A large amount of energy is wasted in unoccupied rooms or buildings that are fully conditioned or have other active consumers of electricity that do not need to be running when not actively in use. The DRET collaborative explores smarts controls that allow for intelligently curtailing, disabling or shifting this energy use.
Smart Controls Research
| Project Focus | Project Title | Year | Source | Purpose | Draft or Final Report | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wdt_ID | Sort | Project Focus | Project Title | Year | Source | Purpose | Draft or Final Report |
| 33 | 440 | Smart Controls | DR13.08 EPRI EB III D – Automated Demand Response in Data Centers | 2017 | SCE | This project investigates a novel method of DR of the IT equipment itself, by directly restricting the power supply to servers. The goal of this study is to gain insights into how data centers and their large electrical loads can be utilized as a grid resource by participating in Demand response. | Final |
| 34 | 415 | Smart Controls | DR10.16 Demand Response Potential of Residential Appliances – Refrigerator | 2014 | SCE | This project is part of a larger SCE effort to evaluate Demand Response capabilities of various residential appliances in a laboratory environment. The testing performed under this project will give SCE a better understanding of how specific appliances react to certain DR signals before these appliances are installed at customer sites. | Final |
| 35 | 430 | Smart Controls | DR12.21 Evaluation of Residential Room Air Conditioner Control with Smart Plugs for Peak Load Reduction | 2017 | SCE | The objective of the study is to field trial a sample of smart plug technologies to understand and verify their demand reduction capabilities, among products commercially available in the marketplace. | Final |
| 36 | 425 | Smart Controls | DR12.13 Demand Response Technology Evaluation of AutoDR Occupant Controlled Smart Thermostats | 2013 | SCE | The purpose of this study is to evaluate the demand response capability of the new occupant controlled smart thermostat technology. OCSTs are radio thermostats with communication modules that can communicate through an autonomous web-enabled energy management and automation system. | Final |
| 37 | 435 | Smart Controls | DR12.40 Field Testing of Occupancy-Based Guest Room Controls | 2017 | SCE | This project studies the opportunity of employing demand response strategies to hotel guest rooms through an integrated Property Management System/Energy Management and Control System interface. | Final |
| 38 | 420 | Smart Controls | DR12.08 DR Ready Pool Pumps for Residential Retrofit | 2015 | SCE | This study evaluates the operation and capabilities of DR controllers applied to single-speed residential pool pumps using ZigBee as the communication link. | Final |
| 42 | 450 | Smart Controls | DR17.06 Smart Water Heater Retrofit Controller Lab Study | 2019 | SCE | This laboratory study offers detailed insight into the complex interactions that can take place in a water heater such as hot water needs, mitigating safety concerns, and managing energy use. This investigation confirmed that this technology shows promise to enable utility programs to implement the three main DR strategies identified. | Draft |
| 44 | 460 | Smart Controls | DR18.04 Heat Pump Water Heater Systems | In Progress | SCE | This project facilitates a test environment for assessing how electric Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) systems can communicate under laboratory conditions to assess the flexibility modes of operation. | Draft |
| 46 | 470 | Smart Controls | DR19.03 Smart Speakers | 2022 | SCE | This project aims to understand how connected thermostats and other common household end uses can optimize their energy usage via smart speaker voice commands subject to TOU rates and customer preferences. | Final |
| 47 | 405 | Smart Controls | DR10SCE1.16.02 DR Potential of Residential Appliances – Clothes Washer (GE) | 2012 | SCE | This project evaluated the demand response capabilities of a residential front-load clothes washer manufactured by General Electric Company in a laboratory setting. | Final |
| 48 | 410 | Smart Controls | DR10SCE1.16.03 DR Potential of Residential Appliances – Dishwasher A | 2012 | SCE | This research looked to test and evaluate the capabilities of a demand response enabled Energy Star compliant dishwasher. | Final |
| 49 | 400 | Smart Controls | DR10SCE1.05.01 Demand Response Technology Evaluation of AutoDr Programmable Communicating Thermostats | 2012 | SCE | The purpose of this study was to conduct field measurements to evaluate the Demand Response capabilities of Programmable Communicating Thermostats leveraging Open OpenADR. This evaluation specifically relates to packaged rooftop HVAC units at fast food restaurants, a market segment generally outside of the OpenADR scope. | Final |
| 50 | 445 | Smart Controls | DR17.01 Open ADR Test Lab Development: Phase 1 | 2019 | SCE | This study focused on the development of a multi-use Auto-DR (ADR) test lab that could be a proving ground for new ADR technology. | Final |
| 105 | 485 | Smart Controls | Automated Emissions Reduction Dispatch Signal DR Emerging Technologies Assessment | 2019 | PG&E | The purpose of this Demand Response Emerging Technology (DRET) Assessment is to confirm that, in a laboratory setting, end-use energy consumption by certain appliances can be automatically controlled by a GHG dispatch signal | Final |
| 106 | 486 | Smart Controls | Connected Home Bundle Field Study | 2020 | PG&E | This study explored the way that customers are currently interacting, and could interact, with new Energy Management Technologies (EMTs) for a variety of different energy management-related applications. | Final |
| 107 | 487 | Smart Controls | Field Test of Two-way Load Control Receivers in Connection with PG&E’s Smart AC™ Program | 2016 | PG&E | This report documents the ex post and ex ante load impact evaluation of PG&E’s SmartAC™ Program for the year 2015. | Final |
| 108 | 480 | Smart Controls | Smart Water Heater Controls | 2017 | PG&E | This report describes the energy performance benefits of installing smart water heater controllers on residential storage water heaters. | Final |
| 109 | 481 | Smart Controls | Third-Party Bring Your Own Thermostat Demand Response Pilot Evaluation | 2017 | PG&E | The primary objective of the pilot was to understand the ramp up and potential of providing load relief of already installed smart thermostats to specific capacity-constrained areas on the grid. | Final |
| 117 | 490 | Smart Controls | Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Smart Thermostat Collaborative | 2019 | SDG&E | This collaborative study defines methods to translate the value proposition from multiple utilities smart thermostat pilots to utility programs of the products and services. | Final |
| 118 | 491 | Smart Controls | Phase Change Material for Low Temperature Refrigeration Applications for Integrated Demand Side Management (IDSM) | 2016 | SDG&E | The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of passive Phase Change Materials (PCMs) in cold storage freezer applications. | Final |
| 119 | 492 | Smart Controls | Whole Home Demand Response | 2019 | SDG&E | The objective of this project was to evaluate the possibilities for Demand Response (DR) using connected ecosystems currently available in the market | Final |
| 124 | 472 | Smart Controls | DR 20.02 Wedgewood Demand Flex Testing | 2021 | SCE | The Wedgewood Demand Flex Testing Project will evaluate the energy and nonenergy impacts and benefits of using an innovative load management software platform. | Final |
| 126 | 493 | Smart Controls | Time of Use (TOU) Energy Display | 2021 | SDG&E | This software application is complimentary to in-home devices, enabling customer to view time-of-use (TOU) pricing periods and period prices via their smartphones. | Final |
| 127 | 494 | Smart Controls | Voice Assistants for Customer Engagement and Customer Programs | 2021 | SDG&E | This project aims to better understand how voice assistant products can advance utility customer engagement to drive energy benefits like improved energy performance and demand side management. | Final |
| 128 | 488 | Smart Controls | Using Voice Automation Technology for Load Management | 2023 | PG&E | The objective of this DRET study was to leverage residential voice assistants technology to educate residential customers on energy usage and bill forecast, rates and Time-Of-Use automation/optimization, available of Internet-of-Things (IoT) and connectivity, configuration, and notification on utility information. | Final |
| 129 | 471 | Smart Controls | DR19.08 Grid Responsive Heat Pump Water Heater Study | In Progress | SCE | This study examines innovative technologies that will be applied and implemented for the deployment of the HPWH controls and communication equipment, and for the test instrumentation and data collection. | Draft |
| 139 | 459 | Smart Controls | DR18.03 Connected Pool Pump Market Assessment | 2020 | SCE | This report seeks to understand the market potential for the flexible control of residential pool pumps. It is an interim deliverable incorporating a literature review of previous pool pump DR programs, an assessment of current pool manufacturer technologies, and a characterization of the pool pump supply chain. | Draft |
| 140 | 488 | Smart Controls | TOU Optimization Study with Smart Technologies | 2022 | PG&E | The objective of this study is to evaluate if residential smart technologies such as smart thermostat can optimize TOU customers HVAC energy use in order to shift customers energy usage from peak to non-peak and potentially result in customers’ bill saving. | Final |
| 141 | Smart Controls | DR17.03 Demonstration of Affordable, Comfortable, and Grid-Integrated ZNE Communities | 2022 | SCE | This project demonstrates the design and installation of advanced DER measures for all-electric Zero Net Energy (ZNE) homes within the multi-family housing sector. It includes load management and load modifying end-use operation, along with energy efficient technologies such as smart air-conditioning controls & other end-use measures. Demand response “shift” and flexibility capabilities are assessed. | Final | |
| 142 | Smart Controls | Smart Electric Panel Lab Test | In Progress | PG&E | This project evaluates the integrated capabilities and software controls of smart panels with testing of customer and utility app functionality. Panels are connected to a load simulator and data gathered from various test scenarios and procedures shall assess smart panels as a platform for residential demand response. | Draft | |
| 143 | Smart Controls | Residential Load Management Software Platform | In Progress | PG&E | The study will assess residential customers’ receptiveness and ability to perform load management with the support of a load management app, which serves as a home energy management system. | Draft | |
| 144 | Smart Controls | Smart Thermostat Software Evaluation | 2022 | SDG&E | The Smart Thermostat Software Evaluation project evaluated the energy and on-peak demand savings attributable to a software feature that has been rolled out to selected thermostats in the SDG&E service territory. | Final | |
| 146 | Smart Controls | Managed Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Demonstration | In Progress | SDG&E | The Managed Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Demonstration will monitor charging behavior of a group of customers who register through a web portal and connect their vehicles to the managed charging platform. The demonstration will include active and behavioral managed charging functionality and provide telematics data to quantity the impact of potential managed charging offerings. | Draft | |
| 147 | Smart Controls | Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Impact Study | 2024 | SDG&E | This study was conducted to test the real-world impact of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging on a commercial office building located in the SDG&E service territory. | Final |