Accelerated Deployment of Irrigation Pumping Demand Flexibility
Polaris Energy Services Inc.
Recipient
San Luis Obispo, CA
Recipient Location
17th
Senate District
35th
Assembly District
$2,635,749
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
As of February 2024, the project has enabled about 25 MW of peak load reduction through demand response and load shifting.
The Issue
California has committed to sourcing 100% of electricity from renewable resources by 2045 and 100% light-duty ZEV sales by 2035, while maintaining demand response and energy efficiency at the top of the loading order. These goals require reliably shifting load from net peak hours while increasing total supply of electricity. This project will help to achieve those goals as early as possible by adding demand response capacity and facilitating load shift from agricultural pumping.
Project Innovation
Building on EPC-16-045 which developed the tools needed by growers and proved the ability to deliver load flexibility under the right conditions, this project will ramp up agricultural demand response (DR) capacity and facilitate load shift from agricultural energy users (AEU) through technology deployment of automation systems that enable AEU to respond to curtailment and price signals from existing and emerging grid management systems.
Project Benefits
This will lead to technological advancement and breakthroughs to overcome barriers to the achievement of the State of California's statutory energy goals by enabling AEU to respond to energy price signals as they manage their irrigation. For the first time, a farmer will be able to enter irrigation requirements and operational constraints, receive a recommended irrigation plan, customize it and deploy it directly to an irrigation controller.
Affordability
The technology deployed will enable effective response to time of use rates and facilitates participation in demand response programs through the shifting of agricultural irrigation pumping in response to grid signals.
Reliability
The technology deployed will enable participation in demand response programs through the shifting of agricultural irrigation pumping to periods of surplus renewable energy, which improves system reliability.
Match Partners
Polaris Energy Services Inc.
