Energy Efficiency Markets Podcast

Idan Edry, acting CEO of Nation-E–a company based in Israel that brings big data into the energy domain–discusses the challenges and advantages of entering the market in the US. In this podcast interview he also identifies which utilities are most open to innovation.

Most energy storage batteries can only address short-term issues – for example, frequency and voltage regulation – or long-term issues, including time-shifting and ramping. However, with the help of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a new company has released a battery that does both simultaneously. Russ Weed, vice president of business development for UniEnergy Technologies, which is an offshoot of Pacific Northwest National Labs, explains in this podcast interview.

No standards exist for microgrids that address reliability, connection to the grid, efficiency and other issues, says Michael Overturf, CEO of ZF Energy Development. His firm has partnered with the Perfect Power Institute to provide LEED-like standards for these facilities, located in campuses, medical facilities, industrial plants and other areas. ZF Energy is now applying these standards to some of its projects. Joining Overturf in this podcast is John Kelly, executive director of the Perfect Power Institute.

The Association for Demand Response & Smart Grid applauds the federal EPA for its draft plan for reducing carbon emissions, but wants to see the agency directly spell out the important role of smart grid and demand response in reducing emissions. The EPA didn't acknowledge the importance of these tools in its plan, says Dan Delurey, executive director of the organization. Industry members need to write the EPA to voice their opinion, he says.

Opower's new residential demand response program has yielded 23% savings in homes that have load control devices and peak rebate rates. Homeowners that have taken voluntary action--such as changing thermostat settings--have seen 5% savings. As a result, the company is expanding its program to include 1 million customers, said Tom Mercer, group product manager

What's one of the best ways for consumers, businesses and towns/cities to avoid the kinds of emergencies we experienced with Hurricane Sandy? Energy storage allows consumers and businesses to reduce their reliance on the grid, and can be implemented in a number of ways, says Darren Hammell, co-founder and chief strategic officer for Princeton Power Systems. He explains why solar users lost power during Hurricane Sandy and what they should have done differently. He outlines some of the challenges to getting more energy storage online.

What do microgrid developers need from policymakers now? Rob Thornton, president and CEO of IDEA, explains how Hurricane Sandy made micro grids ”cool.” But regulations and policy still stand in the way of realizing the many benefits of microgrids, which can provide reliable power, especially during storms like Sandy. Mayors, CEOs, schools and universities are beginning to see the advantages of microgrids, he says. But developers should be properly compensated for the important services they provide. And regulators need to understand that microgrids don’t pull loads off the grid; they work in conjunction with the grid. IDEA–the International District Energy Association– is now in its 150th year.

The power costs associated with operating a data center are about 30 percent of total expenses. And most data center operators know that. But save them a little energy, and show them the results, and they're often surprised. Aaron Rallo, founder and CEO of TSO Logic, has released a dashboard that helps data centers "see" the results of their efficiency efforts and explains what it means to the customers.

Smart appliances offer lots of opportunities for energy savings, but there are risks too. Energy Efficiency Markets interviews Thomas Blewitt, Director of Principal Engineers for the appliance and lighting industries at Underwriters Laboratories about some of the challenges that may arise when new users adopt smart appliances for the first time, like more complicated installations and challenges operating the new user interfaces.

California is a leader in boosting energy storage and self generation for commercial and industrial energy users with its Self Generation Incentive Program. Other states are expected to follow, says Vic Shao, CEO of Green Charge Networks in this podcast interview. Keep an eye on New York, New England, Texas and Hawaii.

A number of states and cities now require benchmarking of buildings, which involves collecting energy use data and plugging it into software that feeds data to the EPA. The states--California and Washington--plus eight major cities have achieved a 7% reduction in savings over the past three years, says Timothy Croman, manager of energy efficiency business for Standard Energy Solutions. What's more, their energy intensity scores increased by 6 points. Expect more benchmarking regulations and their associated benefits, he says in this podcast.

The money pumped into the energy efficiency industry is not yielding sustainable results: What we need is a performance-based industry, says Matt Golden, principal, Efficiency.org. Golden is spearheading a movement to transform the industry into a market-based approach in which incentives match real savings--not predicted savings. Under his model, utilities would issue RFPs for energy efficiency and would treat efficiency like other resources. Competition would drive innovation, benefitting contractors, utilities and ratepayers. Listen to our interview with Golden to learn more about his goals for transforming the industry.

Why is California's energy storage mandate so difficult to implement? In part, the challenge stems from the fact that there are so many energy storage products available. How can they be priced? That process has just begun. Listen to our interview with Elliot Hines, a partner with Akin Gump, to find out more.

Connecticut has seen its share in recent years of severe weather events that have sparked outages--one, in fact, that left numerous residents in the dark for days. The state sees microgrids as a way to provide a "baseline level of safety and security." How is the state getting funding its microgrid program and what are its plans for the future? Listen to this podcast with Alex Kraigie, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to find out.

Laws in California, New York and Illinois now require owners of certain sized new buildings to "commission," or survey their energy use. Are these a bitter pill for building owners or do they yield important benefits? Energy Efficiency Markets interviews Jerry Schmits, director of business development with KLH Engineers, Energy solutions group, about some unexpected benefits that arise from commissioning.