Connecting Emerging Energy Technologies and Strategies to Market Needs and Opportunities
Better understanding customer needs to better direct innovation in emerging energy technologies.
Guidehouse Inc.
Recipient
San Francisco, CA
Recipient Location
$6,014,774
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
The project team has nineteen work authorization projects that are either active, in development, or have been completed. These work authorizations assist Energy Commission staff to appropriately target investments in microgrids, energy efficiency technologies, low-income/disadvantaged community research, and other topics. Additionally, a currently active work authorization has launched an online platform that facilitates tailored connections between investors, entrepreneurs, customer adopters and field test sites, and mentors and community based organizations. Over 400 members have joined the platform in the first two months since launch and they have been able to network with each other to form stronger proposal teams for Energy Commission and non-Energy Commission funding opportunities.
The Issue
Emerging energy technologies sometimes fail to be commercialized because of difficulty entering the market, inability to find an optimal first customer, and inability to the address what end users actually want. To become viable in the market place, companies need market knowledge and support to develop products that meet customer needs, are cost competitive compared to existing products, and have viable path-to-market strategies that target appropriate early adopters.
Project Innovation
This contract will provide market analysis that will address the barriers that hamper commercial development of emerging energy technologies. Tasks under this work authorization contract could include tracking past and current award EPIC technology solutions to monitor successes, more accurately consider future EPIC funding opportunities, inform technology gap analyses, and develop online resources. The deliverables from this project will help prioritize future Energy Commission funding towards technologies that solve the addressed issues.
Project Benefits
This project will benefit California IOU electricity ratepayers through the increased probability of commercialization and deployment of a portfolio of technologies that can reduce electricity costs, decrease peak demand, and improve system reliability and safety. Recommendations resulting from this agreement will help the Energy Commission better direct EPIC Program technologies towards addressing customer needs and becoming widespread, commercially available products.

Consumer Appeal
Market research will help better design products and research initiatives to address customer needs, increasing the attractiveness of these products in the marketplace.

Economic Development
Market research will provide information to develop technologies, or recommend use of technologies that meet customer needs that will move the technologies to market faster. Moving technologies to market enables job creation, improved business models, and market opportunities for technology developers.
Key Project Members

Amul Sathe
Subrecipients

ConSol

Redhorse Corporation

Tierra Resource Consultants, LLC

Ewald & Wasserman Research Company

SkipsoLabs

iCatalysts LLC

Greg D. Ander LLC
