SmartGrid

Berkeley Stanford CleanTech Conference

This is the fourth in a continuing series of focused conferences highlighting clean technology solutions to address the planet's multifaceted energy challenges.

  • VISION: What is the Smart Grid today? Where is it going?
  • OPPORTUNITY: How can innovators make the most of Smart Grid opportunities?
  • EFFECTIVENESS: What policies will enable the Smart Grid? What are the constraints in the system?

 

Amy Malaki, Moderator

  • "SmartGrid will spawn the next 10 Googles."

 

Andrew Tang, Keynote

Senior Director, Smart Energy Web, PG&E

  • PG&E serves 15 million Californians and covers 70,000 square miles with 5.1 MM electric accounts and 4.2 Natural Gas accounts
  • Diverse territory from hot deserts to snowy mountains
  • Over 50% greenhouse gas free
  • Mix: 20% nuclear, 16% large hydro, 15% renewable (wind, geothermal, biomass, solar), 46% natural gas, 2% coal, 1% other
  • By 2020 need to bering renewables up to 33% and natural gas will go down
  • Depending on growth from 4% to 40% of solar to get up to this by 2020, but with a total increase in power of about almost 4 times more energy so actual growth is about 40x
  • 300 MW of rooftop solar installed in service territory, which represents 5% of population is 40% of all grid connected solar in US
  • Total solar PV in California is 500 MW
  • Most solar panels in SF, SJ and Fresno, heavily concentrated
  • Plug in EV growth projections by 2020: 219k to 850k EVs with an average of 532k EVs
  • EVs more of a problem for utilities if they are densely located. If Fresno, there are about 11 HEVs in each zipcode, in Berkeley HEVs represent 18% and there are 212 per zipcode Berkeley, Marin and Palo Alto have the top 3 HEV dealers in the US. CA is 12% of population but represent 26% of all HEVs produced
  • 35 new EVs coming to market and 22 are dedicated battery electric BEV with a range of 100 miles, and 24kWh battery. Tesla puts in a 240V/70A circuit to charge
  • PEV charging creates a significant increase in load:
  • Recharging typical BEV: 120v/12A takes 16 hrs, 240V/15A is 8 hours and 240V/30A takes 4 hours
  • The highest rate is a 6.6 KW load. In San Ramon and Rocklin this is equivalent to 1 home, in Berkeley 2 homes, in SF it is 3 homes.
  • 5 to 6 homes are connected to one distribution transformer. So one BEV increases load by 20%, and 3 homes increase by 60%.
  • Central A/C was one third the load of the BEV
  • Most people get home between 5 and 8 and plug. EPRI found that this will add to the peak.
  • 70% of the BEV base could be recharged with existing spare capacity if we had perfect control of electrons
  • Four challenges drive need for smarter grid
    • Peak load is 2x base load
    • Renewables are intermittent (Wind in CA is sporadic)
    • Local concentration of distributed generation (DG) (Plays havoc with neighbors frequency response)
    • Local concentration of EVs
  • Smart Grid: Sense, communicate, compute, control
  • Smart meter: basic meter (solid state), radio back to data center, radio to Home Area Network (HAN)
    • Can see previous day's usage by hour
    • SmrtRate pricing: 10k volunteers in 2008, 30k in 2009. "Called events" which are hottest days and times have a big surcharge but lower rates at all other times.
      • 2008: Across 9 called events, average residential consumption reduction of 16.6%
      • 2009: 15 called events, 86% highly satisfied, 97% intend to continue plan
    • Next step: Customer Energy Management Pilot: prices to devices
    • In a dryer 95% of energy is heating element. During event, some dryers will turn off heater and keep spinning so clothes still dry
    • 2010 should see appliances with WAN capability
  • Smart Charging Pilot: Explore loads and customer benefit
  • Utility scale battery pilot. 4MW/ 32 mWh sodium sulfur (NaS) battery will be deployed in SJ for test

 

Policy Panel

Moderator

  • Ken Jaffe: Partner - Energy Group, Alston and Bird, LLP

Panel

  • Andrew Campbell: Senior Energy Advisor, CPUC
  • Steve Berberich: Vice President, Corporate Services, California ISO
  • Mike Gravely: Research Manager - Energy Systems, California Energy Commission


Steve Berberich,  CalISO

  • Wind moves around in 10 to 20 MW ranges, maybe up to 50 MW. When wind comes up to 30% of power, this could be movements of 1000 MW. This can be made up by thermal plants, but also demand response
  • Need to shift load and integrate EVs which can't be charged in the middle of the day
  • Need to increase the grid capability
  • Oregon CA intertie is rates at 7 GW but have to operate it 4.5 GW due to stability issues. If they have better control, they can operate close to capacity
  • Right now see network every 4 seconds but comes in at different times
  • Syncro-phasers cost $30k and sit at substations and let them see the network better so can run the transmission network much closer to its limits
  • Real time electricity prices can go to $2,500 mWh while normal prices are $30 mWh.


Andrew Campbell, CPUC

  • Regulates PG&E, SD&E, ??
  • Peak demand is growing faster than overall demand and peak plants more expensive


Mike Gravely, CA Energy Commission

  • Does energy forecasts and energy needs, licensing of power plants of 50 MW and larger, energy efficiency
  • Very active in smart grid
  • $1 billion in smart grid research money hitting the ground in the next few years
  • Do a lot of work with students on research

 

Questions

  • Steve: Consumer behavior: In Silicon Valley, most of us probably have programmable thermostats but probably 70% of us don't use them
  • Steve: 3 GW of storage needed when renewables get to 33%. Pumped hydro (slow), battery (expensive $2,000 mWh. Energy is $5 plus $30 mWh)
  • Steve: "Find cheaper ways to store power and you will make a fortune."
  • Mike: Are working on this aggresively but cost is a big factor. We need substantially more storage on the grid.
  • EVs for energy storage?
    • Mike: ARRA (?) projects are demonstrating this. Proposal to DOE, one floor of garage with EVs, another company that does musical royalties is looking at consolidating charging information. Proposal for home charging.
  • Steve: Prices can go negative to about $30 mWh if extra renewables, even during the day. Normal day prices are $30 and nightime $10 mWh.
  • Steve: EPRI believes that compressed air the only viable energy storage, but suitable locations are locationally constrained

 

Investment Panel

Moderator

  • Gregory Heibel, Partner Orrick

Panel

  • ??: Director of Business Development – Western Region, EnerNOC
  • Alex Beavers: Corporate Director, Stanford Research Institute (SRI) International
  • Craig Lawrence: General Partner, Accel
  • Victor Westerlind: Rockport Capitol

Discussion

  • 95% of what EnerNOC does is demand/response which is pulling power off the grid when necessary, but they also provide some monitoring services
  • Craig: Unrealistic to build a business based on the assumption that consumers care about green concerns and are willing to pay more for them.
  • Victor: Entrepreneur's need a clear value proposition that is expressed in one sentence on why someone will pay for the product or service.
  • Victor: Looking for: EV battery improvements, next generation solar

 
Technology Panel

Moderator:

  • Eric Wessoff: GreenTech Media

Panelists:

  • Erfan Ibrahim: Technical Executive at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
  • Nate Ota: Consumer Solutions Product Marketing Manager, Trilliant
  • Hugh McDermott: Vice President Global Utilities & Energy, Better Place
  • Rick Geiger: Director of Engineering, Cisco Systems

Discussions:

  •  

Peterson, Whitacare, Apt. "The Economics of Using PHEV Battery Pack for Grid Storage", Carnegie Mellon paper, 2009

"For a 16 kWh vehicle battery pack, the maximum annual profit with perfect market information and no battery degradation cost ranged from ~$140 to $250 in the three cities"

 

Revised on November 13, 2009 17:47:41 by Max Dunn (192.5.67.11)