2017 E N D - U S E E N ERGY EFFI CI E N C Y

A N D D E M A N D R ES P O N S E
P R O G R A M 170 : S U M M A RY O F D E L I V E R A B L E S

10248368 JULY 2018

10248368
2
2017 END-USE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND
DEMAND RESPONSE
PROGR A M 170: SUM M ARY OF DELIVER ABLES

The electricity industry must meet customers' continuous 2017 PROJECT SETS
demand for power as well as provide safe, reliable, 170A Analytical Frameworks
affordable, and environmentally responsible service 170B Demand Response Systems
to customers. Utilities and policy makers in the United 170C Energy Efficient Technologies
States and abroad are increasingly turning to end use 170D Technology Transfer
loads, through energy efficiency and demand response,
The reports, tools and resources produced in each of
as a resource to help address these challenges. Many
these project sets are available to employees of funding
U.S. states have enacted legislation that mandates spe-
companies, and can be accessed by clicking on the
cific energy-efficiency savings goals, and some explicitly
product number link listed after each product descrip-
require utilities to place energy efficiency as the first
tion. Log-in is required for the EPRI members’ website.
opportunity in their resource planning initiatives. Key to
If you are with an EPRI member company but do not
the realization of these goals is the development and
have a username, you can request it when you visit
adoption of emerging energy-efficient technologies and
www.epri.com or by calling 1-800-ASK-EPRI.
best practices.

In addition, it is important for utilities to characterize

the grid impacts of customer interaction with emerg-
ing energy technologies, and to develop platforms for
their integration as resources to enable an Integrated
Power System. Interaction with the ‘connected’ customer
that will provide both energy efficiency and demand
response benefits that are crucial for the utility of the
future.

This program is focused on the assessment, testing,

demonstration, deployment, and technology transfer of
energy-efficient and demand-responsive end-use technol-
ogies to accelerate their adoption into utility programs,
influence the progress of codes and standards, and
ultimately lead to market transformation. The program
also develops analytical frameworks essential to utility
application of energy efficiency and demand response
(DR) in order to enable the Integrated Power System,
with particular focus on end-use load research and data
analytics.

10248368
3
10248368
4
LABORATORY TESTING: ENERGY
EFFICIENCY AND DEMAND RESPONSE
TECHNOLOGIES
A distinguishing feature of EPRI’s research is our labora-
tory capability, which enables us to test technologies
first-hand and generate primary data for analysis. EPRI
has several laboratories dedicated to testing technologies
and system architectures that enable energy efficiency
(EE), demand response (DR), and load management. Lo-
cated at EPRI’s facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee, these lab-
oratories also test the interoperability of technologies and
systems in both standard and smart grid environments.

As an educational and demonstration center, the EPRI

laboratories are venues for numerous tours. Representa-
tives of many different organizations, including utilities,
major media outlets, manufacturers, regulatory agencies,
academic and government institutions visit our labora-
tories, and we look forward to demonstrating our latest
features and technologies to new visitors.

10248368
5
APPLIANCE AND PLUG LOADS
The Appliance and Plug Load (A&PL) research area covers
all of the miscellaneous electric loads that can be found
in our homes and businesses. The devices range from
refrigerators and washer/dryers, to phone chargers and
tablets, and everything in between. This research also
covers emerging loads like personal service robots and
smart home infrastructure.
As advances in A&PL devices occur, they are tested in
EPRI’s Knoxville laboratory or in field conditions as part
of supplemental and pilot project. The Knoxville lab is fo-
cused on evaluating a devices energy efficiency, demand
response, connectivity, reporting, and savings
potential. These efforts also include work related to pay-
back period, potential for utility program inclusion, and
other utility focused efforts. EPRI’s lab is equipped with a
full suite of tools and equipment to accurately monitor a
range of device parameters and even includes the ability
to create specific environmental, electrical and RF condi-
tions within thermal and RF chambers.
The goals of EPRI’s Appliance and Plug Load research
include:
1. Maintain an understanding of maturing and emerg-
ing trends within the diverse range of appliance,
end-use device, and plug load categories.
2. Understand, follow, and inform new and existing
standards, codes, etc. that determine the energy
use/efficiency, demand response and utility applica-
tion of these products.
3. Measure the performance of devices within EPRI’s
Knoxville laboratory as well as field applications
to provide utility members with the knowledge and
information they need to make informed decisions re-
garding EE/DR programs, meeting regulatory require-
ments, or simply helping a customer with a question.
10248368
6
DATA CENTERS
EPRI’s IDEA Lab (Innovations in Datacenter Efficiency
Advances) is a 1000 sq./ft. server room designed to
model a typical small, embedded data center. In recent
years the IDEA lab has hosted a range of tests related to
server loading, DR using server hardware management,
direct-to-chip liquid cooling, and an evaluation of VRF
(variable refrigerant flow) cooling in small and embed-
ded data centers. Through these efforts the IDEA Lab has
enabled EPRI to evaluate advanced technologies and
efficient techniques in data center operation. Results from
this research informs members of the viability of VRF tech-
nology in embedded data centers and provides insight
on how data centers might be able to assist with peak
shifting and DR. Note that the IDEA lab is populated
with servers running non-critical processes, where testing
can be conducted under real world conditions without
the risk of data loss or interruption of critical systems.
This removes operational risk and allows for the evalu-
ation of technologies and techniques otherwise consid-
ered too innovative or too risky. Results from these efforts
will be useful to develop utility programs, support field
operations, and expand EPRI’s knowledge base related
to data center technologies.
LIGHTING
The EPRI Lighting Lab characterizes lighting technolo-
gies—including lighting sources and controls—for energy
efficiency, demand response, power quality, compatibili-
ty, life span, illuminance, horticulture, health, and reliabil-
ity. Lighting source technologies that are regularly tested
in the Lighting Lab include light-emitting diode (LED),
organic LED (OLED), linear fluorescent, reduced consump-
tion halogen, compact fluorescent lamps, electronic
high-intensity discharge (HID), induction, and plasma.
Additionally, the Lighting Lab evaluates daylighting, wired
and wireless lighting control systems, and technologies
related to lighting applications for use in home, retail, of-
fice, educational, industrial and outdoor environments.
In 2017, the Lighting Lab evaluated Smart Street Lighting
in the Program 170 base project. Smart Street Lighting
typically involves an LED street light that is connected to
a wired or wireless network for advanced control and re-
porting capabilities. EPRI installed a small demonstration at
the Knoxville office parking lot using an ANSI C136 7-pin
Smart Node to wireless control the parking lot lighting.
The system demonstrated features such as light scheduling,
energy metering, power metering, real-time control, lifetime
tracking, and more. The Lighting Lab also continued
on-going testing related to long term lifecycle and lumen
decline testing on a range of lighting technologies.
Additionally, the Lighting Lab began its first foray into
indoor agriculture testing by acquiring an Urban Cultiva-
tor and a Farm Wall to grow microgreens and lettuce
indoors. They are analyzing the light spectrum of vari-
ous grow technologies and exploring how much more
energy is consumed by growing food indoors versus
outdoors. The Lighting Lab will continue researching in-
novative lighting technologies and applications in 2018
with the primary focus being on Smart Street Lighting
implementation, expansion of Indoor Agriculture, and
blue light’s impact on human health.
NON-INTRUSIVE LOAD
MONITORING
EPRI’s Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) testing facili-
ties added a European test facility to the existing capabili-
ties. EPRI is now equipped with two separate test labs,
one for evaluating 50 Hz, 230 V residential European
products and the other to evaluate 60 Hz, 120/240 V
residential North American products. The test labs are
designed to serve as emulated residential households,
including traditional family, retiree, and college student
households, with accurate end use metering on each
individual appliance. The labs simulate electric usage
for different types of residences by electrically operating
loads with varying parametric criterion such as water
consumption, temperature set points, occupancy, etc.,
10248368
7
which impact electric consumption. The emulation reflects
average occupancy, square footage, diversity of appli-
ances, age-specific occupants, and durations of in-home
or out-of- home occupancy. To emulate weather-sensitive
load behavior such as HVAC and water heating the labs
are equipped with a weather chamber that can reflect a
wide range of ambient temperatures and humidity.
The EPRI U.S. NILM laboratory is equipped with a com-
prehensive set of household loads including air condition-
ing, pool pump, water heater, electric vehicle, washer/
dryer, refrigerators, entertainment and kitchen electronics–
a total of 56 traditional and energy efficient appliances
commonly used in single-family U.S. residences. The EPRI
European NILM laboratory is equipped to generate and
supply 50 Hz, 230 V service similar to the electrical sup-
ply characteristics in the European Union. The European
lab is equipped with over 20 end-use loads including
mini-split AC, boiler, space heaters, televisions, refrigera-
tors, washer/tumble dryer, kettle, burner (hob), kitchen
electronics and other appliances acquired from Europe.
THER M AL
EPRI Thermal Lab evaluates cutting edge HVAC (heating,
ventilating and air conditioning), water heating and re-
frigeration technologies to characterize their performance
and applicability for energy efficiency, demand response
and customer benefit. The lab is capable of evaluating
residential & light commercial HVAC, refrigeration, and
water heating systems, including vapor compression, air
& water source and desiccant based technologies. The
laboratory has a 5-ton dual room psychometric chamber
for residential systems, stand-alone 10-ton chamber for
light commercial systems, and controllable water supplies
for evaluating water source and hydronic systems. The
controlled hydronic setup now includes a 10-ton air-
cooled chiller. The lab has been used to test both HVAC
and refrigeration equipment with conventional and natural
refrigerants. The physical Knoxville lab extends to include
local field installed systems that serve part of the EPRI
campus. An example is a 20 Ton VRV IV system which
serves as the space conditioning system for the Data
Center and Lighting Labs and is instrumented to evaluate
capability for heat recovery during winter operation.
The Thermal Lab is highly flexible and has been reconfig-
ured multiple times to accommodate specifics of testing
new equipment. It will likely be used in the near future to
evaluate natural refrigerant chiller-based cooling for com-
mercial buildings. The core capabilities are the ability to
provide controlled environments for heat exchange with
air & water, such that operational characteristics and
performance of various thermal end-use technologies
can be properly evaluated. The Knoxville laboratory has
also been used in developing load-based test methods,
for better quantifying the performance of variable-speed
heat pump equipment under realistic loading scenarios.
These dynamic tests seek to mimic field conditions and
BASE RESEARCH
ANALY TICAL FR A MEWORKS (170A)
This project set develops and advances member under-
standing of the impacts of load shape change initiatives
on utility operations through descriptive and predic-
tive analytics, engineering and economic models, and
topical papers on emerging trends and technologies in
the electric utility industry. Areas of focus include: utility
economics and energy use patterns; regulated and
competitive market structures, usage characteristics, and
efficiency potential models; environmental impacts from
load shape initiatives; technology load shape impacts;
and business structures and their effect on product deliv-
ery and portfolio management. This project set charac-
terizes end-use load profiles and advances techniques
to extract insights from smart meter and other customer
data. This project set can help utilities assign value to
the impact of energy efficiency, demand response, and
10248368
8
provide valuable insights not necessarily captured in tra-
ditional HVAC evaluations. Fully instrumented field tests
sites act as an extension of the thermal lab and provide
valuable information on technologies being evaluated
for energy efficiency as well as demand response. EPRI
has extensive instrumentation on these field sites in differ-
ent climate zones across the U.S.
The Thermal Lab also has numerous setups for evaluating
Demand Response (DR) capabilities of various HVAC,
water heating and refrigeration technologies. Capabili-
ties include using various physical layers to communi-
cate with equipment and ability to incorporate different
network topologies simulating real world scenarios.
Various head-end servers including OpenADR and SEP
servers can be used to test open communications proto-
col capable equipment.
other load modifying efforts such as increasing penetra-
tion of innovative technologies and grid integration of
supply options. Participants will be well positioned to
create value from AMI and other customer data, as well
as to quantify the full benefits of their energy efficiency
and demand response portfolios.
Key research questions include:
• How can end-use load data be most cost effectively
and accurately acquired and analyzed to yield
actionable insights for electric service providers?
• Which energy efficiency options are cost-effective
from the customer, utility, and societal perspectives,
and what impacts do these technology options have
on utility costs and operations, and the environment?
• How are utility strategic objectives changing as
energy markets are affected by increasing levels of
supply options and consumers are embracing tech-
nologies that provide control and connectivity?
• How does energy use data and the resulting insights
into demand, economic, and environmental impacts
support new utility objectives?
3. Load shapes are beneficial for rate designs and for
facilitating integration of supply and demand op-
tions.
Access the web tool at http://loadshape.epri.com/.
Analytics with High-Resolution Data: A Primer on
Methods and Approaches (3002010563)

Note: The following are base project deliverables that

are available to full program funders and funders of
Project Set 170A.

LOAD RESEARCH (170.005)

Load Shape Library (LSL), Version 5.0 (3002010559)

The software is part of EPRI's efforts to develop a frame-
work of a database and web-accessible repository of
end-use, technology measure and whole-premise data
for application to energy efficiency assessments. The tool
provides access to the best available end-use load data,
technology measures data and whole-premise data by
technology, sector, region and building type.
Benefits and Value:
1. Base load energy, measures energy, coincident peak
and impact of equipment efficiencies can be quanti-
fied by sector and over specific durations of time us-
ing end-use, technology measures and whole-premise
load shapes.
The high cost of metering end-use loads has hindered
utilities from collecting time-differentiated end-use load
shapes by customer or customer class (residential, com-
mercial). Load Disaggregation or NILM (Non-intrusive
Load Monitoring) technologies provide end-use data
with varying levels of accuracy and precision. For key
utility applications where accuracy and precision are
critical, deterministic and consistent performance is
imperative. Accurate load detection and estimation
of use enables utilities to create incentive-based DR
programs, novel rate structures, capacity planning and
capital recovery methods, new products and service
offerings that focus on customer acquisition/retention in
competitive markets. This report presents an overview of
current methods and proposed approaches for load and
customer data analyses using high resolution data.

2. Improved end-use load research data benefits utility

managers and analysts in load forecasting, system
planning, energy efficiency/DR program design.

10248368
9
EE POTENTIAL ANALYSIS TOOLS DEM AND RESPONSE SYSTEMS
(170.022) (170 B)
EPRI’s Energy Efficiency Potential Workshop This project set takes a holistic look at demand response
(3002012190) programs and technologies. Some of the key research
questions pertaining to demand response technologies ad-
dressed by this project set include:

• What are the capabilities required of mass market

end use devices such as water heaters, thermostats,
pool pumps, and appliances for them to be “DR-
Ready”, i.e. provide DR capabilities out of the box?

EPRI engaged a broad stakeholder audience—including • How can the utility requirements be harmonized with

utilities, consumer advocates, state energy offices, regula- those of manufacturers to develop standards for DR-

tors, and other research organizations—to discuss energy Ready devices?

efficiency potential analysis as part of the 2017–2018 • How can thermal energy storage, both active and
update to the national energy efficiency potential study. passive, enable the grid to better align supply and
The discussion at the workshop focused on how best demand on the grid?
to assess the net benefits of efficiency and how the
This project set also addresses demand response re-
landscape of efficiency is evolving. This includes going
search at a more systematic level, addressing questions
beyond the electricity savings to identify and account for
such as: What is the capability of building control sys-
other resource benefits (for example, natural gas or water
tems to provide energy efficiency and demand response
savings) and non-energy benefits (such as productivity im-
and what is the persistence of the measures? What are
provements) wherever possible. Understanding additional
the technology requirements to better enable the evolu-
resource savings opportunities and the full spectrum of
tion of DR markets and enable utility participation in the
non-energy benefits gives a more holistic picture for a
markets?
larger set of stakeholders.
The work being done in this project set is closely co-
EPRI's analysis of above-and-beyond programmatic effi-
ordinated with and designed to complement the work
ciency potential was framed in the context of a complete
undertaken in the Electric Transportation (P18), Energy
spectrum of efficiency delivered through myriad avenues
Storage and Distributed Generation (P94), Information
including federal and local codes and standards, state
and Communication Technology (P161), Distribution Sys-
energy plans, and voluntary agreements. Although
tems (P180), Integration of Distributed Energy Resources
EPRI's modeling is largely focused on individual efficient
(P174), and Understanding Electric Utility Customers
measures and efficiency delivered through programmatic
(P182) programs.
means, the discussion highlighted the need for more
detailed studies of the impact of integrated systems/ Note: The following are base project deliverables that
measures and service demand transitions. The workshop are available to full program funders and funders of
concluded with a brainstorming session identifying areas Project Set 170B.
for additional efficiency research, which informs the
industry's and EPRI's strategic plans going forward.

10248368
10
ENABLING DR-READY DEVICES AND usage, consumer override status, and other operational
PROGRAMS (170.006) data useful for estimating DR availability.

Demand Response-Ready End-Use Technologies:
Connected Room Air Conditioner and Electric Vehicle
Supply Equipment Lab Assessment (3002010196)
Utilities, policy makers, and DR practitioners can employ
findings from this report to 1) identify DR functions being
specified for connected devices, 2) better anticipate
the impact of connected devices that are becoming
available to participate in DR programs as connected
devices promulgate, and 3) help prioritize recommenda-
tions for forecasting future DR-Ready technology evolu-
tion in order to advance DR functionality supportive of
grid needs.

PEAK LOAD MANAGEMENT OF THERMAL

As connected devices become more prominent in homes
and businesses, there is growing importance to advance
functional specifications toward establishing a common
protocol that can be built into connected devices to
LOADS (170.007)
Common Demand Response Functions for Heating,
Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC): A Summary
of Demand Response Functionality Discussed in the
Industry to Date (3002011045)

support demand response (DR) for the electricity indus-

try. Criteria for DR functionality has been defined in
ENERGY STAR® Connected specifications. Moreover,
standard messaging protocols to support electric grid
reliability needs for DR have emerged in Consumer
Technology Association (CTA) specifications under the
CTA-2045 standard.

This report begins by providing a summary of the status

of Connected specifications. It describes functional
criteria for Connected room air conditioners specified by
ENERGY STAR®, as well as grid messages supported by
CTA-2045 compliant Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
This report serves as a comprehensive guide describing
(EVSE). The report summarizes findings from lab testing
the utility-facing demand response (DR) functions related
of a Wi-Fi room air conditioner (AC) utilizing functional
to residential heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning
criteria defined in the ENERGY STAR® Connected Room
(HVAC) equipment. A common set of DR functions has
Air Conditioner Specification. Recommendations for
been developed using both prior and on-going efforts
criteria refinement are provided based on results of lab
in this technical area. The current capabilities of existing
assessment. Recommendations include defining a maxi-
HVAC equipment have been assessed and mapped to the
mum response time for Connected room ACs and EVSEs,
standardized DR functional requirements. Advanced DR
respectively; supporting grid emergency modes that dis-
capabilities that are currently under development, but not
allow consumer override in future ENERGY STAR® Con-
yet available, are also identified to the extent possible.
nected Room AC specifications; and reporting power

10248368
11
The goal of this document is to inform and unify elec-
tric utilities, manufacturers, and other stakeholders on
residential HVAC DR capabilities that are of most value
to utilities. The requirements can serve as a reference
for equipment manufacturers, clearly defining the func-
tionality to be achieve while allowing companies to
innovate and optimize their product solutions. The guide
also provides utilities with a reference for understand-
ing HVAC equipment capabilities and terminology. It is
intended that this document will be revised and updated
as appropriate to best match the changing utility needs
and equipment capabilities.
INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS (170.009)
Intelligent Buildings: Laboratory Tests of Integrated
Controls of Residential and Small Commercial
Buildings for Energy Management and Load Leveling
(3002010549)
The intelligent buildings annual research portfolio focuses
on building controls to reshape load profile and enable
flexible demand. The three major technical areas of
Intelligent Buildings in 2016 and 2017 are developed
around: Automation, Communication and Integration.
The 2016 research was to demonstrate low-cost and
easy-to-install connected devices packages to upgrade
residential and small commercial buildings for IDSM.
We demonstrated several system architectures to enable
whole-building-level DR. For this 2017 project, the focus
is on the controls integration of end-use load manage-
ment, electric storage and solar PV. We conducted a
comprehensive technology review to resolve the load
ramping issues caused by higher penetration of solar PV,
10248368
12
which include 1) state level policy drivers and national
level initiatives/projects, 2) EPRI pilots in the area of
integration of solar PV + storage + load management,
3) a summary of technology vendors in the market and
finally 4) the value proposition to customers and utilities.
EPRI is developing two initiatives – one is to co-develop
an application programming interface to dynamically
control a battery that can be coordinated and optimized
with load management systems to balance PV; the other
one is the enhanced customer engagement for home
energy management and demand response. The voice
interaction developed in 2017 is the very first Alexa Skill
to enhance customer engagement through participation
in DR events.
DEMAND RESPONSE MARKETS AND
PROGRAMS (170.018)
Driving Towards Fast and Flexible Demand Response
Leveraging Distributed Resources (3002010195)
Wholesale electricity markets and regulatory policies
are driving an evolution in electricity demand and pro-
duction, characterized by high penetration of intermittent
renewable generation and new roles for distributed elec-
tricity systems. In turn, wholesale and retail market and
technology evolution are opening new opportunities for
provision of valuable services by distributed resources,
including distributed energy resources (DER) and demand
responsive loads.
The report highlights key trends in market and policy de-
velopments impacting demand response (DR) evolution,
and resulting implications on DR programs and enabling
technology alternatives. The report distills literature
reviews and industry interviews to identify promising
DR strategies for providing fast and flexible services in
select industrial customer sectors, including refrigerated
warehouse and data centers. Recommendations are pre-
sented on future work needed to mobilize different types
of distributed resources to capture growing opportunities
for providing fast and flexible DR services, as well as
customer-sited DER services.
 • What data is required for each technology class
and their respective applications, to provide benefit
to members, customers and society?

• What new applications are made possible by

changes and improvements to existing end-use tech-
nology classes?

Note: The following are base project deliverables that

Utilities and DR practitioners can employ findings from are available to full program funders and funders of
this report to: Project Set 170C.
• Identify key market and policy developments driving
evolution in DR with distributed resources
SPACE CONDITIONING (170.013) AND
WATER HEATING (170.028)
• Identify the distribution system operator’s (DSO’s)
current and potential future role and functions Integrated Rooftop Unit (RTU) Providing Space
Cooling and Water Heating (3002010543)
compared to other stakeholder types in the electric
power industry

• Clarify the DSO’s essential role in DR evolution, and

explain the next stage of DR advancement beyond
DR as a “Balancing Resource” to DR as an enabler
of price elasticity of demand, especially in high-DER
systems

• Better anticipate impacts on DR program and tech-

nology evolution
This project aims to evaluate an Integrated Rooftop Unit
• Prioritize DR research and technology investiga-
(RTU), capable of providing efficient space cooling
tion to support growing system needs for flexibility
and water heating, for utility programs serving com-
resources in the foreseeable future
mercial buildings. The project has been separated into
two reports: a utility guide and a technical assessment.
ENERGY EFFICIENT
This document is intended to provide a guide for utility
TECHNOLOGIES (170 C)
programs in considering the Integrated RTU for their com-
This project set assesses, tests, and demonstrates mercial customers. A technical assessment examining the
advanced energy-efficient technologies, such as space experimental performance of an Integrated RTU and its
conditioning, water heating, lighting, appliances and potential effectiveness for utility programs is planned for
plug loads, and motors and drives in diverse residential, late 2018.
commercial and industrial end-use applications. It ad-
dresses key issues, such as:

• What is the value of new end-use technology

application for pursuing energy efficiency through
program implementation?

10248368
13
MOTORS AND DRIVES (170.019)
Energy and System Level Efficiency Gains with Fans
and Pumps: Utility’s Efficiency Opportunities with
End-Use Applications (3002010460)
Since 2015, Motors and Drives research effort has
transitioned to end-use applications of a motor-drive
system, on the mechanical side past the motor shaft,
namely pumps, fans and compressors. Pumps, fans and
compressors account for nearly 40% of global electricity
demand. This technical update builds on EPRI Techni-
cal Update # 3002008226 and provides a deeper
dive on methodologies for pump system optimization
for energy and water efficiency opportunities. Topics
included here are: summaries of a 4-part webcast series
on "Pump Systems Optimization for Energy and Water
Efficiency Opportunities", case studies on system level ef-
ficiency approaches, a sampling of emerging technolo-
gies for motor applications and overview of the relevant
regulatory standards and utility incentive programs.
Additionally, this technical update provides key insights
on the fundamentals of fans, fan applications, and tools
for fan system sizing and optimization. Advancing the
implementation of high efficiency pump and fan sys-
tems offers reduced energy cost, protection of water
resources and increase in yield and productivity, serving
as enabling technologies for the water-energy nexus for
sustainable energy and water management.
10248368
14
HIGH PERFORMANCE HOMES AND
BUILDINGS (170.020)
High Performance Homes and Buildings: The Role
of Control Systems in High Performance Buildings
(3002010338)
The series of Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
products on High Performance homes and buildings
has in the past focused on reaching Zero Net Energy
with particular building types. As advanced building
systems have evolved, energy visualization and controls
have emerged as a key component of high performance
buildings. However, the energy efficiency benefits of
controls are highly debated as controls are more ethere-
al, more dependent on occupant and building manager
preferences, and the technology is in constant evolution
and flux.
This report explores the current state of building controls
in both residential and commercial buildings, especially
as related to their role in attaining energy efficiency
(EE). There are two components to energy efficiency,
one being modeling and design, and the second being
operational performance. Controls have a role in both
components. There are also applications for smart build-
ing controls in energy efficiency programs, such as smart
thermostats programs. However, there are still significant
questions about EE benefits to home automation tech-
nologies, the EE benefits of data visualization, and also
persistence of savings accrued from these emerging
controls technologies.
On the residential side, smart thermostats are a leading
vanguard, but there is also a third wind of home controls
developing as ecosystems of home automation featured
around smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google
Home. Builders are a leading market for these technolo-
gies as they have an incentive to develop smart homes
that appeal to buyers. The report details some of the
early insights into smart home ecosystems, summarizes
results from a multitude of evaluations and program
launches in the Smart Thermostat space, and discusses
outstanding research questions. Finally, the report proj-
ects some future roadmap and development items for the
role of controls in high performance buildings. Some of
these include items such as appliance controls, manag-
ing networking in smart buildings, and occupant prefer-
ence optimized controls in commercial buildings.
DATA CENTERS (170.025)
using VRF technology to address this need. A technical
approach for testing and evaluating a VRF system in the
Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI’s) IDEA (Innova-
tions in Datacenter Efficiency Advances) Laboratory in
Knoxville, Tennessee, and details of the VRF system and
monitoring equipment that have been installed for this
evaluation are documented. The results of this testing are
expected to provide the technical basis for consideration
of this technology in utility incentive programs for energy
efficiency. This 2017 Technical Update includes results
from laboratory testing to provide a complete study that
replaces the 2016 Technical Update (EPRI Product ID:
3002008232).
LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES (170.030)
Smart City Lighting: Industry Overview and
Demonstration (3002010168)

Efficient Data Centers: Energy Efficiency and Heat

Recovery in Embedded Server Rooms and Small Data
Centers Using Variable Refrigerant Flow Cooling
Systems (3002010547)

The continuous improvement of microprocessors, re-

This report evaluates the energy savings potential from
chargeable batteries, wireless communication standards,
the use of variable refrigerant flow (VRF; also known as
and machine learning has given rise to the Internet of
variable refrigerant volume, or VRV) technology for ef-
things (IoT). Almost every type of device can be connect-
ficient cooling and heat recovery from small data centers
ed to the Internet in some way—either for monitoring,
and server rooms that are typically embedded in larger
measurement, or control. With this connectivity, numer-
commercial buildings. The report identifies the need
ous opportunities have arisen to increase the efficiency
for efficient cooling and heat recovery from small and
of various processes or systems.
embedded data centers and presents the advantages of

10248368
15
One system of emphasis for the IoT has been the de-
velopment of a smart city. With increasing numbers of
people moving into urban environments, city managers
will have to consider how to operate more efficiently
and effectively. The smart city will be characterized
by reduced commute times, weather monitoring at the
microscale, increased safety, and secure Internet access.
Light poles and light fixtures have the potential to provide
connectivity in smart cities where space for new infra-
structure is limited. Light poles have space for third-party
devices such as 4G antennas, Wi-Fi routers, cameras,
or weather sensors to be installed. This report explores
the capabilities that are currently being advertised in the
market today as well as the potential value of smart city
lighting. A small demonstration of a smart street lighting
system was tested in EPRI's Knoxville facility, and results
of that evaluation are included.
Life Cycle Assessment of Lighting Technologies: 2017
Update (3002011394)
This PowerPoint ® is the 2017 update for EPRI’s ongoing
lifecycle evaluation project of lighting technologies. This
document outlines the different standards and criteria
used within the lighting industry to determine a product’s
lifetime. Furthermore, results are presented regarding the
ongoing testing that EPRI is conducting regarding cycling
of over 150 lamps and luminaires including light-emitting
diode (LED), compact fluorescent (CFL), fluorescent,
induction, high pressure sodium (HPS), and halogen. The
products represent all lighting sectors including residen-
tial, commercial, industrial, and outdoor. Several failures
10248368
16
have already been experienced, but most products are
still operating and are expected to continue to operate
for many years before failure is reached.
REFRIGERATION (170.031)
Energy Assessment of Convenience Stores:
Part 1: Survey of Convenience Store Equipment
and Opportunities (3002010453)
Convenience stores have among the highest energy
density of any commercial building type because of con-
siderable refrigeration, lighting, and space conditioning
loads, coupled with long operating hours. Many utilities
have commercial energy efficiency incentive programs
with offerings for convenience stores already, but there
are opportunities for further savings. In this report, the
first of a two-part effort, surveys of convenience stores
are undertaken to understand the equipment used, the
variation in equipment between stores, and the oppor-
tunities for energy savings. A high-level assessment of
24 stores shows the similarities and differences between
store configurations, which may present opportunities for
replicable programs, but also barriers as different owners
have different brand and format requirements. In addi-
tion, two stores are investigated in detail, and will be
included in a detailed monitoring in the second phase of
this project. This effort will help utilities identify oppor-
tunities to grow and improve efficiency, peak demand
reduction, and demand response options.
TECHNOLOGY TR ANSFER (170 D) mercial risk of the technology. Each technology undergoes
a comprehensive assessment that includes required and
There are many emerging energy efficient and demand
scored criteria, criteria weighting, and an estimation of its
responsive technologies being introduced in the market
technical energy efficiency potential. Following the overview
every year. How do utilities identify the most promis-
of the technology readiness framework, assessment results
ing technologies, and apply them into their programs?
for energy efficiency technologies are provided in readiness
Furthermore, how do they value such technologies for
briefs, organized according to the stages of the technology
their grid impacts, and potential integration as resources
development pipeline. These technologies are currently be-
to enable an Integrated Power System? This project
ing or have been evaluated in multiple EPRI efforts, includ-
set focuses on answering these research questions by
ing the Technology Innovation program, the collaborative
producing Technology Readiness Guides, participating
End-Use Energy Efficiency and Demand Response research
in and conducting workshops, symposia, and webcasts,
program, and various supplemental projects, including the
and producing other technology transfer products that
Energy Efficiency Demonstration and Coordinated Early
could be applied by utilities in their energy efficiency
Deployments of Efficient End-Use Technologies.
and demand response programs.

Note: The following are base project deliverables that

are available to full program funders and funders of
Project Set 170D.

TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS (170.026)

Energy Efficiency Technology Readiness Guide: 2017

Update (3002010335)
As electric power companies strive to meet increasing
end-use energy efficiency requirements, they must make
decisions about which technologies seem most promising
in terms of availability for wide deployment and providing
persistent energy savings while also being cost-effective and
likely to be adopted by customers. To help electric power
companies with these decisions, EPRI has developed the
Technology Readiness Guide to provide a readiness assess-
ment of technologies in various stages of development as
well as enabling comparison among these technologies.

This report provides an overview of EPRI’s revised energy

efficiency technology readiness framework, which includes
a technology development pipeline, technology readiness
levels, and a technology assessment process. The technol- The Technology Readiness Guide has been published an-

ogy assessment process is used to identify the status of a nually since 2012. The 2017 update includes assessment

technology with respect to the stages of the technology results for four new technologies, an updated assessment for

pipeline. The process uses readiness criteria to assess the one technology, and the assessments provided in previous

current confidence in the value and the technical and com- versions of the Technology Readiness Guide.

10248368
17
KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER (170.027)
Program on Technology Innovation: 2017
International Consumer Electronic Show (CES)
Summary Report (3002010982)
The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) is the world’s largest
annual conference focused on consumer devices and
novel end use technologies. This year’s CES marked the
50th anniversary of the show, which occurred January 9th
- January 12th, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Per informa-
tion in a CES press release, CES 2017 involved over
175,000 attendees (55,000 of those were from outside
the US), included 3,800 exhibiting companies (600 were
startups), and occupied 2.6 million square feet of confer-
ence space. Displays included a wide range of consumer
and end use devices that fell into numerous categories.
In addition to traditional consumer devices like televisions
and video components, there was a range of products
related to virtual reality, smart homes, smart cities, light-
ing, appliances, energy storage, automobile technology,
electric vehicles and autonomous cars displayed. The two
primary themes of CES 2017 identified by the Electric
Power Research Institute (EPRI) were the connected home
and connected cars. These systems utilize connected de-
vices, smart appliances, sensors, apps, and wireless com-
munication to provide information and data to consumers,
manufacturers, and utilities/regulators. The displayed de-
vices covered a wide variety of product types, consumer
markets, and communications technologies.
EPRI’s 2017 CES report is divided into sections related
to EPRI-defined market segments. The first section of the
report relates to the CES Awards, with the remaining
report divided into five main sections covering Consumer
and Residential Devices, Energy Management, Hard-
10248368
18
ware and Software, Robotics, and Other. Some topics
and technologies, like the integration of sensors and
device interconnection (i.e. IoT - Internet of Things), run
through most segments due to their proliferation.
Consumer and Residential Devices describes products
related to the Connected Home and Internet of Things,
Video / Televisions, Home Appliances, Lighting, Thermal,
and Audio. Energy Management covers products related
to Smart and Connected City, Photovoltaics (PV) and
Storage, Vehicles, and EV Chargers. The Hardware and
Software section addresses products related to Comput-
ers, Phones and Tablets, Augmented and Virtual Reality,
and Sensors and Measurement Devices. Robotics in-
cludes products related to Robots / Automatic Vacuums,
Unmanned Aircraft (Drones), and 3D Printing. Finally,
the Other section discusses General Health and Safety,
Fitness and Health, and Agriculture, and the report ends
with a brief conclusion.
Additional 2017 CES products available:
2017 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
Overview (3002011386)
Consumer Electronics Show 2017: Overview
Presentation (3002011387)
2017 ASHRAE Winter Conference and AHR Expo
(3002010983)
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and
Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) held its Winter
Conference in Las Vegas, NV from January 28–Febru-
ary 1, 2017. The International Air-Conditioning, Heating,
Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) ran parallel to the
ASHRAE Conference from January 30–February 1, 2017.
This document describes highlights and key take-aways of
the EPRI staff from these events. The paper is divided into
two parts – the ASHRAE Winter Conference which is the
technical program at the event, and the AHR show which
is a product showcase and a venue for commercial activi-
ties related to the HVACR industry.
LightFair International 2017: Trade Show Report,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 7–11, 2017
(3002010984)
LightFair International (LFI) is the world’s largest annual
lighting conference. The LightFair conference includes
presentations, training, knowledge transfer, innovation
awards, and a large trade show. Each year, the Electric
Power Research Institute (EPRI) sends technical staff to the
LightFair International tradeshow to remain apprised of
the trends within the lighting industry, and to understand
the potential impact of these trends on utilities. In 2017,
LightFair was held in Philadelphia, PA from Sunday May
7th through Thursday May 11th, with the trade show oc-
curring Tuesday through Thursday. According to LightFair,
the 2017 trade show covered over 277,000 square feet
of floor space, with almost 600 exhibitors and close to
28,000 registered attendees.
This whitepaper covers the following 2017 LightFair In-
ternational topics: innovation awards, tradeshow trends,
color tunable lighting, circadian lighting, connected light-
ing/Internet of Things (IoT), Power over Ethernet (PoE),
agricultural lighting, retrofit lighting, smart city lighting,
and other notable products.
10248368
19
2017 Energy Efficiency and Demand Response
Symposium: October 2017 – Orlando, Florida
(3002010985)
The 2017 Energy Efficiency and Demand Response
Symposium – co-sponsored by Duke Energy, Exelon, and
Southern Company – was the 5th annual Symposium.
It took place October 2017 in Orlando, FL. Research
areas covered included:
• Advanced Energy Communities
• The Value of Demand Response
• Demand Response in HVAC
This report gives a summary of the session topics and
discussions that took place.
Integrated Grid Pilot Projects Quarterly Updates for
2017
These updates provide the latest information about inte-
grated grid pilot project milestones and findings.
The pilot projects are at varying stages of initialization,
procurement, installation, and operation. Some projects
have begun generating research results, and virtually all
of them have added to our understanding of distributed
energy resource (DER) integration. The next step is to
ensure that hands-on experience and learnings get trans-
lated into future products, procedures, and standards.
We encourage you to join the integrated grid conversa-
tion by visiting http://integratedgrid.com/.
Q1 2017: 3002011035
Q2 2017: 3002011036
Q3 2017: 3002011038
The Integrated Grid: Annual Report 2017 Initiative
Demonstrations (3002011039)
Because utilities aim to provide reliable, safe, afford-
able, and environmentally responsible electricity, this ini-
tiative and the multiple demonstration efforts around the
world inform a broad set of stakeholders about the best
ways to integrate new technologies, renewable energy,
and advanced communication in a grid that wasn’t origi-
nally designed to incorporate them. To date, this EPRI
research collaborative has initiated more than two dozen
pilot projects across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
In fact, many other member utilities have also embarked
on—and continue to pursue—similar projects that add to
the collective body of information and insights that will
help us all transition to an integrated grid.

