Expanding Energy-Related Career Pathways in the Electrical Industry: Increasing Workforce Development Opportunities in Disadvantaged Communities and Delivering Training on Automated Demand Response Communication Equipment to Inside Wireman Apprentice
Providing comprehensive classroom and on-the-job training on the installation and maintenance of AutoDR communications equipment.
Center for Sustainable Energy
Recipient
San Diego, CA
Recipient Location
39th
Senate District
78th
Assembly District
$2,879,168
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
The project ended in June and a final report was submitted. Development and implementation of the training was a success with all seven partner JATCs providing the new CALCTP-AutoDR course to 4th or 5th year apprentices. Since 2017, 655 electricians completed the in-person training (378 resided in or near DACs). A total of 329 technicians and sales staff passed the online course exam with another 818 pending the final exam. Also, 637 workers residing in or near DACs were recruited into the apprenticeship program. However, challenges prevented efforts to recruit small and medium buildings in DACs to participate in the AutoDR incentive programs and these efforts were discontinued. Most notably were changes in the programs' payment structures, higher overhead, and upfront costs. Overall, the project developed specialized training on load management technologies and created new career paths, building workforce capacity necessary for meeting the Title 24 DR capability requirements.
The Issue
Automated demand response (AutoDR) equipment and communications standards have evolved significantly over the past decade. However, these advances and standards have not been adequately translated into training programs to help facilitate the widespread deployment of AutoDR communication equipment. Lack of an adequately trained workforce could limit the benefits provided by demand response to electric customers and the larger grid.
Project Innovation
The project recruited workers from disadvantaged communities into apprenticeship programs at California Joint Apprentice Training Centers (JATCs), providing them with comprehensive classroom and on-the-job training on the installation and maintenance of AutoDR communications equipment. By addressing the acute skills gap by producing a workforce qualified to install and maintain cutting-edge AutoDR communications equipment, the project helped enable demand response to be deployed in the market at scale.
Project Benefits
The California Energy Code was updated in 2013 to require lighting systems in large buildings to be capable of receiving and automatically responding to at least one standards-based messaging protocol which enables demand response. This project helped ensure a workforce that is trained in the proper installation and maintenance of AutoDR communications equipment exists to meet California Energy Code requirements for commercial buildings.
Affordability
Proper installation of AutoDR communications equipment will facilitate greater levels of demand response by reducing the transaction costs for participating customers.
Economic Development
Training on the proper installation and maintenance of AutoDR communications can provide increased employment opportunities for workers in disadvantaged communities.
Reliability
Compared to manual response, properly installed AutoDR communications equipment increases customer response to utility or system operator messages about a demand response event.
Key Project Members
Lindsey Hawes
Subrecipients
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Energy Solutions International
Ridge and Associates
ICF International
California Labor Federation
Regents of the University of California, Davis - California Lighting Technology Center
California LMCC IBEW-NECA
ASWB Engineering
Los Angeles County Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee
Alameda County Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee
Orange County Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Trust
Sacramento County Electrical JATC
Fresno JATC
San Mateo County Electrical JATC
Riverside – San Bernardino JATC
Retail Industry Leaders Association
James W. Davenport Instructional Design Company
Northern California Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association, Inc.
Redwood Empire JATC
Match Partners
California LMCC IBEW-NECA
