Lead Performer: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Berkeley, CA
July 17, 2023
minute read time
Lead Performer: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Berkeley, CA
Partner: Legrand North and Central America – West Hartford, CT
DOE Total Funding: $500,000
Cost Share: $500,000
Project Term: March 1, 2022 – March 30, 2024
Funding Type: CRADA
Project Objective
To fully realize the vision of grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEB), the integration and control of all building loads, including distributed end uses like lighting and plug loads, are essential. However, the cost of making these loads flexible and incorporating them into a grid-interactive control system has been prohibitive. Additionally, integrating electrical storage into buildings has proven to be expensive and cumbersome, with current whole-building battery systems incurring various soft costs such as permitting, safety, and balance of systems equipment (Feldman et al. 2021). Proposals for a potential solution to these challenges have centered around DC power distribution, which can efficiently integrate native DC loads like lighting, electronics, and storage while offering the potential for integrated controls. However, existing DC distribution standards in buildings, such as Power over Ethernet (PoE) and USB, have limitations in power levels and transmission range, making them expensive and inadequate. For instance, PoE can experience energy losses exceeding 5% on a single link if the cabling is not properly designed or installed, or if power levels exceed 60W (Tuenge et al. 2019).
In this CRADA project, a power distribution and control system will be developed based on updated DC power and communication standards. This system will enable lighting and plug loads in commercial buildings to seamlessly and affordably respond to grid requirements. It will incorporate a new DC power distribution architecture that allows significantly higher power levels at a lower cost than current standards like PoE. Furthermore, the system will support low-data rate communications for efficient power management. The power architecture will facilitate easy integration of electrical storage at any system level, offering additional demand flexibility. Moreover, it will be designed to accommodate future integration with other end uses, such as HVAC. The system will incorporate predictive modeling and controls to manage power flows optimally, satisfying both building occupants' needs and grid requirements. Legrand, the industry partner, will make substantial contributions to the project by defining use cases, developing predictive control software, and evaluating the resulting system's value proposition for their customers. Leveraging their membership in the USB Implementers Forum, which creates new USB technologies, the project will also utilize USB technologies in prototype development. LBNL's expertise in modeling and designing DC power systems in buildings, developing communication standards, and conducting laboratory testing of prototype systems will further enhance the project's outcomes.
Project Impact
This project will develop a new power distribution and control system for buildings, based on updated DC power and communication standards. This system will allow distributed end uses such as lighting and plug loads to cost-effectively be integrated with battery energy storage for grid response and energy efficiency.
Contacts
DOE Technology Manager: Wyatt Merrill
Lead Performer: Rich Brown, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory