As Summer Rolls On, Region Has New Tools to Value Peak-Saving
Energy Efficiency, Cut Costs and Emissions
Lexington, MA - The cheapest, cleanest power is the kind we never have to make. And on hot summer days when peak demand causes spot prices to soar, energy efficiency is quietly saving consumers millions in electricity costs. But understanding how more efficient products like air conditioning and lighting can help control overall and peak demand makes energy forecasting tricky.
Energy efficiency program administrators, system planners, air quality planners, and other stakeholders now have access to valuable load shape and cost savings data from three studies recently completed by the Regional Evaluation, Measurement and Verification Forum (EM&V Forum). The EM&V Forum is project of NEEP, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, a regional non-profit that works to harness the power of efficiency in buildings and products.
Leveraging resources from its ten member states, the EM&V Forum recently completed the Unitary HVAC Load Shape Study, the Commercial Lighting Load Shape Study and the Commercial Lighting Measure Persistence Study, all large-scale projects that are rarely undertaken by states individually given their high cost. Load shape refers to the distribution of energy resources over time. Because commercial lighting and air conditioning (HVAC) are some of the biggest users of electricity, it is valuable to understand their contribution to overall power demand.
Building the credibility of efficiency as a viable resource to meet power needs is an important hurdle to put energy efficiency on par with generation. "These three studies give program administrators and system planners across the region the data they need to prove the value that efficiency programs bring to the Northeast region," said Sue Coakley, Executive Director of Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships. "The EM&V Forum continues to provide strong leadership as the Northeast implements new programs and policies to advance energy efficiency."
"The load shape projects are examples of the potential of the EM&V Forum to provide high quality results using consistent methods at a lower cost than each utility would have spent had they done the projects on their own," said David Jacobson, Co-Chair of the EM&V Forum Research and Evaluation Project Committee and Evaluation Manager at National Grid.
The Unitary HVAC Load Shape Study and the Commercial Lighting Measure Persistence Study both developed weather normalized load shapes representative of hourly savings for every hour of the year for efficient commercial unitary HVAC equipment and efficient commercial lighting equipment promoted by efficiency programs in the New England, New York and mid-Atlantic regions. The studies also reported coincidence factors for the peak periods as defined by electric grid system operators for the forward capacity markets in New England and the mid-Atlantic. Each of the studies includes a spreadsheet tool that allows the user to estimate savings and coincidence factors from HVAC and commercial lighting programs respectively based on user-specified inputs including user-specified peak periods, which may be useful for energy efficiency program purposes as well as for environmental studies.
The Commercial Lighting Load Shape Study estimated the effective useful life (aka measure life) based on on-site verification of the presence of a sample of CFL bulbs and fixtures, LED exit signs, HID fixtures, and T8 fixtures installed by commercial and industrial lighting programs over many years in New England and New York. These results update documentation that can be used to support submissions to the NE-ISO Forward Capacity Market and inform estimates of efficiency program savings.
The EM&V Forum is also nearing completion of the Incremental Cost Study which determined baseline and efficient measure costs for a group of priority gas and electric energy efficiency measures, and the incremental costs of moving from baseline to efficient measures. "NEEP's study of the incremental costs of various efficiency measures should have great value in informing program planning in the region...[and] is another example of how the pooling of regional resources made possible by NEEP's EM&V forum benefits everyone," said Chris Neme, Principal of Energy Futures Group. That study will be released in September.
"As efficiency becomes an increasingly prominent strategy in energy policy and climate change mitigation efforts across the country, the EM&V Forum will continue to foster collaboration amongst the states in the region to develop and share data that proves the value of efficiency as a resource," said Julie Michals, Director of the EM&V Forum.
ABOUT NEEP
NEEP is a non-profit organization that transforms the way we use and think about energy. Through advocacy, collaboration and education we focus on three areas where we believe energy efficiency can have the greatest impact: buildings, high efficiency products & best practices. Our unique approach helps bring together all stakeholders to accelerate energy efficiency and highlight its impacts on the region, the economy, and the planet. For more information, visit www.neep.org.
ABOUT the EVALUATION MEASUREMENT & VERIFICATION FORUM
Launched in 2008, the Evaluation, Measurement, & Verification (EM&V) Forum is a project facilitated by NEEP, whose purpose is to support the development and use of consistent protocols to evaluate, measure, verify, and report the savings, costs, and emission impacts of energy efficiency and other demand-side resources. For more information, visit http://www.neep.org/emv-forum.