WattTime: Energy Management to Support Clean Energy Future in California

Sho Kawano & Chiel Borenstein

June 2016

Sustainable Purchasing for Energy?

What if organizations could prioritize purchases from cleaner sources?

Where Does your Energy Come from?

What power plant…

Increases or decreases output when your campus uses more or less energy?

Where does your energy come from?

New research from UC Berkeley makes it possible to answer this question in real time.

The answer changes up to every 5 minutes!

WattTime, a nonprofit founded by Berkeley PhD’s, provides the data

New Approach to Energy Management

Lowering CO2 footprint… for each kWh consumed by a campus(from the electric grid)

In other words, Making sure that your campus prioritizes power from cleaner sources!

Many electricity consuming loads are consumed in cycles

We time these cycles to clean times (as much as possible)!

New Approach to Energy Management

New Approach to Energy Management

Every 5 minutes, power grid operators reallocate which power plants run

WattTime continuously provides data on emissions from the marginal power plant

Devices sync compressor cycles or battery charging to clean moments

Users see verified CO2 footprint reduction in real time

Demonstration Project Funded by TGIF

1. Reduce Carbon Emissions by load timing

2. Maintain temperature set-points set by the building manager (BM)

3. Keep the BM in control: provide monitoring and control capability

4. Directly support cleaner, more efficient power plants through energy consumption

Objectives

Stages

Tested this energy management technique with:1. Small 3 Ton package unit2. Large Air Handlers on a 5 story building

Implementation• Smart Load Controller / Relay Device• Supply Air Temperature Sensor • Return Air Temperature Sensor• Outdoor Air Temperature Sensor• Software Integration with WattTime to

reduce emissions • Online Monitoring Capability

Main ResultsContinuous and Verifiable CO2 Emissions Reduction

Well above 10% per day on certain days

No Effects on Operations or Comfort People forgot it was happening

Increased Monitoring and ControlMore insight to staff

Value to Universities and Building Owners• Reduces emissions immediately

(either through hardware install or software modification)

• Provides continuous reductions once installed

• CO2 reductions from this technology are consistent with the GHG Protocol for carbon accounting

• No noticeable impact on operations: staff remain in control

• Increased control and monitoring (for hardware install)

Value to Electric Grid• Reduces use of inefficient and expensive marginal plants

• Addresses renewable intermittency without expensive energy storage

• Reduces renewable energy curtailment (especially wind)

• Allows demand to play an active role in supporting the transformation of our grid to a cleaner future

Other Uses of this Technology (many more)• Accurate Carbon Accounting• Smart Thermostats• Electric Vehicle Charging

Thanks!

Building Clouds

Appendix:

Differences from Traditional Approaches

Not reducing energy useNot reducing costs per kWh

Not producing more clean energy

Monitoring Example: