Project Name: Peer-to-Peer Transactions with Demand Flexibility for Increasing Solar Utilization
Funding Opportunity: Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR FY2019 Phase II)
SETO Research Area: Manufacturing and Competitiveness
Location: New York, NY
SETO Award Amount: $1 million
Awardee Cost Share: N/A
Principal Investigator: Vincent J. Cushing
Planned Timeline: 2018-2021
-- Award and cost share amounts are subject to change pending negotiations --
This project is developing a platform that automates energy transactions between electric grid users, especially commercial building owners and distributed energy resource (DER) asset owners and managers. Known as EMeister, this “software as a service” platform allows users to pay for the service at the rate it is being used. The technology leverages large commercial buildings’ superior heating, ventilation, and air conditioning flexibility to enable reliable contributions from co-located photovoltaics (PV) and smaller buildings. This platform will significantly reduce energy use, expenses for electricity and energy services, and emissions for its customers.
APPROACH
This team will create a commercially viable and scalable portfolio version of EMeister. To achieve scalability, the team will incorporate and demonstrate distributed ledger technology, a digital recording system that tracks and records assets, with smart contracts and peer-to-peer markets. The project team will improve portfolio performance by extending participation to PV and small buildings. Along with Con Edison and the New York Independent System Operator, the team will conduct field demonstrations to determine commercial viability.
INNOVATION
This project will maximize PV technology for commercial buildings and DER assets and reduce electricity costs At local, urban scale, the platform uses PV to maintain electric distribution system reliability while reducing utility capital spending. At regional scale, it dispatches electricity to fit local renewable energy portfolio mandates while increasing grid stability.