Using Energy Efficiency To Meet Flexible Resource Needs And Integrate High Levels Of Renewables Into The Grid

摘要

Electric system planners and grid operators in California increasingly focus on meetingrn“net load” – total load minus the amount of load met by two types of renewable, energy: windrnand solar. California’s net load curve is a new challenge for grid operators and makes flexiblernresources much more valuable to the system: resources that can respond quickly to shifts in netrnload, like demand response, storage, dispatchable renewables, and gas generators. On the otherrnhand, energy efficiency can help obviate the need for flexible resources by reshaping the net loadrncurve to decrease net load maxima and increase the duration between net load minima andrnmaxima. We review and compare the ability of various energy saving measures to reduce thernamount of flexible resources that California’s future electric grid will need. Energy efficiencyrnmeasures can help maintain grid reliability as the electric grid begins to integrate significantrnamounts of non-dispatchable, variable, renewable energy. Consequently, we recommend thatrnCalifornia’s energy efficiency policy framework examine more closely the value of reducingrnflexible capacity when performing cost-effectiveness analysis, program design andrnimplementation, measurement and verification of savings, and resource planning.