Background

A Tier 1 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Supplier was accelerating the North American clean energy transition by providing an industry-leading BESS to couple with electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Their product aims to provide reliable, affordable electricity to customers by shifting grid energy consumption from peak periods to off-peak periods, reducing demand on the grid, and reducing customer energy bills.

PassKey’s customer-centric mission requires extensive research and analysis to ensure their BESS can not only provide energy and economic benefits to customers but also mesh with existing grid infrastructure to improve system resiliency.

Services

Turning to Energeia and our partners Black & Veatch (BV), our client required utility needs and distribution-connected BESS forecasting for a country-wide array of cities. Energeia’s research and data engineering expertise proved essential in building a comprehensive custom database of utility grid infrastructure spatial data for each target market. Using feeder-level GIS data and city land use data, Energeia spatially allocated electrical load to assets to forecast demand from 2022 to 2040.

Results

Using Energeia’s battery optimization models and forecasting tools, our client identified nine key U.S. markets for entry. Energeia’s models and tools produced both feeder-level 8760 load profiles and individual customer battery system ROIs for cities from San Francisco to New York in a first-of-its-kind study of this granularity.

Outcome

This Tier 1 BESS Supplier is now partnering with EV charging technology and SmartPower software to enter the EV charging market at airports across the U.S. and continues to leverage Energeia’s forecasting modeling tools to identify markets that will benefit from distribution-connected BESS. These innovative data systems and applications will accelerate the clean energy transition, help reduce emissions, improve grid resiliency, and provide customers with reliable, affordable energy.

Background

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) was transforming its electricity grid and resource systems in 2021 to meet decarbonization goals established by the State of California, the City of Los Angeles, and the company itself to deliver 100% clean energy by 2035. This venture requires a series of extensive upgrades and new builds along the transmission and distribution system, achievable only through the hiring, training, and retention of qualified personnel over the next decade.

LADWP gathered a team of leading industry experts, including Energeia, to develop an Integrated Human Resources Plan (IHRP) to realize this transition and prepare its workforce to efficiently and effectively deliver the LA100 program.

Services

Energeia, alongside our partners, AECOM and Grid Focus, was contracted to identify the personnel needs associated with long-term power system planning and implement a plan to ramp up the hiring and training of these personnel in accordance with LA100 goals.

To do so, Energeia conducted a thorough review and analysis of current staffing levels, vacancies, and projected needs within the eleven divisions within the Power System section of the organization. Energeia also engaged with senior personnel within each division to obtain LADWP’s qualitative and quantitative feedback on the IHRP process and projected staffing capacity.

Results

Energeia incorporated feedback and data from each Power System division to model annual personnel needs by division through 2032. Energeia reported these results for each of the eleven divisions under four different power system buildout scenarios while also accounting for current hiring and training constraints. Key findings included the identification of three roles that are severely constrained due to training capacity. The identified gap between new hires and projected needs is expected to grow without changes to the current training process.

The broader consulting team subsequently identified areas of improvement within the current hiring and training processes to deliver more qualified personnel, sooner.

Outcome

Phase 1 of the Integrated Human Resources Plan results were presented to the LADWP Board of Commissioners on Oct 25, 2022 (see timestamp 56:26), and discussions are currently being held regarding a revamping of the hiring and training processes in accordance with the consulting team’s recommendations. Energeia will continue to support LADWP throughout the iterative IHRP process as LADWP works to provide affordable, equitable, and reliable clean energy to all customers.

Background

The electrification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) is a crucial step in achieving sustainability goals and reducing emissions. However, it poses significant challenges for the current grid infrastructure, which was not designed to handle the high-power charging demands of MHDVs, especially during peak periods or in areas with limited grid capacity. Addressing these challenges requires substantial upgrades to transmission and distribution networks, integration of renewable energy sources, and energy storage. Without these upgrades, the electrification transition risks grid instability, increased costs, and delays in meeting climate goals.

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to tackling pressing environmental issues, recognized the need to address these challenges. EDF engaged Energeia as a part of a team to analyze grid planning and investment strategies for MHDV electrification. The study focused on determining the economic and technical feasibility of proactive grid investments, which anticipate future needs, compared to sequential investments that address load requirements as they arise. The analysis aimed to identify cost-effective strategies to meet rising EV demand while ensuring reliability and efficiency.

Services/Results

Energeia partnered with Black and Veatch to deliver this report. While there are several different potential proactive investment methods, Energeia’s analysis compared proactive investments in the form of substation voltage upgrades with sequential substation capacity upgrade methods, using case studies of Con Edison in New York and CenterPoint in Texas.

The findings revealed that proactive planning often delivers cost savings when load growth is significant and predictable. A mixed approach combining proactive and sequential strategies was deemed optimal for balancing cost and flexibility across varying circumstances. The study also highlighted the importance of managed charging, demonstrating that tools like time-of-use incentives and active controls can help mitigate peak demand, delay infrastructure upgrades, and lower costs.

Fleet electrification presents additional complexities, including the need to align EV adoption timelines and geospatial location with grid readiness planning so the grid can accommodate high energy demands for MHDV charging. Energeia emphasized the importance of early engagement between utilities and fleet operators to improve forecasting and streamline planning to enable efficient infrastructure development that mitigates the risk of stranded assets.

Outcome

The report, published by EDF on November 6, 2024 here, underscores the value of proactive planning in reducing costs and enhancing grid readiness for MHDVs. Energeia is proud to have supported EDF in advancing its mission to address climate change and promote clean energy. The study provides actionable insights for utilities and stakeholders, contributing to a sustainable, cost-effective future in transportation electrification.

Read about the full Proactive Grid Investment Assessment report here.

Background

With the growing demand and usage of Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs), electric utilities are facing important considerations regarding grid reliability and power supply.

California is at the forefront of developing electrification programs and setting emissions reduction targets, including Executive Order N-79-20, requiring all new passenger vehicles sold to be zero emission by 2035, and all medium- to heavy-duty vehicles sold to be zero emission by 2045. As a result, various California utilities, including Roseville Electric Utility (REU), are actively developing PEV programs to incentivize electrification and managed charging to support the grid. Through these initiatives, REU not only commits to a more resilient grid system but also enhances access to electrification for its customers and ensures that challenges posed by PEVs to the system are carefully considered and addressed through advanced planning.

Service

Energeia conducted an assessment of the existing conditions in the Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) markets, as well as anticipated changes in these markets in the coming years. This evaluation included factors such as vehicle model availability, driving range, and battery capacity for both light-duty and heavy-duty EVs, in order to forecast adoption by individual consumers and fleets. Energeia identified current and potential trends in PEV technology, adoption, and usage to project demand in REU’s service territory.

This project serves as an update to previous work conducted by AECOM and Energeia in 2018, which focused on PEV projections, technologies, and resources, including the required infrastructure for Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) over the next decade. The earlier study also examined the impacts on Roseville’s electric grid and recommended implementation practices to minimize strain on the grid and mitigate emissions. The aim of the current study is to inform REU of changes in the transportation electrification landscape and update forecasts of PEV adoption and grid impacts in REU’s service territory. Energeia’s work equipped REU with the necessary information and capacity to offer sufficient and easily accessible charging infrastructure to Roseville residents.

Results

As part of this analysis, Energeia discovered that Level 3 –DCFC are increasingly accessible to the general public, along with the emergence of Vehicle to Grid (V2G) charging. Both advancements were projected to become standard in the future.

Energeia developed three bottom-up models for REU, including a PEV Uptake Model to forecast PEV adoption over time by vehicle type, an 8760 Model to forecast charging load by vehicle type and charging location, and a Grid Impacts Model to project the count of PEVs, peak load kWs, and V2G load by transformer over time. Energeia’s grid impact analysis determined that impacts are highest around DCFC locations, parking lots, and commercial and government depots due to vehicle concentrations and projected implementation of high-power DCFC charging solutions.

Outcome

The results of Energeia’s PEV Update Study have been presented to REU and recorded in a final report.

Energeia is helping rewrite the for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) across the Philippines

Background

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Philippine government are teaming up to deliver Energy Secure Philippines (ESP), a five-year project to develop an environmentally cleaner, more secure, and more resilient Philippine energy sector. A key initiative within the ESP program will be the deployment of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). This technology will facilitate secure, resilient, and automated communication between utilities and their customers.

Service/Results

USAID contracted Energeia to provide bespoke research and subject matter expertise to support ongoing AMI regulation updates to align the Philippines with international industry standards and identify best practices. Up-to-date regulations informed by best practice research  support a cost-effective and efficient transition to a smart metering system.

Energeia evaluated over 80 international studies on AMI to identify industry trends in the deployment, regulation, and cost-effectiveness of widespread AMI rollouts. This best practice research found that rollouts using a maximize net benefits and more fairly allocate costs to benefits by allowing customers to gain early access for a fee. A ‘new and replacement’ strategy limits smart meter deployment to new buildings and end-of-life replacements, protecting utilities and customers from the sunk costs of replacing the previous generation of meters before their end-of-life.

In addition to this insight, Energeia found that successful deployment of AMI is also contingent on customer education, data security and privacy, organizational change management, and proactive benefits management.

