Wednesday, April 25, 2018
10:00am – 12:00pm
Pre-Forum Workshop (for Utility and Government Attendees Only)
Session Co-Chairs: Paul Reid, Azusa Light & Water, and Ron Horstman, Western Area Power Administration
Candid roundtable discussion on current issues, including these highest-ranked responses to a recent survey of registrants:
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Load Growth Opportunities and Challenges
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Opportunities and Challenges of Distributed Energy Resources
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Load Management Opportunities for Supply and Demand Response
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch Buffet
12:45pm – 1:00pm
First-timer Orientation and Welcome
Chair: Mark Gosvener, ESG
If you've never attended the Utility Energy Forum, don't miss this quick session to hear from "veterans" how you can make the most of your Forum experience!
1:00pm – 1:15pm
Welcoming Remarks
Mary Medeiros McEnroe, Silicon Valley Power
1:15pm – 2:15pm
Opening Keynote: The Bright Future of the Electric Utility Industry
Jay Stein, E Source - Presentation
We are immersed in predictions of the death of the electric utility industry. We’re told that the rise of cheap solar panels and batteries will do away with the industry, and good riddance to it. Don’t believe them. The electric grid is a key enabler of the renewable energy future that so many people say they want, and the utility industry is our society’s connection to that grid. That future, though, is by no means inevitable. For the industry to thrive it’s vital to envision its role in the future energy economy and sell that vision to the public. A century ago the utility industry rose to this challenge and it can do so again.
2:15pm – 2:45pm
Networking Break and Energy Quiz sponsored by Efficiency Services Group
Quiz Emcee: Graham Parker, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
2:45pm – 4:15pm
Strategic/Policy View
Session Chair: Liz Anderson, Washington PUD Association
4:15pm – 5:15pm
Meet the Exhibitors
Session Co-Chairs: Dennis Guido, Staples & Associates and Mark Gosvener, ESG
5:15pm
Adjourn
5:15pm – 6:15pm
Reception
6:30pm
Dinner - hosted by RHA
8:00pm
Networking Campfire - hosted by Embertec
Unwind at a casual gathering around the fire ring to reflect on the day's discussion and look ahead to tomorrow.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
7:30am – 8:30am
Breakfast Buffet
8:30am – 10:00am
Electric Vehicles & Electrification
Session Co-Chairs: Mary Medeiros McEnroe, Silicon Valley Power, and Dan Kay, Lewis County PUD
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Electrification: it’s great, but how far should we go?
Joshua Eichman - Presentation, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
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Residential Electrification: the Boulder Case Study
Jeff Friesen - Presentation, Radiant Labs
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Strategies for EV-Grid Integration
Siddiq Khan - Presentation, ACEEE
10:00am – 10:30am
Networking Break with Energy Quiz sponsored by Efficiency Services Group
Quiz Emcee: Graham Parker, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
10:30am – 12:00pm
Customer View
Session Co-Chairs: Dave Ashuckian, California Energy Commission and Mary Medeiros McEnroe, Silicon Valley Power
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California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation - State Partnership and Energy Efficiency
Deanna Beland - Presentation, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
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Schools & Energy - Prop 39 & Beyond
Bill McGuire - Presentation, Twin Rivers Unified School District
- Reinventing Energy Management
Mary Curtiss - Presentation, HP
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch Buffet
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Midpoint Keynote: Becoming Your Best: What Do Great Leaders Do to Get Great Results?
Steven R. Shallenberger - Founder and Chairman at Becoming Your Best Global Leadership and President of Synergy Companies
Surviving, thriving and excelling in the Utility world today and running a business or department in today’s high-pressure business and regulatory landscape gets more difficult every year. It becomes easier and easier to be transactional rather than transformational. Discover how transformational leaders motivate, inspire, and bring out the best in their teams, employees, and even their families by using cutting-edge tools and processes. This is sure to be a life-changing event!
2:00pm – 3:30pm
Technology View
Session Co-Chairs: Christopher Dymond, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, and Graham Parker, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
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Connected Ecosystems and the Potential to Enable an Integrated Energy Network
Ben Clarin - Presentation, Electric Power Research Institute
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Energy Saving Window Shades and Ducted Mini-Split Heat Pumps
Cheryn Metzger - Presentation, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
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Microgrids for All – for Customer and Utility Benefit
Bruce Nordman - Presentation, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
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Winery Energy and Water Efficiency - Utilizing Existing Technology to Solve New Problems
Kendra Olmos - Presentation, UC Davis Center for Water-Energy Efficiency
3:30pm – 3:45pm
Networking Break and Energy Quiz sponsored by Efficiency Services Group
Quiz Emcee: Graham Parker, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
3:45pm – 5:15pm
Utility Program Stand-up Challenge
Session Co-Chairs: Cheri Davis, Sacramento Municipal Utility District and Graham Parker, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Join us for the craziest round of concurrent sessions ever! Imagine speed dating meets the lightning round of a TV game show! Visit up to 6 storyboards detailing utility-sponsored energy programs or research. Each storyboard presenter has up to 5 minutes (plus up to 7 minutes for Q&A) to share with you the program’s goals, successes and lessons learned. A bell rings, you choose another storyboard, and the 12-minute clock starts again. Due to limited space, we will break this year’s event up into two segments, with a short intermission to set up new storyboards at the midpoint.
- What Else Can Your Luminaire Do for You (Beside Save Energy)?
Amy Sawyer, Pend Oreille County PUD Project Coordinator, Engineering & Operations & Steve Mills Evluma Regional Sales Director
Quality LED products and wireless controls inspire confidence and promote safety. This poster will describe how using Evluma’s Bluetooth application ConnectLED to control the AreaMax LED luminaire and how the PUD is able to wirelessly disconnect/connect luminaries during the transfer of service or non-payment. What was previously an expensive maintenance visit requiring two linemen and a bucket truck can now be performed by ground personnel saving on labor and vehicle costs Wireless luminaire maintenance from the ground also increases safety by reducing or eliminating the more dangerous maintenance elements. The ability to dim luminaires increases customer satisfaction.
- A Case Study: Talking to Consumers About Energy Efficiency
Corinne McCarthy, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance & Amy Greene, ArrowG Market Research
The Energy Efficiency community understands the value and importance of Energy Efficiency. However, many everyday consumers of energy don’t think of energy efficiency as a key factor in their purchase decisions. It can be challenging to craft messages about energy efficiency and/or energy efficient products that are compelling to consumers. This poster will demonstrate a variety of market research methods used to generate consumer insights and then test a variety of consumer-centric value propositions. Come talk to us about how the value proposition work and insights regarding hierarchy needs, use & attitudes and path-to-purchase compelled a major manufacturer of Super-Efficient Dryers to change their position on becoming Energy Star qualified from disinterest to enthusiasm.
- Low-Carbon Energy Demand Management of Water Delivery Infrastructure
Robert Good, Center for Water-Energy Efficiency, University of California Davis
The UC Davis Center for Water-Energy Efficiency will describe their research into retail and wholesale energy rate structures in the State of California and address the growth of variable energy resources and intermittent negative wholesale pricing and impact on electric utilities. We intend to demonstrate that water utilities are in a unique position to perform load shifting and reduce statewide energy curtailment. We will itemize the expected benefits of the proposed programs and technologies, including GHG and energy reductions. The savings will be listed for the case study in detail as well as normalized for similar water agencies.
- Adding Energy Efficiency to College Curriculum with Online Learning Tools
Richard Young, Director of Education, PG&E Food Service Technology Center / Fishnick
One of the most successful ways to educate people and change behavior is to train them during their formative years in college. But, one of the biggest challenges to adding energy efficiency training to college curriculum is the lack of experienced teachers and shortage of available classroom hours. Online, on-demand training is one way to overcome those challenges. Pacific Gas and Electric Company, working through the Food Service Technology Center, sponsored 70 college students and their instructors for a pilot of the Foodservice Energy Efficiency Expert (Fe3) online training program. The results from the pilot, described in this poster, are very encouraging and offer insight into how to move forward with this education path. Learn how the pilot was implemented and how you may be able to use this tool to serve your customers.
