Achieving Integrated and Equitable Decarbonized Loads with CalFlexHub

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Recipient

Berkeley, CA

Recipient Location

9th

Senate District

14th

Assembly District

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$10,422,297

Amount Spent

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Active

Project Status

Project Update

CalFlexHub now has nearly 20 lab testing and field demonstration projects at more than 30 sites and has completed Cycle 2 technology development and testing as of December 2023. These projects cover all sectors: single-family, multi-family, small commercial, large commercial and campus/connected communities. The project team continues the development of architectures for the price and GHG signal communication. Technical Advisory Committee and Equity Advisory Committee meetings have been held to solicit feedback on the performance and prioritization metrics and equity considerations for disadvantaged and low-income communities. The second annual Symposium and project showcase was held in person at Berkeley Lab with a virtual participation option and was joined by over 300 stakeholders from across the demand flexibility ecosystem. Additionally, CalFlexHub launched its Affiliate Program allowing ecosystem participation in testing a company product or solution's ability to integrate with an hourly-varying price and GHG signal hosted on the CEC's MIDAS server. The testing would also enable flexible customer electric loads responding to the signal using its own control and to test algorithms.

In 2024, CalFlexHub will be executing Cycle 3 and Cycle 4 and will include 4 new field deployment projects in additional disadvantaged and low-income communities. The added new projects will explore how integrated heat pump systems with price response can shift load in multifamily homes with panel capacity constraints. In each of the existing and new projects, we will be evaluating flexible load technologies responding to both price and GHG signals, and anticipate to understand seasonal operations and user experience.

The Issue

The CalFlexHub will conduct electricity sector applied research and development and technology demonstration and deployment projects that increase the use and market adoption of advanced, signal responsive, interoperable, and flexible demand technologies and strategies as electric grid resources and facilitate integration of distributed energy resources. These projects will increase end-use demand flexibility, reduce dependence on fossil generation for firming renewable resources, enhance grid stability, and take advantage of new electric loads to help resolve reliability issues.

Project Innovation

CalFlexHub will develop and test a Load Management Standards Prototype (LMS-P) with the capability of communicating price, GHG and dispatch signals to up to 99 percent of California consumers. CalFlexHub will research pre-selected, pre-commercial innovations to support the deployment of new, commercially-available, signal-responsive products, refrigeration equipment, air conditioners, water heaters, heat pumps, HVAC and thermostat controls, plug load control devices, battery storage and EV charging systems, and other end-use technologies in residential and commercial buildings. When fully commercialized, these systems will enable cost-effective control to support load-flexibility and provide a clear value proposition for customers, building owners, ratepayers, load serving entities, and grid operators.

Project Goals

Value and prioritize load flexible technologies.
Foster investment in load flexible technologies.
Evaluate and understand customer interface and experience.
Mitigate burdens in disadvantaged and low-income communities.
Mass-market technology advancement.

Project Benefits

The CalFlexHub projects will improve the size of the flexible load, both in peak (GW) and daily (GWh) shift using several strategies, including integration of thermal storage into HVAC, allowing building end uses to respond to time varying price signals, and integrating controls across end uses. The projects will help achieve California's electrification and decarbonization goals through increased use and market adoption of signal responsive and interoperable flexible demand technologies and strategies to enable end use loads as electric grid resources. These projects will demonstrate the reliability and predictability of signal responsive demand flexible technologies that utilities and system operators can rely on as energy resources as California shifts to more intermittent renewable energy sources.

Lower Costs

Affordability

California IOUs have about 4–6 GWh of shift DR potential (per event) at or below $200/yr/kWh, growing to up to 8 GWh by 2030. CalFlexHub hopes to reduce these first and operating costs to $100/yr/kWh for 10 GWh/event by 2025.

Environmental & Public Health

Environmental Sustainability

The annual carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emission saving using the electricity emission factor of 0.331 kg/kWh totals to about 0.6 million metric tons of CO2e per year by 2030 from shifting load to times of renewable energy.

Greater Reliability

Reliability

Aiming to increase building peak load reduction from 1 GW to 4–6 GW by 2025, and 8–12 GW by 2030. Also will demonstrate capability to increase building stock shift capability from 100 MWh/event or day to 3 to 10 GWh/event or day.

Energy Security

Energy Security

The technologies from the Hub enable net load to follow electricity supply on the CA grid therefore avoiding/delaying the need for additional generation assets development and providing more time for a secure zero-carbon energy transition.

Subrecipients

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The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Berkeley campus

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The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Riverside campus

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The Regents of California, San Diego

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Energy & Environmental Economics, Inc.

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Regents of the University of California, Davis

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Olivine, Inc.

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Guidehouse Inc.

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SkyCentrics

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TeMix, Inc

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Extensible Energy, Inc.

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WattTime

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Humboldt State University

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Harvest Thermal, Inc

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Build Momentum (d.b.a. Momentum)

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e-Radio

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Rising Sun

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Aermec

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Argenox Technologies

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Match Partners

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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Riverside campus

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Regents of the University of California, Davis

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SkyCentrics

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Harvest Thermal, Inc

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Build Momentum (d.b.a. Momentum)

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Aermec

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