Date
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Time
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Name
SCE Dynamic Rate Pilot: How Flexible Pricing and a “Robot” Reduced Energy Costs for K-12
Session ID
C7 - Using Technology to Empower Energy Savings: Success stories
Track
Technology
Julie Hyes Tanya Barham
Description

Southern California Edison (SCE) is piloting a flexible pricing program for residential, commercial and industrial customers equipped with smart, controllable devices. The pilot is funded by the State of California as a demonstration to help accelerate the transition to carbon-free energy, improve the reliability of the power grid, and reduce the cost of providing electricity. The pilot utilizes hourly energy prices to test the capability of customers’ smart devices to automatically shift high electricity usage to times of day when energy is less expensive and generated through cleaner energy resources. SCE has partnered with automation service providers to engage customers in connecting their energy management systems to the automated pricing mechanism. Community Energy Labs (CEL), a small woman-owned business, joined the pilot to engage Sonora Elementary School, located south of Los Angeles in the Newport Mesa Unified School District to implement CEL’s Easy Does It™ building energy management system. K-12 schools in the U.S. are the largest energy consumers in the public sector, and HVAC accounts for 46% of this total energy consumption. CEL’s building energy management system, “the Robot,” as teachers and students call it, was installed in two buildings at the school, each consisting of three classrooms served by their own rooftop units (RTUs). With input from the customer, CEL’s robot reduced 24% of total peak power and 30% of HVAC peak power. It also shifted 16% of the cooling load from an on-peak price period to a low price period. This presentation will illustrate how SCE’s Dynamic Rate Pilot offers a technology/behavior model for all ages and how the pilot has reduced energy costs and successfully engaged kids, parents and additional schools in wanting to learn more about energy management, climate change and how using energy at the right time helps California meet its clean energy goals.

Supporting Document 1
Supporting Document 2