Energy Grid of the Future: A New Free Course

Here’s the backstory on “Energy Grid of the Future“, a new free course taught by Fortunat Mueller and offered in partnership with the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and ReVision Energy:

In this presentation you’ll hear the results of the “Grid of the Future” pilot program, which offered Maine homeowners a discount on smart appliances (heat pumps, water heaters, smart EV chargers, and batteries) in exchange for allowing aggregated remote control of those devices as a “Virtual Peaker” power plant. The virtual power plant was controlled to demonstrate the potential value of aggregated, controllable distributed energy resources including reducing the need for fossil-fuel peaker plants, reducing transmission costs, and enabling deeper penetration of renewable energy on the regional grid. Virtual power plants allow homeowners, businesses, and communities to work together with smart technology to reduce costs and pollution.

You’ll hear what was learned about how remote or automated management of appliances can save money and improve the reliability of the grid.

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the energy grid and markets – how demand peaks contribute to overall costs
• Articulate how aggregated distributed energy resources can be used for load shaping
• Articulate the ways in which load shaping can reduce demands peaks, therefore saving infrastructure costs and reducing traditional fossil fuel needs
• Identify how load flexibility is an important component of Beneficial Electrification

This course was originally presented at BuildingEnergy Boston 2020, a conference presented by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA).