Four Startups Receive California Energy Commission Continuation Grants
In 2017, the California Energy Commission began a new program to help innovators move their early-stage clean energy ideas from concept to possibility by providing up to $150,000 in funding through the California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development (CalSEED) program.
Based on their technical and commercial potential, four of those projects were recently awarded $450,000 in follow-on CalSEED funding to help them advance to the prototype stage. The recipients were:
• CodeCycle LLC of Oakland is developing data-driven web and mobile software to streamline the compliance process for design teams, contractors, and building inspectors.
• Nativus of Solana Beach is creating a prototype portable room air conditioner that uses half the energy of a conventional unit.
• PowerFlex Systems Inc. of Los Altos is working on software that optimizes multiple levels of electric vehicle charging, solar generation, energy generation, customer preference, and building load.
• Sepion Technologies of Emeryville is developing battery materials capable of powering electric vehicles for 400 miles.
“These awards trumpet some of the most exciting ideas coming out of CalSEED that help advance California’s transition to a clean energy future,” said Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller.
In addition to funding, CalSEED provides access to technical expertise, mentoring, and business development training though its network of companies, nonprofits, universities and clean energy incubators.
The CalSEED program is funded through the Electric Program Investment Charge program, which supports clean energy research. California Clean Energy Fund, a private equity and venture capital firm that invests in early stage and startup clean energy companies, manages the CalSEED program.
Photos courtesy of the California Clean Energy Fund.
Energy Commission Addresses Climate-Related Wildfire Threat to Grid
The California Energy Commission has released a $5 million research grant solicitation designed to better protect the grid from the growing threat of climate-related wildfires.
Transmission and distribution grids crisscross the state including areas prone to wildfires. The impacts of climate change have increased the frequency and intensity of wildfires, putting the electrical grid at greater risk. High temperatures and extreme winds have been critical factors in some of the most devastating wildfires in California. In some forest areas of the state, intense wildfires have been fueled by millions of dead trees killed over time by drought and a catastrophic bark beetle infestation.
To help protect the grid, investor-owned utilities need ways to increase their awareness of wildfire behavior and to conduct near- and long-term wildfire risk forecasting for localized areas.
The Energy Commission’s solicitation will help develop next-generation wildfire risk models. These advanced analytical tools will help ensure the resiliency of the grid by predicting climate change risks. The tools will also analyze fire behavior in the wildland-urban interface, the transition zones between unoccupied wildland and developed areas. Some of the most destructive fires have occurred in those spots because of the close proximity of wildfire fuel to homes.
The solicitation is funded through the Energy Commission’s Electric Program Investment Charge program, which supports clean energy research. It has two phases. During the first phase, $4 million will be available to develop modeling tools. If after a review, the Energy Commission decides to continue the project, $1 million will be available to run long-term wildfire scenario models to support the investor-owned utilities and for inclusion in California’s next climate change assessment.
The assessment is a planning tool to help communities prepare for climate change. It is published every few years. The most recent, the Fourth Climate Change Assessment, was released in August.
The application deadline is March 13. A pre-application workshop will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 25, in Sacramento. Details are on the Energy Commission’s funding opportunities web page.
Photo courtesy of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Rise in Renewable Energy Calls for Flexible Sourcing
The increased sourcing of renewables, such as solar and wind, is helping California meet ambitious clean energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals. But it also complicates the operation of the power grid. That is because solar and wind are intermittent forms of renewable energy whose generation levels can vary suddenly.
This lack of consistent production can cause imbalances between supply and demand since neither the forecasts of intermittent supply or loads are exact. The California Independent System Operator (California ISO) has established and operates the Western Energy Imbalance Market to trade these imbalances throughout the West.
When these generation levels suddenly drop, another generation source--such as natural gas or hydropower--must be increased or ramped up. Without a flexible resource, electricity demand must be reduced. Every day, as the sun rises, solar production rapidly increases while the energy load also increases as people wake and businesses start. Flexible generation levels must adjust to keep supply and demand in balance.
In the evening, as solar generation rapidly drops and loads increase as people return home, some flexible generation resource must fill the void to balance supply and demand.
Those energy transitions, called ramps, can be dramatic. In some cases, California can need as much as 13,000 megawatts (MW) of additional electricity within a few hours in the evening.
“As California sources more and more of its energy from wind and solar it will have to develop resource flexibility, along with flexible loads, to meet the challenge of that variability,” said California Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller.
Adapting to the variability of wind and solar to balance supply and demand to avoid shortages and oversupply is the focus of a recent Energy Commission tracking progress report.
California’s rising use of renewables, coupled with ambitious renewable energy goals, like sourcing 60 percent of its electric energy from renewables by 2030, will enhance the need for resource flexibility. Long-term options to enhance flexibility include advancements in storage and demand response technologies, according to the report.
At present, 34 percent of California’s electricity sales comes from renewable energy. In 2018, solar and wind generation accounted for more than 69 percent of renewable electricity generation. The impact is significant. On May 26, 2018, renewable energy served 73.9 percent of demand.
Matching demand to supply is difficult because California must meet its energy need by finding energy supply for every second of the day. The California ISO, which operates most of the state’s grid, is responsible for doing that.
The California ISO is improving forecasting methods for renewable generation and applying them to a newly configured day-ahead market and using shorter time scales to more accurately predict variable energy supply and demand.
Figure 1: This graph shows MW amounts of non-variable energy that must be met, on the y axis, over different hours of the day on the x axis.
Source: California Independent System Operator
At one time, the grid was scheduled on an hourly basis, but one way to more accurately forecast is to shorten the scheduling period, for example to 15 minutes.
Analyses suggest that flexible capacity has to address variability in load and power production in three time scales: seconds-to-minutes, five-to-10 minutes, and multi-hour increments, according to the report.
The Western Energy Imbalance Market has allowed inevitable energy imbalances to be traded and saved utility customers more than $500 million. Avoiding the curtailment of renewable energy has avoided the release of more than 8,100 metric tons of greenhouse gas.
Additional renewable energy resources are only a part of the emerging technologies that are needed to help transform the grid to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Local Climate Change Impacts To Be Discussed At Symposium in Davis
The effects of weather extremes, as well as catastrophic and creeping habitat loss, will be among the issues discussed at the Sacramento Valley Regional Climate Symposium.
The Feb. 6 event, which the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative is organizing, will be held at the University of California, Davis. Key climate risks identified in a regional report from California’s Fourth Climate Assessment will be highlighted at the event, which is open to the public.
The regional reports from the Fourth Climate Assessment support climate actions by providing an overview of climate-related risks and adaptations strategies tailored to specific regions. The report defines Sacramento Valley as Sacramento, Yolo, Sutter, Yuba, Colusa, Glenn, Butte, Tehema, and Shasta counties, eastern Solano County, and western Placer County.
The report, which UC Davis professors Benjamin Houlton and Jay Lund served as the coordinating lead authors, summarizes important changes in climate and climate-related risks in the region and provides promising actions for local decision-makers. Topics include public health, community planning, environmental justice, water, energy, and infrastructure.
While California is a world-leader in climate policy, several climate hazards continue to affect the region such as extreme temperatures that lead to drier conditions and wildfires, a decline in the predictability of droughts and floods, and loss of ecosystem habitats, according to the report.
Public health is also at risk. Extreme heat waves contribute to heat-related stress, illnesses and human mortality. Risks also include an increase in disease-causing pathogens like West Nile virus, Valley Fever, and harmful algal bloom.
The report discusses adaptation options for combating climate change, including the benefits of climate-smart buildings, more accessible public cooling centers to help with frequent and prolonged heat waves, and incorporating climate risks into regional plans for energy, water, and transportation.
Workshop participants will also learn about funding opportunities, key tools, and resources. They will also engage in discussions to inform the state’s Adaptation Planning Guide.
The symposium, and others like it, are being held throughout California to help communities, policymakers, governments, and environmental organizations better understand and prepare for the local impacts of climate change.
Register for the workshop by Feb. 4 here.
Agricultural Operations Can Apply for Renewable Energy Funds
Agriculture is a sector that plays an important role in California’s economy. It is also one vulnerable to climate change and a greenhouse gas contributor.
The California Energy Commission is implementing the Renewable Energy for Agriculture Program (REAP), which will fund emissions-eliminating projects in the agricultural sector that reduce air pollution.
Nearly $10 million in funds is available for renewable energy technology that shows a net greenhouse gas reduction benefit. The money can be used for equipment, installation costs from third-party licensed contractors, and site preparation. Applications are due March 5.
A goal of the program is funding projects in disadvantaged communities. Program participants are expected to benefit from reduced utility bills and insulation from rate increases.
Energy Commission staff are holding three pre-application workshops in late January to discuss the solicitation with potential applicants. Applicants can attend the workshops in person or remotely.
Details about the workshops are here. The dates and locations are:
• January 24, 2019, 1:00 p.m.
California Energy Commission
1516 9th Street
Sacramento, CA
• January 28, 2019, 1:00 p.m.
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
1990 E. Gettysburg Ave
Fresno, CA
• January 30, 2019, 2:00 p.m.
Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association
485 Business Park Way
Imperial, CA
Las operaciones agrÃcolas pueden aplicar para fondos de energÃa renovable
La agricultura es un sector que desempeña un papel importante en la economÃa de California. También es vulnerable al cambio climático y es un contribuyente de gases de efecto invernadero.
La Comisión de EnergÃa de California está implementando el Programa de EnergÃa Renovable para la Agricultura (REAP), que financiará proyectos de eliminación de emisiones en el sector agrÃcola que reducen la contaminación del aire.
Casi $10 millones en fondos están disponibles para tecnologÃa de energÃa renovable que muestra un beneficio neto de reducción de gases de efecto invernadero. El dinero se puede utilizar para equipos, costos de instalación de contratistas con licencia de terceros y preparación del sitio. Aplicaciones deben presentarse el 5 de marzo.
Un objetivo del programa es financiar proyectos en comunidades desfavorecidas. Se espera que los participantes del programa se beneficien de la reducción de las facturas de servicios públicos y del aislamiento de los aumentos de tarifas.
La Comisión de EnergÃa organizará tres talleres previos a la solicitud a fines de enero para discutir la solicitud con los posibles solicitantes. Los solicitantes pueden asistir a los talleres en persona o de forma remota.
Los detalles sobre los talleres están aquÃ. Las fechas y lugares son:
• 24 de enero de 2019, 1:00 p.m.
California Energy Commission
1516 9th Street
Sacramento, CA
• 28 de enero de 2019, 1:00 p.m.
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
1990 E. Gettysburg Ave
Fresno, CA
• 30 de enero de 2019, 2:00 p.m.
Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association
485 Business Park Way
Imperial, CA
Assemblymember Reyes to Speak at Energy Commission’s EPIC Symposium
California State Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes will be a keynote speaker at the California Energy Commission’s fifth Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) Symposium Feb. 19 at the Sacramento Convention Center.
The symposium, which is free and open to the public, is a forum for industry leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs and others to discuss clean energy research. Last year’s event drew more than 600 people for discussions and activities highlighting innovative strategies helping to transform California’s electricity system.
Reyes was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2016. She represents California’s 47th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Rialto, San Bernardino, and the unincorporated communities of Bloomington and Muscoy.
Since being elected, she has been appointed chair of the Assembly’s Human Services Committee and sits on other committees including Utilities and Energy.
Before her election, she was the first Latina to open her own law firm in the Inland Empire. In 2013, she worked with Legal Aid to represent the residents of Colton and was successful in preventing the development of a hazardous waste dump in their community.
The EPIC program was established in 2011 to invest in clean energy research. This year’s symposium will highlight advancements in plug-in electric vehicle smart charging, clean energy portfolios for municipalities, energy storage technologies, and entrepreneurial support strategies. The program will also examine ways research and local actions can help meet the state’s most recent energy goals while providing energy equity to diverse communities.
Register for the symposium here.
California’s Economic Growth Outpaces Energy Consumption
California continues to prove it is possible to have a thriving economy with only a small increase in energy consumption.
From 2016 to 2017, job growth in California increased almost 2 percent, while electricity consumption was up a little more than 1 percent. Between 2000 and 2017, the state’s gross product grew nearly four times as fast as electricity consumption, according to the California Energy Commission’s latest tracking report on electricity demand.
The tracking progress report discusses forecasts of electricity consumption and peak electricity demand for California from 2018 to 2030. The Energy Commission provides 10-year forecasts for electricity demand in California as part of the Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) process. The IEPR is a key report that assesses and updates major energy trends and issues facing the state’s electricity, natural gas, and transportation fuel sectors.
Various resource planners like the California Public Utility Commission and the California Independent System Operator use the forecasts to balance future electricity demand with supply.
The California Energy Demand Forecast for 2018-2030 presents baseline forecasts of natural gas and electricity consumption and of peak demand for California and utility planning areas. The demand forecast includes estimates of additional achievable energy efficiency savings and photovoltaic adoption and provides options for managed electricity forecasts for resource planning.
Electricity consumption will rise above the California Energy Demand Updated Forecast 2017-2027 because of more electric vehicles, increased manufacturing electricity consumption, decreased savings from efficiency programs, and changes in how residential lighting savings are accounted for, according to the tracking progress report.
Projected personal income slightly decreased, commercial employment remains the same, manufacturing output increases and population growth has an almost identical growth when comparing the forecast for 2017-2027 and the demand forecast for 2018-2030.
Registration Underway for 2019 EPIC Symposium
The California Energy Commission will hold its fifth annual Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) Symposium Feb. 19, at the Sacramento Convention Center.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric Company are co-hosting the event, which is free and open to the public.
The symposium brings together industry leaders, innovators, builders, entrepreneurs, students and others to discuss clean energy research, advances, and challenges. More than 600 people attended last year’s event.
This year’s symposium will highlight advancements in plug-in electric vehicle smart charging, clean energy portfolios for municipalities, energy storage technologies, and entrepreneurial support strategies. The program will also examine ways research and local actions can help meet the state’s most recent energy goals while providing energy equity to diverse communities.
The symposium will feature panel discussions with members of the Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission, investor-owned utilities, business and industry, environmental organizations, academia and government. About 30 recent EPIC grant recipients will also be on hand to discuss their projects.
The EPIC program, which was established in 2011, supports clean energy research. The Energy Commission invests about $160 million annually for projects that improve the energy efficiency of buildings, make the electrical grid more reliable, enhance the integration of renewables, advance the state’s electric vehicle infrastructure, and improve water and energy management.
Registration and lunch options for the event are here.
