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The Energy Technologies Area (ETA) is unique in translating fundamental scientific discoveries into scalable technology adoption. Our approach combines an understanding of the marketplace and the role of state and federal regulation and policies. ETA's research drives real-world, practical results that affect and improve the everyday lives of Americans and those across the globe. Saving energy and battling the Climate Crisis are key to the foundation of our research, which is driven by technoeconomic analysis and in-lab experimentation and discovery.

Using Energy Efficiency to Help Meet Distribution System Capacity Needs

Publication Type

Presentation

Date Published

10/2023

Authors

Pereira, Guillermo, Lisa C. Schwartz, Natalie Mims Frick

Abstract

Guillermo Pereira presented at the 2023 ACEEE Energy Efficiency as a Resource conference on using energy efficiency to help meet distribution system capacity needs. Utilities in New York, California, Michigan, and Minnesota are using energy efficiency as a non-wires alternative to traditional investments to meet some of their distribution system capacity needs. They geotarget their energy efficiency programs or solicit third-party solutions to proactively reduce the need for distribution system upgrades in locations facing future capacity constraints. Utilities can also conduct systematic studies of the locational value of energy efficiency and other distributed resources to better understand where to target them to reduce distribution costs. These studies can become a routine and transparent part of the distribution planning process. The presentation covers state objectives for distribution system planning and current practices for assessing local grid needs and solutions considering energy efficiency as a non-wires alternative.

Year of Publication

2023

Using Energy Efficiency to Help Meet Distribution System Capacity Needs

Publication Type

Date Published

Authors

Abstract

Year of Publication

Organization

Research Areas

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