- Smart Meter Data: Finding the Treasure Buried Within
Ben Brown, PG&E and Brandon Blizman, Richard Heath & Associates
Delivering successful energy efficiency programs requires smart data-driven and innovative approaches to reach unrealized customer segments. Using proper data analytic tools, utilities can identify individual customer usage, associated end-uses, and how behavioral factors might be impacting usage. Utilities can then target high-usage customers through strategic outreach, and deploy teams to provide customized energy education and pre-determined measures. Additionally, utilities can implement timely and ongoing engagement to keep customers on the path to savings and ensure customer satisfaction. Pacific Gas & Electric Company and Richard Heath & Associates, Inc. will discuss how they combine dwelling information and advanced metering infrastructure data to target customers, provide enhanced education and engagement, and establish high-impact measure offerings to successfully deliver the Residential Energy Fitness Program. Come learn how PG&E’s pilot strategically engaged customers to drive energy savings and ongoing customer satisfaction.
- Low-Income Weatherization
Nathan Aronson, Redding Electric Utility
Many utilities struggle to implement low-income weatherization programs due to their inherent complexity and expense. The City of Redding recently launched a program that works in coordination with programs from other agencies to streamline delivery while maximizing benefits. Come hear how Redding designed a program including outreach, enrollment, assessment, energy audits and reporting, with minimal up front cost while ensuring high quality. The presentation will also discuss lessons learned and preliminary performance metrics including program cost and energy savings achieved.
- SMUD Home Electrification Pilot: Where GHGs Meets ZNE
Stephen Oliver, SMUD and Nicholas Dunfee, TRC Energy Services
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is running a pilot electrification program targeting residential new construction. An extension of SMUD’s Smart Home program, the pilot is providing incentives and technical support to major production and smaller-scale infill homebuilders to switch out natural gas appliances for electric. The program requires builders to install heat pump space heating, heat pump water heating, and/or induction cooking in their homes, and encourages them to explore other promising electric technologies such as battery storage, electric vehicle charging, and water heater controls. Between the falling cost of PV, savings from avoided natural gas infrastructure, and the incentives offered by SMUD, this program is financially attractive to builders. This poster will review the design and value proposition of this new program, funding sources, builder feedback, and case studies of participating single- and multifamily developments.
- How to Reduce Building Leakage by 80% in Just 4 Hours
Jose Garcia, UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center
Learn how the UC Davis Western Cooling and Efficiency Center developed an aerosol technology to tighten building envelopes in an automated fashion. This poster will cover the technology development process in residential and commercial buildings, and the results to date. We will compare the technology to existing sealant methods, and discuss results including sealing rate, durability, and modeled energy savings which indicate up to 40% reduction in heating energy in a CA bay area climate. We will discuss the path forward for the technology, including its commercial use and future research and development opportunities.
5:15pm – 6:15pm
Reception
6:30pm
Dinner
8:00pm
Beer Tasting & Networking
Friday, April 27, 2018
7:30am – 8:30am
Breakfast Buffet
9:00am – 10:15am
Energy Storage
Session Co-Chairs: David Reynolds, ERS, and Bryan Cope, Southern California Public Power Authority
- Energy Storage 101
Jesse Remillard - Presentation, ERS
- The Value of Energy Storage
Dr. Ralph Romero - Presentation, Black & Veatch Management Consulting, LLC
Steven Rupp, Black & Veatch Management Consulting, LLC
- Energy Storage Research Priorities and Available Tools
Ben Kaun - Presentation, EPRI
10:15am – 10:30am
Networking Break with Energy Quiz sponsored by Efficiency Services Group
Quiz Emcee: Graham Parker, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
10:30am – 12:00pm
Utility Programs Snapshot
Session Co-Chairs: Kapil Kulkarni, Burbank Water and Power and Mary Medeiros McEnroe, Silicon Valley Power
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Video Chat Inspections
Sara Bowles - Presentation, Tacoma Power
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Customer Targeting To Enhance Energy Efficiency Savings At The Meter
Adam Scheer - Presentation, PG&E
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Innovations in CCA Programs and Energy Efficiency Policy: A Sonoma Clean Power Perspective
Rachel Kuykendall - Presentation, Sonoma Clean Power
12:00pm
Adjourn
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch