced building and lighting control systems to enable more automated and ubiquitous energy efficiency and DR that incorporates the requirements of building owners,



occupants, and the utility to foster their more widespread use to help meet future energy and demand objectives. Control systems used in intelligent buildings should support configurable control strategies, in which building owners and/or occupants can program or select subroutines to optimize performance levels based on a variety of parameters, such as external price signals—including real-time pricing (RTP), time-of-use (TOU), reliability-driven demand response events, external ambient conditions and occupant preferences. In 2014, this project set will evaluate how advanced control systems can overcome barriers to energy-efficiency retrofits in commercial buildings, as well as barriers to implementation of new technologies such as wireless devices and data analytics in existing buildings.

Approach This project consists of two subsets: Building Control Systems and Lighting Control Systems:

· Building Control Systems: This activity is a continuation of projects from 2007 through 2013 and builds on technical studies of building automation and control systems for energy efficiency and DR applications. In 2014, the project will focus on new technologies that can enable lower cost building upgrades. Some of these technologies include remote audits using BEMS information as well as energy use data, open source software for building management, and supervisory control systems that can overcome vendor "lock-in" notwithstanding open standards. The project will be directed at enhancing utility programs that focus on building controls such retro-commissioning and AutoDR.

· Lighting Control Systems: The identification of lighting control systems is carried out by conducting extensive product searches; attending lighting control fairs, conferences and demand response expositions; and engaging with existing and new manufacturers of lighting controls. New technologies will be procured for testing and evaluation in the EPRI laboratory in Knoxville, Tennessee. This work will be leveraged toward developing lighting controls that are demand-response ready.

Impact This project will be directed at benefiting three streams of utility programs: building retro-commissioning, AutoDR, and lighting upgrades. Comprehensive evaluations of building and lighting control systems can be used by energy, lighting and control engineers to aid in the decision process before control technologies are considered for energy-efficiency, demand-response and rebate, or incentive programs. Additional value can be realized through the following activities:

· Develop an end-end process for improving the cost-effectiveness of building controls upgrades. · Provide opportunities for utilities to demonstrate leadership in environmental stewardship through

deployment of vetted lighting control systems. · Understand the impact of allowing lighting control systems to manage lighting loads in facility power

systems. · Gain knowledge regarding the use of more intelligent, yet easy-to-operate, building management and

lighting controls. · Understand which technologies are more favorable for use with future DR systems. · Develop specifications for products to be deemed DR-ready (multiple years). · Help ensure realistic performance that can be matched with product warranty expectations.

How to Apply Results Project findings and products will be employed by utility energy-efficiency and demand-response programs managers focused on retro-commissioning, commercial building efficiency, and retail DR areas. It will also assist utility account representatives, marketing staff, and energy-efficiency and DR specialists who work closely with their customers in key residential and commercial market segments to transfer new technologies. It will assist in the transition to dynamic pricing models that can help customers by reducing peak demand and energy costs, and directly address their comfort and business needs. Comparison of electrical, efficiency, and photometric performance among traditional uncontrolled light sources and lighting systems—and those that are controlled in various commercial environments—will allow members to determine expected energy reduction for system planning purposes. Project results may allow members to determine future energy and power quality requirements for supporting these technologies and the benefits of using lighting control systems combined with



building control and demand-response systems. As DR-ready products become available for lighting controls, they will become valuable tools for DR specialists.

2014 Products


Control Systems for Low-Cost Commercial Building Energy Efficiency: This product will focus on technologies and current case studies that lead to low-cost building upgrades. It will cover guidelines for building upgrades that include audits, control system evaluations, supervisory control system design, installation and commissioning, data acquisition, analysis, and reporting. The product will also report on customer operational experience. Updates are anticipated in future years.


Innovative Lighting Controls for IDSM: This project will evaluate new connected lighting products, comparing electrical, efficiency, and photometric performance through laboratory evaluations. The project will identify promising lighting control systems that provide significant energy efficiency and the results will be leveraged toward development of lighting controls that are demand-response ready.


P170.018 Demand Response Program Assessment Tools (Retail and Wholesale) (067473)

Description The electric power industry operates with retail load largely disconnected from wholesale (bulk) power conditions. Workable and sustainable demand response (DR) implementations have the potential to enhance the responsiveness of retail load to electric power grid and/or wholesale market conditions. Moreover, enhanced clarity is needed on DR options coupled with customer engagement models, enabling technologies, and other choices for installing and operating DR resources in a coordinated fashion with power system needs and constraints. This project will provide assessment tools designed to help members steer DR implementations.

Approach This project will develop and illustrate methods and tools that members could apply to evaluate different options available for integrating demand response with wholesale operations, amid a range of technical possibilities. The project will produce a technical summary of options available, and describe a range of distinct cases and differing practices dependent on regional conditions. Results are intended to be readily applicable by utilities for evaluating and comparing different DR integration options. Dimensions to be considered include regulatory and policy drivers, commercial justification, technical enablers, operational capabilities, and risks.

Through webcasts and one-on-one phone interviews, EPRI will seek input from utilities to establish a level of detail to target and present draft findings for feedback. A technical summary will be generated, providing context and highlighting tools developed, as well as examples of their practical application.

Impact Project findings will enable members to consider a variety of DR implementations with an eye toward long-term sustainability. Additional benefits include the following:

· Ability to assess a range of considerations affecting the long-term viability of DR implementations · Clarity on opportunities for enhancing DR integration in support of wholesale (bulk) power operations · Ability to articulate a logical progression of advancing capabilities to enable the full value of DR in

wholesale environments · Method to assess program and technology implementation alternatives to optimize between disparate

objectives, including energy-efficiency and demand-response load shape impact objectives



How to Apply Results Results can be applied to identify and quantify more types of value (e.g., improved reliability, market economics, regulatory compliance) that can be realized through demand-side integration, along with prerequisite steps needed to further DR in support of wholesale operations. Frameworks developed can be used to readily explain what and why progressive advancements are needed to realize greater value from DR, especially through alignment of retail programs with wholesale opportunities and costs. Moreover, methodologies developed can be used to assess impacts of proposed measures and optimize between energy-efficiency and DR objectives in demand-side program design.

2014 Products


Integral Assessment Method for Demand-side Implementation Options: An integral methodology is described for assessing demand-side implementation alternatives to optimize for both Energy Efficiency (EE) and Demand Response (DR). The methodology is applicable for assessing demand-side program and technology alternatives, by considering both energy efficiency and demand response goals. Practical examples are provided to illustrate application of the described methodology. Load shape impact objectives are grouped and discussed in terms of EE versus DR goals. Industry examples are provided to illustrate the importance of applying a unified assessment method for evaluating the impact of demand-side measures. Moreover, cases of unintended consequences are cited to underscore the importance of integral optimization of EE and DR in demand-side program design. The resulting methodology is described as a critical advancement supportive of achieving sustainable demand-side implementations.


PS170C Energy Efficient Technologies (067430)

Project Set Description This project set assesses, tests, and demonstrates the application of advanced energy-efficient technologies in major and rapidly expanding end uses across the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Participation in this project set provides firsthand performance data on novel efficient technologies and can facilitate field demonstrations in members’ own service territories and eventual programs to increase energy efficiency to meet regulatory energy-efficiency goals. Activities will test the performance of, and examine opportunities to remove adoption barriers for, novel heat pump technologies for space conditioning and water heating, advanced lighting technologies, and “hyper-efficient” residential appliances and office equipment that together represent significant energy savings potential. The project set also addresses innovative energy-efficient technologies in cross-cutting industrial end-uses, including advanced motors and motor-drive technology, process heating, and waste heat recovery. Finally, it addresses opportunities for energy efficiency in areas of energy growth, such as data centers and power supplies for consumer electronics.


P170.013 HVAC and Water Heating Technologies

This project will provide unbiased technical assessment and laboratory and field demonstrations of new energy-efficient space-conditioning and water-heating technologies with the potential to substantially increase heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) efficiency.

P170.019 Technologies for Improving Industrial Productivity

This project will offer unbiased laboratory testing, field demonstration case studies, and new application notes in two specific industrial segments: electric motors and drives, and process heating.




P170.020 High-Performance Homes and Buildings

This project will provide unbiased technical assessments of strategies for improving energy efficiency in data centers and zero-net-energy grocery and convenience stores. Assessments will be done in collaboration with federal and state institutions, standards bodies, and other stakeholders. The ultimate goal of the assessments is to provide information that leads to improved productivity and comfort of occupants and customers, and decreased energy intensity of buildings. Technical assessments will address whole-building approaches and convergence of trends in efficient design and technologies, along with how they integrate with the grid and utility practices.

P170.021 Electronics, Plug Loads, and Lighting Efficiency

Electronics and Plug Loads: This research is part of an ongoing effort to engage vendors, utility programs, and standards bodies to push the efficiency limits of electronics products to higher levels, saving billions of kilowatt-hours per year in the process. Building on the research in 2013, this project in 2014 will further explore the development of silicon carbide and gallium nitride transistors, develop power factor correction architectures for residential and commercial applications, and provide data to inform the codes and standards process. Advanced Lighting Technologies: This research is a third-party examination of new advanced lighting technologies that identifies realistic performance, market potential, energy impact, ruggedness, and improved light quality. It also provides an evaluation of new uses of emerging and existing light sources to address pressing application issues which arise in the lighting marketplace. Solar Daylighting Technologies: Research in 2012 produced an overview of new solar daylighting technologies, their designs and photometric performance. The effectiveness of this technology will depend on the application, building, building orientation to the sun, and the region and climate. The 2014 product will include an Application Guide that takes these parameters into account to ensure the best use of these systems.

P170.013 HVAC and Water Heating Technologies (067479)

Description Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and water heating with a high coefficient of performance are efficient technologies that can significantly reduce energy use by residential and commercial customers while reducing costs and greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide. Adoption of advanced air-source heat pumps, combined cooling and dehumidifying technologies, and heat pump water heaters hinges on functional and cost improvements. Improved performance at high and low outdoor temperatures is a priority for many applications, especially in hot/dry, hot/humid and sub-zero conditions. Such advanced systems also have the ability to improve customers' comfort. High-end cooling and heating systems are capable of high efficiency, but remain generally niche products due to various market barriers. Research is aimed at understanding the seasonal, yearly, and peak day energy- and power-reducing characteristics of various space conditioning and water heating technologies.



Approach The project will consist of two subsets: Variable-Speed Air-Source Heat Pumps and Heat Pump Water Heaters:

· Space Conditioning: Space conditioning encompasses heating, cooling, ventilation and related technologies that use energy to condition the interior space of a building. Focus areas of research are vapor compression air conditioning in all its varieties (e.g. residential unitary, rooftop packaged, mini-split, VRF, room a/c, etc.), dehumidification technologies, evaporative systems and evaporatively enhanced systems, ventilation heat recovery, and hybrid systems. Variable-speed and variable-capacity technologies are a key focus area across all of the vapor compression platforms. Variable-speed air-source heat pump technology continues to advance, with new products being developed by U.S. and international manufacturers. The 2014 effort will continue to assess the latest advances in space conditioning technology, focusing on systems designed for typical U.S. residential and commercial installations.

· Heat Pump Water Heaters: Heat pump water heaters have emerged as a promising technology in both residential and commercial applications, but with small market adoption. Residential systems have been shown to save over 50% compared with electric resistance. Well-engineered commercial systems can save even more, and provide combined heating-and-cooling coefficients of performance (COPs) of 8.0 or higher. New developments in technology for both conventional refrigerant systems, such as R-410a and R-134a, and systems using carbon dioxide and other alternative refrigerants, are being made. Carbon dioxide is an effective refrigerant for water heating because it maintains a high COP with high temperature gradients, allowing water to be heated to temperatures up to around 200°F. Heating COPs can range from 2.5 to more than 4.0 for both refrigerants when using advanced design considerations. Combined space-conditioning and water-heating heat pump technologies are also being developed and introduced to the market. This project will test the performance of several newly available products aimed at residential and/or commercial applications and assess their effectiveness for contributing to energy and demand reduction.

Impact This project delivers unbiased technical assessment and laboratory and field demonstrations of new, energy-efficient space conditioning and water-heating technologies with the potential to substantially increase efficiency. The project seeks to

· increase understanding of how the technologies function in actual applications; · provide energy and demand-reduction data that directly informs utility programs; · establish the capability to widely transfer the technology to vendors, developers, and customers; · help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to potentially deferring power plant additions

through energy-efficient space conditioning; and · improve economic development by reducing customer facility energy costs.

How to Apply Results Research findings are intended to provide data to and inform utility program developers and managers, enhance existing programs, and support the creation of new programs. Project findings and products will be employed by utility account representatives, marketing staff, and energy-efficiency specialists as they work closely with their customers in key residential, commercial, and industrial market segments. These members will transfer new technology that can help customers reduce costs and improve energy efficiency, reduce pollution, enhance indoor air quality, reduce peak demand, and improve comfort and productivity.



2014 Products


Advanced Space Conditioning Technologies: This product will detail evaluation of the latest heat pumps and space conditioning technologies for residential and commercial configurations. Information will be collected by laboratory and/or field evaluation. Equipment details, applications and performance data will be formally detailed in a Technical Update.


Advanced Heat Pump Water Heating Technologies: This product will continue to assess and test the performance of several newly available products aimed at residential and commercial applications. New-generation products and technologies with unconventional and/or novel design, features or operating strategies will be the focus. Examples include expanded use of carbon dioxide refrigerant based systems and integrated commercial systems capable of being installed indoor or outdoor.


P170.019 Technologies for Improving Industrial Productivity (069238)

Description According to the DOE, motor-driven systems and process heating represent the top two areas consuming nearly two-third of net industrial electricity consumption, accounting for 50.6% and 12.1%, respectively. Even small energy-efficiency improvements in these two areas can offer significant energy-savings benefits to industrial customers. With several years of industrial experience in electric motors and drives as well as process heating, EPRI holds a unique position that could help electric utilities understand their customer’s needs and provide solutions in a very timely manner backed by a large inventory of technical documents on motors and drive efficiency, including the bestseller ASD Applications Handbook and the software ASD Master. EPRI also has conducted extensive research on various process-heating electrotechnologies, including demonstrations at several industrial plants. As a vendor-neutral unbiased organization, EPRI can effectively coordinate efforts with organizations like IEEE, CEE, NEMA, IHEA, IRED and others. EPRI is also pursuing opportunities to work with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vendors of motors and drives as well as process-heating technologies, leading to demonstration projects to document the quantifiable benefits of advanced energy-efficient technologies.

Approach This project will consist of two subsets: Electric Motors and Drives, and Efficient Use of Industrial Energy.

Electric Motors and Drives: The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 as well as European legislation pushes global motor and drive manufacturers to produce new, improved, and cost-effective models that could meet stringent efficiency requirements. OEM motor manufacturers realize that the century-old induction motor cannot meet the tough efficiency requirements of the future. Hence, new and innovative motors such as switched reluctance (SR), transverse flux motors (TFM), synchronous reluctance (SynRM), and permanent magnet brushless dc (BLDC) motors are becoming mainstream. The torque-speed and other operational characteristics of these motors are significantly different from those of traditional induction motors. It is therefore very important for EPRI members and their customers to keep abreast of the current technology trends and rules of the game of the motor industry.

The 2014 effort will continue to assess the latest trends and developments in motors as well as motor with drives in collaboration with major OEMs such as ABB, Grundfos, Wilo, Armstrong Pumps, Baldor and others. The research will include motors and motor-driven systems developed for U.S. markets as well as international markets such as Europe. For example, certain motor types such as SynRM motors cannot be operated without an adjustable speed drive.



Complimentary focus area in 2014 will examine pumps for irrigation applications. Irrigation and farm equipment such as pumps, aeration systems, fans, compressors, grain-handling systems, and refrigeration units often need motor-driven systems larger than 10 HP. These large horsepower systems are usually three-phase due to better energy efficiency, lower cost and maintenance, and simpler construction when compared to their single-phase counterparts. However, most rural customers in the United States often have access only to single-phase supplies. Consequently, farm owners have long used diesel generators to run their three-phase equipment, incurring higher total ownership costs (including operation and maintenance) than would have otherwise resulted with an all-electric system. The 2014 effort will examine various options available for agricultural customers who are struggling to use electricity for their pumping needs because of very limited options.

Efficient Use of Industrial Energy:

Industrial process heating and waste heat recovery are the largest uses of energy in U.S. manufacturing, where process heating accounts for over one-fifth of total energy consumption, making it the largest single energy end use. Process heating also accounts for 12.1% of net electricity consumption in manufacturing and represents up to 15% of total industrial production cost. As a result, improvements in process heating present opportunities to significantly benefit industrial customers through cost reduction, improved productivity, reduced energy intensity, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In 2014, EPRI will focus its efforts on exploring and providing detailed information to its members on the state-of-the-art assessment of technologies used for combined-heat-and-power (CHP) heat or cogeneration and the latest developments in the pinch technology. There are significant activities in CHP and cogeneration in 2013 after a 2013 Executive Order to increase U.S. CHP capacity by 40 GW by 2020.

Another focus area will explore the industrial Energy Management System (EMS). More and more industries and other organizations around the world are looking for effective ways to lower their energy consumption. EMSs are proving to be very effective in achieving this goal, and additionally improve companies' productivity. More details about the EMS in the United States and internationally will be provided in an EPRI technical update.

Impact EPRI's industrial energy-efficiency work is expected to result in direct, measurable opportunities for cost savings and help improve U.S. industrial productivity and competitiveness. Members will get first-hand information and knowledge of the latest developments in motors, motor-driven systems, CHP, and related areas in the United States and internationally through the following activities:

Advanced Electric Motors and Drives:

· Identify new high-efficiency motor and drive technologies and determine any barriers and growth trends. · Identify new applications for advanced motor technologies such as permanent magnet brushless dc

(BLDC), switched reluctance, synchronous reluctance motors, and others. · Develop best-practice recommendations to improve the reliability of motor- and drive-based processes. · Provide detailed product notes on application issues such as power quality, safety, and reliability for each

advanced motor category. · Participate in various national and international industry committees such as IEEE IAS, NEMA, CIGRE,

CEMAP and CEE to properly represent utility perspective and interest.

Efficient Use of Industrial Energy:

· Identify trends and developments in new government initiatives for CHP or cogeneration. · Consider a waste heat recovery option as one of the ways to improve thermal efficiency of the system. · Identify various industrial Energy Management System (EMS) programs implemented in the United States

and internationally, and determine its effectiveness in improving industrial productivity and reducing energy use.

· Identify demonstrations of new CHP installations at various sites and provide case studies summarizing the benefits.



How to Apply Results This project will provide information needed by electric utility program developers and administrators for creating and managing custom and prescriptive industrial rebate programs. The information and data provided in this report will help utility personnel answer customers' questions regarding industrial technologies such as motors, drives, pumps, compressors and process heating, and to be knowledgeable of new applications of the various evolving technologies. This EPRI technical update can help members help their customers analyze energy savings, operational cost reduction, demand reduction, maintenance cost reduction, reliability improvement, productivity gains, and quality improvement opportunities.

2014 Products


Assessment of New Technologies and Applications for Motors and Motor-driven Systems: This product will assess and test the performance of newly available motors, adjustable speed drives and motor-driven systems such as pumps, fans and compressors aimed at industrial, large commercial as well as agriculture applications.


Efficient Use of Industrial Energy: This product will provide a comprehensive analysis of emerging activities in the industrial process heating area focused on the industries in U.S. as well as in other foreign countries. Latest developments in the areas of Energy Management Systems (EnMS), Combined Heat and Power (CHP), Pinch Technology and Waste Heat Recovery opportunities will be discussed in detail in this technical update.


P170.020 High-Performance Homes and Buildings (069239)

Description Buildings account for about 70% of U.S. electricity use, so improving their energy efficiency can benefit utility capacity, transmission, and distribution operations. Improving building energy performance can reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly and cost-effectively while helping to address rising energy demand. Policy drivers and technology trends are likely to increase market demand for more efficient buildings. DOE has a federal goal to spur development of marketable zero-net-energy homes and commercial buildings by 2020 and 2025, respectively. As an example of a related state initiative, California set a goal for all new homes and commercial buildings to be zero-net-energy by 2020 and 2030, respectively. It is important to differentiate between building segments because each has distinct energy-use characteristics. This research will try to answer two key research questions with regards to zero-energy buildings:

· How do you cost-effectively combine advanced technologies/subsystems to achieve an optimal building design that is also market acceptable?

· How do you optimally utilize existing utility infrastructure and/or minimize new utility infrastructure to support zero- and low-energy buildings?

In 2014, EPRI will assess two building segments: multi-family apartment buildings and data centers. The multi-family segment is addressed as part of an annual series of in-depth assessments, focusing on a different building segment each year. Most of the multi-family segment has been hard to access because of “triple-net” lease issues where those paying for energy upgrades do not pay the utility bill. They also present challenges with respect to sub-metering and distribution of energy-efficiency benefits. However, this is one of the most common building types and contributes significantly to energy waste. The project will also explore pathways for deep energy-efficiency retrofits.



The data center segment is addressed every year in this program, owing to its high energy intensity and enormous growth. Energy use in data centers is projected to grow at the fastest pace of any building segment in the United States. It grew from about 61 billion kWh in 2006 to about 92 billion kWh in 2011, and is expected roughly to double in another five years. Ancillary data center loads, such as cooling and other infrastructure, use as much or more energy than the actual servers that perform computations. In addition, many data centers have reached the limit of their cooling system capacity, which means that they can no longer add servers to the space. With such limits to their productivity, data center operators have a desperate need to address their heat load and improve building efficiency. The rapid growth of performance in computing and telephony has led to an increased need for bandwidth and data center processing and storage capability. Wide public adoption of technologies such as Internet data storage, smart phones, tablets, and streaming video will ensure continued growth in this industry. Based on history, new high-performance applications will almost certainly come into vogue, resulting in even more power consumption.

Approach This project consists of two subsets: Multi-Family: This is part of EPRI’s multi-year effort to create an encyclopedic reference on zero-net-energy buildings. Prior volumes focused on the single-family home, office building, grocery store, and convenience store segments. Future years will focus on other building types, such as retail, lodging, and restaurants.

In the multi-family arena, some of the key technologies to be considered include cooling (window air conditioning, VRF multi-split systems, small chillers), lighting systems (indoor and common areas), hot water, envelope measures, plug loads, occupancy sensors, Home Energy Management systems, and pool pumps. Multi-family buildings are well suited for low-energy construction, as they lends themselves to efficiencies from technology scaling such as variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems, boilers, and even chillers. EPRI will also explore the impact of deploying photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, which are integral to low-energy multi-family construction. The project will evaluate possibility of energy storage at the distribution level for load leveling. Finally, EPRI will consider issues and methods of sub-metering and distribution of energy-efficiency benefits that are critical for adoption of new technologies in multi-family construction.

Data Centers: The data center subset is a continuation of the previous years' research to review power and cooling flows in data centers, and identify and assess areas in which efficiency gains can be made. Building on this research, recommendations will be made for the most effective measures for energy savings in both cooling systems and the power chain. From these recommendations, and using the metrics developed with the industry, EPRI will help establish performance specifications for individual components, systems, or whole buildings. Members can use these specifications in their energy-efficiency programs.

In 2014, EPRI's data center efficiency research activities will focus on the following topics:

· Liquid Cooling Technologies: The prevailing method of providing cooling in data centers is via circulation of cold air. This uses excessive amounts of energy to chill the air and move it. The use of liquid cooling provides a very highly efficient process for cooling electronics.

· Evaluate Line Interactive UPS: In a continuation of the work on “ECO Mode” uninterruptible power supply (UPS), another highly efficient topology is the line-interactive UPS. Efficiencies up to 99% can be expected for the majority of the operating time. The challenge is to prove to the industry that the effectiveness of protection is sufficient.

· Design and Specification of DC Distribution Circuit Protection Devices: Data centers can benefit from using dc power distribution, but one of the gaps is availability of compact circuit protection devices (e.g., breakers, ground fault interrupters, arc flash protection). Silicon-based devices could provide compact protection fast enough to prevent hazards.



Impact Project results will help members better understand overall energy-efficiency opportunities in buildings, as well as implications for grid integration. They will also help owners and tenants of apartment buildings and data center industry customers overcome their biggest problems through technical improvements and standards development. Project results may include the following:

· Discuss primary energy end use within multifamily buildings. · Detail emerging technologies that are a good fit for multi-family buildings. · Discuss methods to obtain zero net energy and the relevance and impact of renewable energy systems. · Establish industry metrics that allow consistent measurement and comparison of energy performance. · Enable customers to use energy (and electricity) more efficiently, thereby enhancing their comfort,

productivity, and performance while reducing energy intensity and associated carbon emissions. · Evaluate savings in greenhouse gas emissions and contributions to the deferment of capacity additions

through energy-efficient operation and use of on-site renewables. · Enable a better understanding of grid integration issues and their impact on capacity and transmission

and distribution needs. · Improve economic development by reducing customer facility energy costs. · Improve economic development by reducing utility infrastructure costs. · Enhance facility performance by meeting business needs.

How to Apply Results Project findings and products will be employed by utility account representatives, marketing staff, and energy-efficiency specialists as they work closely with their customers in key commercial market segments. Efforts will be aimed at transferring new technologies that can help customers optimize energy use; reduce energy costs; use advanced and intelligent controls for cooling, heating and other end uses; and produce performance improvements that directly address their comfort and business needs. Establishment of key metrics and specifications will allow member utilities to add data center efficiency measures to their incentive programs. Utility planners and staff engaged in grid integration with zero-net-energy buildings will also be able to better understand the infrastructure impacts of such buildings.

2014 Products


Zero-Net Energy Retail Buildings: The continued development of the series on zero- and low-energy buildings will focus on the retail segment. The project will evaluate two subsegments: multi-tenant small retail, and big box retail. Each segment will be analyzed for energy use, and opportunities for energy efficiency in each subsegment, with a particular emphasis on plug load management. It will also provide case studies of high performance buildings in this sectors, and detail pathways to ZNE in these building segments. In summary, the project will examine technologies and grid implications of low-energy retail buildings with local generation sources.


Efficient Data Centers: The data center project is a continuation of the previous years' research to review power and cooling flows in data centers and identify and assess areas in which efficiency gains can be made. Building on this research, recommendations will be made for the most effective measures for energy savings in both cooling systems and the power chain. From these recommendations, and using the metrics developed with the industry, EPRI will help establish performance specifications for individual components, systems, or whole buildings. Members can use these specifications in their energy-efficiency programs.




P170.021 Electronics, Plug Loads, and Lighting Efficiency (069240)

Description Electronics and Plug Loads

The proliferation of consumer and commercial electronics is creating dramatic increases in load density that can be offset by efficiency improvements in power electronics, principally in power supplies. Examples include gaming consoles such as Xbox 360 or PlayStation®3, big-screen high-definition liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma televisions, and computer-driven point-of-sale kiosks and cash registers. Electronically controlled appliances are also becoming commonplace, with the added opportunity to reduce energy intensity.

This project is designed to perform baseline measurements, develop measurement procedures, develop efficiency specifications, and inform policy makers with technical data. Each year is a continuation that includes additional categories of electronic equipment and their power supplies.

Advanced Lighting Technologies: Lighting manufacturers continue to work under pressure to develop new advanced lighting technologies to meet the efficacy requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, while still meeting consumers’ energy and aesthetic expectations. As the use of incandescent lamps diminishes, advancements in lamp materials, power electronics, and new methods of converting electricity into light are ushering in new and improved technologies for compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), linear fluorescent lamps, high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and new hybrid technologies. EPRI will continue to assess, test and evaluate new electronic lighting technologies and new circuit and lamp designs with regard to their efficacy, compatibility, color and quality, and suitability for various lighting applications.

Solar Daylighting Technologies: Research in 2012 produced an overview of new solar daylighting technologies, their designs and photometric performance. New technologies are being introduced every two to three years that capture the sun’s energy, transfer it to interior spaces using different techniques, and makes use of various optical delivery elements. These technologies offer potential energy savings beyond the "best-in-class" lamp technologies. The effectiveness of this technology will depend on the application, building, building orientation to the sun, and the region and climate. The 2014 product will include an Application Guide that takes these parameters into account to ensure the best use of these systems.

Approach Electronics and Plug Loads: This is a multi-year research project intended to provide directly applicable data for existing and new utility programs. Through laboratory and field testing, the best-in-class energy devices available in the market today will be identified. Areas considered for this project include:

· technological advances that can improve the active-mode energy efficiency of end-use electronics, · technological advances that can improve the passive-mode energy efficiency of consumer electronics,

and · technological advances that can improve process efficiencies through the use of electronics.

Advanced Lighting Technologies: This is a multi-year research project intended to provide verifiable lighting data for existing and new utility programs. In 2014, EPRI will address problematic issues and questions facing its members within six designated light research categories: Residential, Residential/Commercial Specialized, Office, Assembly/Manufacturing, Warehouse/High Bay, and Specialized Applications.

Solar Daylighting Technologies: This is a proposed research project which will provide data to create new utility programs. Region, climate, and building orientation will be taken into consideration as past experience is applied to the development of a guidebook for best practices in daylighting.



Impact Electronics and Plug Loads: The efficiency of power supplies affects the energy consumption of nearly all electronic devices. With the growing proliferation of consumer and commercial electronics, efficiency improvements in power supplies can have a profound impact on overall energy consumption in the United States and the world. Benefits include reduced electricity consumption and the use of valid third-party data to help influence energy-efficiency policy through such groups as the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), California Energy Commission (CEC), and the EPA.

Advanced Lighting Technologies: Energy and compatibility performance evaluations of new technologies can be used by energy, efficiency, and lighting engineers at utilities to further aid in the decision process before new technologies are added to their approved product listing for energy-efficiency, rebate and incentive, and load-reduction programs. Those promising technologies will enable high cost-benefit ratios and reasonable payback periods.

Solar Daylighting Technologies: Daylighting integrated with lighting controls stands to be the most effective energy savings technique in lighting in the future. As CFLs and LEDs compete to become the new baseline, daylighting will likely become the "next big thing," which is the question most asked by utilities. In California, this approach is being used to achieve a 60–80% reduction in lighting energy statewide.

How to Apply Results Electronics and Plug Loads: An EPRI technical update will provide members with knowledge of existing power electronic devices that are best-in-class and that impact peak electricity demands. This document will help personnel in the demand management area promote certain products or product categories that have exceptional efficiency. Efforts to inform codes and standards should be highlighted with utility commissions.

Advanced Lighting Technologies: Comparing the electrical, thermal, mechanical, and photometric performance of traditional, fluorescent, HID, LED, and other advanced lighting technologies will allow members to determine when and to what extent they replace traditional lighting in their efficiency rebate and incentive programs. Project results will allow members to determine the effectiveness of using advanced lighting technologies for residential and commercial applications, including those with lighting controllers and demand-response systems.

Solar Daylighting Technologies: Members can use the guidebook to help new construction and retrofits achieve savings well beyond those of previous lighting schemes.

2014 Products


Efficiency Improvements in Electronic Power Conversion Devices: This project is designed to perform baseline measurements, develop measurement procedures, develop efficiency specifications, and inform policy makers with technical data on performance and efficiency of electronic devices and appliance controls. In this way, development of codes and standards can be influenced.


Advanced Lighting Technologies: This project is a continuation of the effort to assess, test, and evaluate new electronic lighting technologies and new circuit and lamp designs with regard to their efficacy, compatibility, color and quality, and suitability for various lighting applications. In 2014, the project will look at specific problematic issues and questions that arise in deploying existing and emerging technologies as replacements.





Assessment of Solar Daylighting Technologies: The effectiveness of daylighting technology will depend on the application, the building, the building orientation to the sun, and the region and climate. This year's product will include an application guide that takes these parameters into account to ensure the best use of these systems.




Supplemental Projects

Industrial Center of Excellence (071835)

Background, Objectives, and New Learning EPRI’s Industrial Center of Excellence was established to encourage specific energy and technology related developments. Using EPRI, Utility, and Industry subject matter expertise – the Center supports knowledge transfer, applications, and seeks to identify opportunities for utilities to improve the productivity and efficiency of important industrial customers, thereby facilitating load retention and growth. The Industrial Center of Excellence supports members and their customers through direct support and investigations, knowledge development, training, education, and outreach.

Advanced efficient electric technologies and environmental controls for industrial applications bring about a unique opportunity for electric service providers to improve the productivity of industrial customer processes and reduce overall production costs. Rejuvenated industry emphasis on productivity, energy efficiency, improved energy intensity, and CO2 emissions reduction, coupled with substantial improvement in reliability and efficiency of power electronic component technology, suggests that the timing has been appropriate for EPRI to form and continue a collaborative Industrial Center of Excellence.

In 2013, the EPRI Industrial Center of Excellence will focus on the following primary activities:

· Focused Collaborative Projects: Under this task, EPRI intends to identify and, with input from each ICoE funder, a focused activity that will provide unique value for the funder as well as broad value and content for all the industry as a whole. Candidate activities for this collaborative project include and energy efficiency audit, training or a seminar, or another activity of value to participants.

· Industrial Energy Efficiency Case Studies and Collaborative Resources: For each of the Focused Collaborative Projects conducted above, EPRI intends to prepare a case study, presentation, or summary highlighting findings, recommendations, and lessons learned.

· Industrial Energy Efficiency Application Guides: Driven by the results of our on-going Facility Assessment activities, EPRI intends to prepare two or more updated Technology- or Industry-specific Application Guide documents. EPRI intends to select the subjects of the documents from the opportunities identified by Collaborative Projects, with input and prioritization from project funders.

· Industrial Center of Excellence Knowledge Transfer including the ICoE Inquiry Service: Under this activity, EPRI intends to continue to develop web-based resources through the Industrial Center of Excellence website and Hotline inquiry service. Strategic meetings and webcasts will be coordinated and conducted periodically to facilitate funder input and industry liaison. EPRI’s information transfer is intended to focus on providing expert resources and guidance for leveraging and enhancing understanding of the role electric utilities can/should play in a variety of national and international industrial energy efficiency efforts including ISO 50001, Superior Energy Performance standards, Better Buildings, Better Plants, Energy Star for Industry, and others as they are identified.

Project Approach and Summary The objective of this work scope is to develop and staff the EPRI Center of Excellence for industrial technologies, processes, and applications and to provide expert resources and knowledge for assisting industrial customers in addressing their key drivers. The proposed roles of the Industrial Center of Excellence in 201 would be to:

· Improved industrial productivity, including reduced energy intensity, beneficial use of electricity, reduced peak demand, and economic retention and development

· Leverage expert Energy Efficiency capabilities · Provide insights and resources in key areas for important industry initiatives such as SO 50001, Superior

Energy Performance certification, EPA Energy Star for Industry, E3, and others



· Assist in organizing and managing Research and Development (R&D) that responds to the needs of electric utilities and their customers.

· Effectively leverage individuals and organizations with expertise in a particular field to complement the technical strengths of EPRI staff.

Benefits EPRI’s Industrial Center of Excellence was established to encourage specific energy- and technology-related developments. Using EPRI, utility, and industry subject matter expertise, the Center supports knowledge transfer and applications and seeks to identify opportunities for improving industrial productivity through better understanding of important industrial sectors and insights on important technologies and utilization methods. The Industrial Center of Excellence supports members and their customers through research, training, resources, education, and outreach.



End-Use Load Research – National End-Use Data Acquisition and Analysis Campaign (072092)

Background, Objectives, and New Learning Improving the overall efficiency of electricity production and consumption could reduce environmental impacts, promote economic growth, and improve the competitiveness of the U.S. economy. Although substantial progress has been made in improving the efficiency of some end-use technologies, information about how and when consumers use electricity is out of date for major end uses and virtually non-existent for the fastest growing segment—the various electronic devices known collectively as plug loads.

Project Approach and Summary This effort is part of the longer term initiative by EPRI to begin the development of a national database of whole premise and end-use load shapes for use by industry, government and regulators. The development of a national database of end-use load shapes depends upon finding new, lower costs methods of obtaining those shapes accurately.

In the past the high cost of metering individual loads has prevented utilities from collecting this data. The recent advances of smart metering and the availability of whole premise interval data have provided the opportunity for the collection of end-use load shapes inexpensively.

The National Campaign will rely upon the results from the NILMs and CDA projects to inform the decision makers about the cost and accuracy of the alternative end-use disaggregation methods. This will be integrated into the planning needed to successfully implement this large scale data collection effort.