Energeia also surveyed 144 Filipino distribution utilities to assess the current state of AMI readiness and identify key priorities and concerns. Most respondents reported that their smart grid plans are ongoing or not yet started, with nearly 75% of respondents reporting a planned AMI rollout within the next 5-10 years.

Outcome

Following the review of international best practices and survey outcomes, Energeia  recommended AMI regulation updates for the Philippines to align with industry standards and support a successful deployment of AMI across the country.

The updated regulations by the Philippine Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in April 2023 and are currently in the public consultation stage. Energeia is providing ongoing support to USAID and the ERC throughout this process until the updated AMI rules are fully in effect.

Energeia is helping the Accelerate to Zero Emissions (A2Z) Collaborative, formed in 2019, develop a roadmap to position the San Diego region as a national leader in transportation electrification through an EV Strategy document. The Collaborative involves San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the County of San Diego, San Diego Air Pollution Control District (SDAPCD), and the City of San Diego. 

Background

Gas-fueled internal combustion vehicles are the largest contributor to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the San Diego region and throughout the state of California. California has gained national recognition for its achievements in reducing emissions and promoting the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) through innovative state-level programs, policies, and legislative bills. The A2Z Collaborative stresses the importance of regional collaboration in order to leverage statewide momentum, attract necessary investments, and address specific local concerns and priorities. 

The EV Strategy builds upon the San Diego Regional Gap Analysis released in July 2021, which modeled ZEV trends and identified barriers to adoption.  

Services

Energeia completed a full review of existing conditions surrounding federal and statewide policies, regional plans and strategies, ZEV best practices and strategies published by other utilities and governments, and evaluating the 2021 Gap Analysis for its impact on developing A2Z strategies. 

Federal and statewide requirements and funding opportunities were brought into Energeia’s bottom-up EV Uptake Model, which found that the San Diego region is on track to achieve its share of state targets for ZEV adoption, but will still be 229,000 vehicles below the Gap Analysis target of 771,000 vehicles by 2030. Energeia collaborated with AECOM and the A2Z team to decide the key determinants for ZEV adoption that could be configured in the EV Uptake Model, and then modeled each of the High Impact Strategies that the Project Team developed to close the gap between current Baseline forecasts and the Gap Analysis Target.  

Results

Energeia’s modeling results show that applying the 10 final Strategies results in a 189,210 increase in cumulative ZEVs in 2035, as compared to the Baseline forecast. The final Strategies include increasing the percentage of zero-emission vehicle miles traveled (VMT), installing ZEV chargers equitably across rural areas and Communities of Concern, providing equitable and accessible opportunities to learn about ZEVs and ZEV infrastructure, providing ZEV workforce training opportunities, accelerating publicly accessible ZE infrastructure, lowering policy and financial adoption barriers, updating building codes and streamlining ZE infrastructure permitting, ensuring sufficient local grid capacity, encouraging fleet transition, and supporting innovative pilots to transition cars, trucks, and buses to zero emission. 

The most impactful strategies were found to be those that accelerate the deployment of public charging infrastructure, employ demand response and managed charging programs to control customers’ energy usage and take advantage of incentives, and develop optimized electricity rates for Level 2 chargers to allow customers to take advantage of lower rates during off-peak hours.  

Outcome

The A2Z Collaboration is in process of developing and finalizing the EV Strategy document, but draft strategies have been posted on the A2Z website.  

Background

Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) is accelerating California’s transition to clean energy by providing customers with clean alternatives to PG&E electricity generation. As part of this mission, SVCE conducts annual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions accounting, modeling, and forecasting to measure and track the golden state’s progress toward GHG reduction goals.

SVCE engaged Energeia among others to conduct a review of SVCE’s current GHG accounting and forecasting methods and transition their reporting from an annual to an hourly measure.

Services/Results

As part of this process, Energeia reviewed SVCE’s existing GHG accounting and forecasting methodologies and identified areas of improvement for key sectors and model inputs. Energeia also engaged with stakeholders and subject matter experts at SVCE to gain a deeper understanding of the desired use cases and outputs of an updated model.  

Energeia validated these findings through best practice research of third-party GHG accounting and forecasting models to identify a comprehensive list of GHG sectors, subsectors, and abatement options that align with SVCE’s use. Energeia recommended improvements to SVCE’s transport, building, and electricity sector forecasting methodologies allowing SVCE to transition from annual to hourly reporting. These improvements would provide higher accuracy and add an avoided costs and emissions component to their model for further optimization.

Outcome

SVCE is currently in the process of developing new GHG accounting and forecasting models in line with Energeia and AECOM’s recommendations.