California smart grid toolkit

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California smart grid projects

Amber Kinetics flywheel energy storage demonstration

Amber Kinetics is developing a flywheel system from sub-scale research prototype to full-scale mechanical flywheel battery and will conduct both a commercial-scale and a utility-scale demonstration. The goal is to deliver a cost-effective prototype flywheel system that can be grid connected and electrically charged and discharged. The system will have built-in sensing components that can determine frequency and voltage characteristics of the grid and can override the grid signal to manage the amount of electricity discharged. The flywheel stores energy in a spinning rotor that is connected to an electric motor that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Get details >>

Anaheim AMI project

The City of Anaheim’s smart grid project involves a city-wide deployment of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and an expansion of distribution automation capabilities, which include circuit switches, remote fault indicators, and smart relays. Customers can enroll to receive programmable communicating thermostats that assist in managing electricity use and costs. These activities allow Anaheim to manage, measure, and verify targeted demand reductions during peak periods. The new AMI and distribution automation technologies help improve service quality and reliability by enabling improved outage management, distribution circuit monitoring, and automated circuit switching. Get details >>

Burbank Water and Power smart grid initiative

Burbank Water and Power’s (BWP) smart grid program includes smart meters, communications infrastructure, outage management system, distribution automation, time-based rate programs, advanced customer service options, demand response, and electric vehicle charging stations. The project implements two-way communications and metering to enable customers to view their energy consumption at their convenience through systems such as web portals. The project also includes distribution automation to enhance the reliability and quality of electric delivery and reduce operations and maintenance costs. In addition, the project includes controls for distributed energy resources to manage peak electric demand and integrate renewable resources into grid operations. Get details >>

Glendale AMI smart grid initiative

The City of Glendale’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project involves system-wide deployment of advanced meters, use of customer systems and in-home displays, installation of distribution automation equipment systems, and management of distributed energy storage. The project aims to reduce peak loads, overall electricity use, and operations and maintenance costs while increasing distribution system efficiency and reliability. The project implements secure wireless communications to (1) allow customers to view their electricity consumption through Web portals and displays at any time, and (2) allow Glendale to manage, measure, and verify targeted demand reduction during peak periods. In addition to the AMI deployment, Glendale is upgrading selected feeders with distribution automation equipment to improve the operational efficiency as well as system reliability. Get details >>

Irvine smart grid demonstration

Southern California Edison (SCE) and its partners will deploy advanced smart grid SG) technologies in an integrated system to be more reliable, secure, economic, efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly. The technology demonstrations will include three main areas: (1) Energy Smart Customer Devices such as smart appliances, home scale energy storage, and photovoltaic (PV) solar systems to achieve Zero Net Energy homes and Zero Grid Impact electric vehicle (EV) charging at work; (2) Year 2020 Distribution System including distribution automation with looped circuit topology, advanced voltage/VAR control, advanced distribution equipment, smart metering, utility-scale storage, and dispatched renewable distributed generation; and (3) a Secure Energy Network to demonstrate end-to-end management of a complex high performance telecommunication system linking the CAISO to SCE’s back office, field networks, and energy smart devices in the home. Get details >>

LADWP smart grid regional demonstration

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is collaborating with a consortium of research institutions to develop new smart grid technologies, quantify costs and benefits, validate new models, and create prototypes to be adapted nationally. The project consists of four broad initiatives including:

·         Demand Response (DR): perform an integrated demonstration of Smart grid operations and technology as applied to DR. Test bed sites will investigate a full range of user environments: residential, commercial, light industrial, and institutional

·         Electric Vehicle (EV) Integration into the LADWP Grid: demonstrate aspects such as smart charging and battery aggregation; renewables and EV battery integration; an operational microgrid; and EV test bed sites at USC and UCLA

·         Customer Behavior: demonstrate a comprehensive portfolio of studies and focused surveys related to the impact of Smart grid communications systems and processes on customer usage; energy savings from using Smart grid enabled interfaces; pricing options and programs; and effective messaging and incentives regarding electric vehicles

·         Next-Generation Cyber Security: demonstrate technologies to show grid resilience against physical and cyber-attack, an operational testing approach for components & installed systems, and redefine the security perimeter to address Smart grid technologies. Get details >>

Modesto Irrigation District smart grid project

The Modesto Irrigation District’s (MID) smart deployment and installation project involves an installation of smart meters, implementation of customer interface systems, and automation of its distribution systems. The project focuses its smart meter deployment to Mountain House Development, a single isolated area with approximately 4,000 customer sites. The project also implements a customer web portal to enable the customers to view their energy consumption in near real-time fashion. The project aims to reduce peak demand, reduce system-wide losses, reduce outage durations and frequency, and improve voltage control. The expanded smart meter coverage and introduction of a web portal allows MID to pursue time-based rate programs in the future. Get details >>

PG&E advanced underground compressed air energy storage

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) will validate the design, performance, and reliability of and, build an advanced, underground Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) plant in California, using a porous rock formation as the storage reservoir. The CAES plant will be approximately 300 MW with 10 hours of storage. Porous rock formations are much more plentiful than the salt domes now used by the two operational plants in Alabama and Germany. If this geology is proven viable, this technology has the potential to be replicated throughout California and elsewhere in the United States. The project is also differentiated by its potential use of a new CAES plant design that is much more efficient than first generation Alabama and German designs. Furthermore, an experimental and innovative aspect of this project will involve an option for future use of thermal storage to test the potential of adiabatic CAES, a “third-generation” technology that would completely eliminate the use of fuel for a CAES plant. Get details >>

Primus Power wind firming EnergyFarm

Primus Power is deploying a 25 MW/75 MWh EnergyFarm™ in the Modesto Irrigation District substation in California that consists of a series of EnergyPods™; a plug-and -play zinc-flow battery combined with off-the-shelf components and power electronics housed inside a standard shipping container. The modular design and operation will be field tested at Pacific Gas & Electric with support from Sandia National Lab and the Electric Power Research Institute. The EnergyFarm™ will displace a planned $78M fossil fuel plant. EnergyFarms™ can firm intermittent wind energy and mitigate energy price spikes. During a spike the farm switches to full dispatch power, reducing energy purchases during costly periods, capturing multiple revenue streams, and shortening return on investment. Get details >>

SDG&E grid communication system

San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) Grid Communication System project includes the installation of a fully integrated wireless communication system covering up to 90% of the utility’s customers. The project aims to enhance reliability and reduce outage durations and operations and maintenance costs. The project implements two-way communications and applications to: (1) allow SDG&E to integrate new advanced metering infrastructure and distribution automation equipment, and (2) provide increased system visibility and identify the scope and location of outages. Get details >>

Seeo solid state batteries for grid-scale energy storage

Seeo and its partners are demonstrating a large-scale prototype of a solid-state electrolyte lithium-ion rechargeable battery for use in smart grid energy storage applications. Seeo seeks to validate this technology to address the needs of Community Energy Storage Systems—small (less than 100 kW) distributed energy storage systems alongside pad-mounted and pole-mounted transformers. The 25kWh battery pack is more than a 50 percent improvement in weight and energy density; has 10-15+ year operating life with 3,000-5,000 or more cycles; has no volatile or flammable components; and will be 35 percent cheaper than existing lithium-ion batteries. This approach allows independent control over mechanical and electrical properties. Get details >>

SmartSacramento project

Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUD) SmartSacramento project involves system-wide deployment of an advanced metering system integrated with existing enterprise and information technology systems as well as a partial deployment of advanced distribution grid assets that equip SMUD’s distribution circuits with automated control and operation capabilities. The project also involves customer systems that provide usage and cost information to customers that educate and enable more control over their consumption. These systems enable more informed participation by customers and more effective management by SMUD to improve reliability and efficiency of grid operations and better optimize the use of assets. The project includes a field test of plug-in electric vehicle charging stations to assess their technical performance, vehicle charging patterns, and effects on electric distribution system operations. Get details >>

Tehachapi wind energy storage project

The Tehachapi Wind Energy Storage project is evaluating the performance of an 8 MW, 4 hour (32 MWh) lithium-ion battery system to improve grid performance and integration with large-scale wind-powered electricity generation. Southern California Edison (SCE) will site the system at its Monolith substation on the Antelope-Bailey system. Antelope-Bailey is part of the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area, where up to 4,500 MW of wind resources will come online by 2015. The project team will measure performance under 13 specific operational uses: voltage support and grid stabilization; decreased transmission losses; diminished congestion; increased system reliability; deferred transmission investment; optimize size and cost of renewable energy-related transmission; system capacity and resources adequacy; renewable energy integration; wind generation output shifting; frequency regulation; spin/non-spin replacement reserves; ramp rate; and energy price arbitrage. Most of the operations either shift wind and conventional power to meet peak load and other electricity system needs with stored electricity, or resolve grid instability and capacity issues that result from the interconnection of wind generation resources. Get details >>

News and trends in California

PG&E ventures into distribution automation

With its smart meter installation largely complete, PG&E is now cautiously dipping its toes into the distribution automation waters, by proposing six pilot projects to test such things as line sensors, voltage control and outage management. It also wants its utility commission to approve customer outreach programs to "increase customer understanding and engagement." Read more from Smart Grid News >>

Smart Grid 2.0: California utilities seek to fund massive grid research program

The three major California investor-owned utilities -- PG&E, SCE and SDG&E -- have asked their commission to allow them to invest $150 million in a massive, five-year research program to invent the tools needed to operate a 21st Century smart grid. If they are allowed to pay for it by putting the costs into their rate base, the research will be led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Read more from Smart Grid News >>

Massachusetts strips energy efficiency title from California

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Solar power coming to 90+ California schools

More than ninety schools in California are taking advantage of the California Solar Initiative and installing solar projects. The California Solar Initiative is an incentive program to get companies, schools, and homes to switch to solar power. The program gives cash back for installing solar power, California hopes to move the state towards running completely on clean energy, from using a coffee maker in the morning, to opening your garage door, California wants its residents to operate on solar power. The program almost works like a rebate program, where residents are reimbursed for installing solar power and then receiving incentives on their bill. Read more from Reuters >>

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GWP's smart grid ranked among the highest in utility survey

Glendale Water & Power's (GWP) smart grid project ranked among the highest in the country in a survey of 93 utilities. It won the highest customer score of all smaller utilities and among the highest scores for all utilities involved in the survey. The utility is in the midst of a $70 million smart grid project to replace all electric and water meters with smart meters. Read more from Smart Grid News >>

California smart grid plans need to update costs: consumer group

Investor-owned utilities' smart grid deployment proposals for California need to reflect potential costs and benefits to ratepayers, two consumer advocacy groups told the state's Public Utilities Commission. Read more from Platt's >>

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5 must-learn lessons from PG&E

Depending on your viewpoint, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has been either a courageous smart grid pioneer or a bumbling smart grid screw-up. I lean towards the former, but there is no denying that the San Francisco-based utility has learned some hard lessons on the way to installing more than 8 million smart meters (the nation's largest smart meter implementation to date). Now PG&E has released a 290-page plan that recounts those lessons and lays out a nine-year vision for a modernized grid.   Read more from Smart Grid News >>

California goes first on smart-meter adoption

California has become the first state to adopt rules for ensuring the privacy and security of sensitive information generated by Smart Meters, interactive meters that are an element of the emerging Smart Grid electric distribution system. Read more from Government Computer News >>

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Lancaster, CA to become one of world's first net zero cities aided by Beautiful Earth Group

The City of Lancaster, California has taken a historic step towards becoming one of the first "Net Zero Cities" in the world. The Lancaster City Council unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Beautiful Earth Group for the development of a partnership to establish Lancaster as a Net Zero City. Net Zero Cities produce as much energy from sustainable sources, such as solar energy, as they consume. This dramatically reduces their carbon emissions. New technologies such as energy storage, supply and demand management and the "smart grid" are used to save energy and money -- all good news for consumers as prices for oil and energy continue to rise. Read more from MarketWatch >>

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