NILMs Project – Testing of cost and accuracy of currently available NILMs devices and subsequent testing as new devices become available

Conditional Demand Analysis Project – Testing of statistically based methods for disaggregating end-use loads including conditional demand analysis (CDA) using interval and customer survey data.

National End-Use Data Acquisition and Analysis Campaign – National campaign to acquire and analyze whole premise and disaggregated end-use loads, by sector, building type, and climate zone. Data will be delivered to EPRI’s Load Shape Library.

National Campaign Summary

The National Campaign will be split into two phases. This phase, Phase I, will create the plans and organization for the eventual deployment of the data collection effort. Workshops will be conducted for the purpose of organizing the National Campaign and will use the results from the NILMs and CDA cost and accuracy assessments.

Benefits Better household and end-use load-shape data would greatly benefit load forecasters, system planners, energy-efficiency program managers, and rate design analysts. For example, better end-use information would help identify the drivers of system load-shapes and improve the understanding of which loads could be shifted to off-peak hours and which could lower fuel costs as well as increase the utilization of renewable technologies like wind, which blows at night when loads today are typically at their lowest levels. This information would clearly be useful for program design and help identify the need for improved communication and control technologies that would facilitate the integration of demand and supply options. Ultimately, consumers could benefit from improved electricity reliability.



Electrification to Enhance Productivity in Commercial and Industrial Applications (073638)

Background, Objectives, and New Learning Business enterprises are constantly striving to increase productivity and enhance their competitiveness in the global marketplace. Similarly, civil institutions face pressure to reduce costs without compromising quality of service.

In many cases, electrification – i.e. the application of novel, energy-efficient electric technologies as alternatives to fossil-fueled- or non-energized- processes – can boost productivity and enhance the quality of service to the enterprise and the customers that it serves. Electricity offers inherent advantages of controllability, precision, versatility, and efficiency compared to fossil-fueled alternatives in many applications. However, a lack of familiarity and experience with emerging technology impedes many enterprises, particularly small to medium sized businesses and civil institutions, from pursuing electrification measures that improve productivity and efficiency of operations. Such enterprises would benefit from information and support from their electric utility.

However, electric utilities themselves face obstacles to serving as effective partners in this regard. Identifying and measuring the prime opportunities for electrification in a given service territory can be elusive. Utilities must also reconcile electrification strategies with mandated energy efficiency goals that are usually narrowly defined in terms of kilowatt-hour reductions. Moreover, the lack of an analytical framework to quantify the net benefits of electrification strategies – from the customer-, utility- and societal perspectives – hinders the development of utility-business partnerships to facilitate beneficial electrification. This collaborative initiative aims to address these gaps.

Project Approach and Summary The project involves the following tasks:

· Develop an analytical framework to quantify electrification potential in a given region or service territory · Establish a valuation framework to enable business case analysis of electrification programs. This robust

framework will evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of electrification on utilities, end-use customers, and society.

· Collaborate with leading industrial collaborative organizations, such as American Iron & Steel Institute, Water Research Foundation, Institute of Paper Science and Technology etc., and align project goals with those of the collaborators.

· Liaise with the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Manufacturing Partnership to establish the role of the electric utility in the advanced manufacturing paradigm

· Develop customized analysis for each participant on the electrification potential in their service territory. · Identify the most suitable and highest-impact electrification applications for each utility’s unique service

territory and customer composition · Special consideration afforded to applications ubiquitous to most service territories, including community

infrastructure (e.g. water/wastewater treatment plants) and transportation ports · Demonstrate program planning tools with host utilities, working in conjunction with utility staff to design

customized electrification program plans

A member may join the program as a Collaborator, or increase their level of engagement as a Host. Collaborators receive the initiative deliverables and participate as stakeholders throughout the project. Host utilities receive the additional value of a tailored electrification program plan applicable to their service territories.



Benefits By participating in this initiative, members are expected to acquire the strategic frameworks to evaluate electrification opportunities in their service territories, and the tactical tools to pursue program implementations with business customers. In so doing, members may position themselves for multiple benefits:

· Improved productivity and competitiveness of end-use customers through advancements in overall energy efficiency, reduced costs, and improved throughput;

· Reduced on-site emissions at end-use customers’ facilities, which assists compliance with environmental regulations and fosters worker health and safety;

· Reduced net emissions to benefit society-at-large



Data Center User's Group (074178)

Background, Objectives, and New Learning Data centers house the millions of servers and countless terabytes of memory used for the internet. Space, constant cooling, an uninterrupted flow of electricity, and security are all primary requirements for operation. Large data centers have engineering staff to run and optimize operations, but these represent only around 1% of the total number of data centers.

Examples of small data centers include rooms within hospitals, banks, universities, chain stores, and even the headquarters of electric utilities. There are millions of such data centers in the U.S. Unlike the dedicated data center buildings for Apple, Facebook, eBay, and Google, small data centers struggle with heat, space limitations, and power problems on a daily basis. These challenges have contributed to interest in methods of making small data centers more energy-efficient.

The methods in question can be divided into two categories:

· Low cost/no cost type of solutions, involving operational procedures and equipment layout. · New/improved technology solutions that require hardware/software installation.

These methods attempt to resolve problems with one or more loss mechanisms, including heat generated by the computing load, energy used to operate cooling systems, and losses in the electrical distribution system.

EPRI will conduct research to determine whether these potential solutions are technically or scientifically feasible.

As an example of a low cost/no cost solution, optimization of the cooling process can be accomplished through better equipment layout for heat transfer. On the other hand, with regard to IT loads and losses during power distribution, hardware and software solutions are necessary to accomplish savings.

Air-flow management, server virtualization, various techniques to improve the efficiency of server power supplies, as well as other technologies, can significantly improve the energy efficiency of data centers. EPRI is establishing an interest group to follow these opportunities more closely. To facilitate the interest group, EPRI will perform research to develop an understanding of the physics behind the emerging techologies’ effect on loss mechanisms in data centers and share those new learnings with its members.

The interest group is designed to provide:

· Information on new and emerging technologies for energy savings in data centers. There are a tremendous number of ideas for technologies, metrics, measurement systems, tools, and controls constantly developing in the data center industry and it can be difficult to keep up with them. This objective provides periodic updates to keep funders informed.

