Laserfiche WebLink
TCAAP Energy Integration Resiliency Framework <br />Policy White Paper – Energy Efficiency Strategies (Demand-Side Management) <br /> <br /> 39 <br />commercial offices,17 and 20% to 32% of the demanded electricity overall is lost when power is <br />converted from AC to DC. <br />Supplying buildings with the necessary infrastructure to avoid these conversion losses is an innovative <br />efficiency strategy. An important synergy exists in that electricity generated from photovoltaics and <br />stored in batteries is direct current. Whether solar energy is roof-top generated, or supplied locally on <br />a microgrid, the opportunity to make use of the direct current resources exists for houses, multi-family <br />buildings, and offices. <br />Homes may have a select number of rooms wired with both AC and DC to install plu g-and-play outlet <br />technologies that allow users to have access to both types of current – within a room or within one <br />outlet. While many of these plug-and-play technologies are not ready for full-scale use, building homes <br />that are PV and electric car ready can realize major energy savings over the life of the home. This set of <br />technologies might be appropriate for demonstrating in a small network of homes on the site. The <br />costs of adding plug-and-play technologies or DC wiring to a house will have some additional <br />development costs, but seeking utility or technology company collaborators could result in a platform <br />for demonstration. <br />Precedent <br />Commercial District Microgrids: DC microgrids supplying a small number of buildings with DC <br />power are popping up in other parts of the world. Xiamen University in China is connecting an on- <br />site 150 kW rooftop solar array to DC-driven LED lighting systems, servers, and banks of computers. <br />Standards for such wiring have also been developed by Emerge Alliance in California.18 There may <br />be opportunities for developing a DC microgrid set-up for a commercial office campus on the TCAAP <br />site, especially if the company has substantial data center loads. <br />6.4.4. High-Efficiency Appliances and Smart Plugs <br />The US Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR program is the leading certifier of energy efficient <br />consumer electronics and appliances and has expanded to many new products in the last few years. <br />Currently there are over 45 different product categories that have certified products, both for <br />commercial and residential applications. For example, ENERGY STAR refrigerators use 15% less <br /> <br />17 Foster Porter, Suzanne, et. al. Reviving the War of Currents: Opportunities to Save Energy with DC Distribution in Commercial Buildings. <br />ACEEE Summer Study. (2014). <br />18 http://www.technologyreview.com/news/427504/edisons-revenge-the-rise-of-dc-power/