· Development of technical briefs to convey emerging technology information in a straightforward manner. · DOE audit procedures and PUE calculations using DCPro can be explained and if appropriate, used for

audits. · Site audits for customers of participating utilities. These will provide a service for the utility, as well as

tremendous amount of data, information, and new learning to share among all the funders. Because not all funders will have opportunities for site audits, this will constitute a separately funded effort.

· Based on site audits, recommendations can be made for field demonstrations of new technologies as appropriate. These would be separately funded projects, but lessons learned from these demonstrations could inform the process of technical transfer within the interest group, if approved by the demonstration funders.

· Lessons learned from both lab and field tests would offer insight into which technologies are ready for utility incentive programs. EPRI would provide the needed analysis to make this determination.

Project Approach and Summary This project will involve a series of conference calls, webinars, workshops, and possibly site audits to facilitate understanding, identification, and resolution of common problems encountered by data center customers.



Benefits Participation in the interest group may help utilities and their customers to select energy-saving technologies and to match them with different system applications in their joint efforts to promote productivity and competitiveness.

The benefits of a Data Center Interest Group may include:

· Help utilities better understand the energy-related issues and problems facing their customers who operate data centers.

· Give utilities a source for solutions to the most common energy-related problems that data center customers face.

· Provide information necessary to bring new technologies into incentive programs, such as energy savings potential, cost benefit analysis and total resource cost. Provide customers a mechanism by which to receive assistance from their energy provider.

· Enable customers to avoid future problems. · These actions could ultimately lead to enhancing how data centers are managed and enable utilities to

maintain high reliability for customers, keeping this important technology online. New learning from this work will be incorporated into the EPRI R&D portfolio, and substantial new learning will be made publicly available.



Variable Capacity Heat Pumps for Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Applications (105323)

Background, Objectives, and New Learning This project will evaluate American style, central ducted, variable capacity air conditioning equipment in the laboratory and in participant’s field sites. The primary objective is to understand how these new systems will fit into, enhance, or require adjustment of utility energy efficiency programs. A secondary objective will be to evaluate potential added value of the systems for use in load control programs.

Project Approach and Summary Systems will be evaluated in the laboratory and in field locations in each of the funder's service territories. In the laboratory, a system will be tested at specific indoor and outdoor conditions in cooling and heating operation, resulting in a performance map. Results of the laboratory testing can then be used to simulate the energy usage of the system in a particular climate and application. Field testing will add to the data set and provide insight into operational dynamics in all operating modes.

Benefits This project will evaluate the potential advantages of variable speed equipment for specific utility regions and program structures. These systems may provide advantages that are not captured by the traditional method of valuing an energy efficiency rebate by SEER or HSPF. Advantages like dehumidification control, exceptional part-load efficiency and reduced need for 2nd stage heat in the winter are all new effects that are not adequately captured by traditional program valuation methods.



Home Energy Controller to Permit Demand Response Services (105324)

Background, Objectives, and New Learning Energy management and demand response participation of the residential and light commercial segment has been low due to customer comfort and cost barriers. Recently connected devices have proliferated in the marketplace. However, they have not truly enabled energy management and demand response due to absence of advanced operating algorithms and end to end utility connectivity. They also lack comprehensive tools for management of customer convenience in conjunction with energy use. At the current point in time, market evolution has created a tangle of device architectures which prevents universal adoption of demand response. Future evolution of demand response for uses such as frequency response, renewable integration and facility load management also require increased capability from devices and communication platforms beyond the Direct Load Control used today.

This project will map the market in terms of available technologies and architectures. This mapping will inform strategies for creating universal connectivity and improved operational strategies for energy efficiency and demand response in residential and light commercial buildings. Using this information, the project will develop reference designs for gateways to provide smarter, more ubiquitous EE and DR to service both current and future utility needs. It will also leverage current EPRI research such as smart thermostats, water heaters, and communication interfaces.

Project Approach and Summary he project will be conducted in two phases.

Phase 1 will focus on mapping and understanding various architectures. The end result will be a description of current architectures and requirements for a home controller using open communication standards. This phase will consider all market available devices, including devices that might use proprietary ones such as Z-Wave, Zigbee SEP v1.0, and Insteon X10. It will also detail how each of these device architectures can be leveraged by the utilities to provide demand response. Utilities can use the results of this phase to describe end use device requirements that can be used for providing Demand Response within their service area.

Phase 2 will develop and demonstrate a reference home energy controller that will fulfill the requirements laid out in Phase 1. The demonstration will include single speed and multi-speed air conditioners, electric and heat pump water heaters, single and variable speed pool pumps, and electric vehicles through an EVSO.

The reference gateway is envisioned to have 3 main components – a consumer visualization and control center, a processing module to enable smart control algorithms and a multi-protocol router to enable multi-utility connectivity. The gateway will contain a CEA 2045 modular communication interfaces to manage RF and other proprietary utility communications.

Benefits This project is expected to offer a number of benefits for members and for the public such as:

· Understand how to increase demand response adoption by improving consumer comfort and reduce consumer inconvenience

· Demonstration of reference open architectures for building energy management systems · Demonstration of low cost scalable architecture to promote energy efficiency in residential and light

commercial buildings · Enabling residential and small business owners to understand and optimize their energy use using

market available connected devices · Understanding of how end uses devices such air-conditioners, and hot water heaters can be designed to

provide smart demand response · How to incentivize and leverage manufactures of building energy ecosystems to deploy mass EE and DR



The project will ultimately prototype and demonstrate a building energy management gateway that will:

· Connect with air conditioners, electric water heaters, pool pumps, electric vehicles and other end use devices with built in connectivity to provide energy management

· Incorporate default DR strategies for each of the devices that considers and optimizes consumer convenience while incorporating utility needs.

· Provide a visual dashboard for consumers to adjust EE and DR strategies and provide feedback to the utility on the available DR capability.

· Enable bridging of utility signals with current connected device technologies.

Documents

2014 Portfolio: End-Use Energy Efficiency and Demand Response …mydocs.epri.com/docs/Portfolio/P2014/2014_P170.pdf · 2013. 6. 5. · 1 End-Use Energy Efficiency and Demand Response