Integration of solar photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage

technology continues to be a primary focus of many of
these demonstrations. Whether it is testing the promise of
new enabling technology such as smart inverters or stan-
dards-based connectivity platforms or assessing control
and dispatch strategies to maximize the benefits of stor-
age in electricity markets, these projects provide a range
of insights and address knowledge gaps. Other proj-
ects are revealing insights about the impacts of electric
vehicles, feasibility of microgrids, and use of advanced
control architectures for demand response devices and
other DER. Further, the integrated grid benefit-cost frame-
work is being applied to identify the economic feasibility
of integrating DER across several applications.

10248368
20
SUPPLEMENTAL RESEARCH
Note: The following are supplemental project deliverables that are available to funders of these projects, or potentially
other EPRI members for a fee.
State-Level Electric Energy Efficiency Potential
Estimates (3002009988)
This report reflects work performed under contract with
the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Effi-
ciency and Renewable Energy. The research focused on
applying the result of EPRI’s 2014 US Energy Efficiency
Potential Study which was conducted at the Census
division level and developing a method to apply the
division level results to the state level by customer class
and by end-use.
The state allocation shows that every state has a large
amount of electric energy efficiency potential that can
be utilized as a cost-effective energy resource. This cost-
effective electric potential grows over time as equipment
reaches the end of its useful life and is replaced by a
cost-effective efficient replacement. In total GWh, this
energy efficiency economic potential in 2035 ranges
from 901 GWh in Vermont to 87,336 GWh in Texas,
reflective of the both electric loads and the types electric
services in each state.
Finally, to understand the potential to bring additional
technologies to market and the impact that added
incentives can have on energy efficiency potential, the
10248368
21
national model and state allocations were re-run with
differing levels of incentives. These results, which vary by
state, show both the direct impact of incentives as well
as potential opportunities to increase energy efficiency
through cost reductions.
European Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) and
Disaggregation Technologies: Laboratory Evaluation I
(3002010030)
Electric Suppliers and Distribution Operators across
Europe need more detailed information on power use to
improve grid management and efficiency. Whole prem-
ise interval data though available in some areas, is insuf-
ficient in granularity and end use information. Higher
resolution end-use load data is expensive to acquire with
intrusion on the customer for deploying meters on ap-
pliances or on the circuit breakers. An alternative lower
cost method of interest is Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring
(NILM) or Load Disaggregation. Recent advancements
in computational science and the proliferation of internet
cloud technologies have spurred wide scale develop-
ment and availability of hardware and software NILM
products targeting residential customers.
In generic terms, NILM or disaggregation is a signal
analysis method to computationally identify end use
loads and estimate their consumption without physi-
cal metering. This non-intrusive technology allows for
additional information that can be used by the retail or
distribution companies to offer additional services to the
customer such as bill itemization, identification of faulty
equipment, recommendations on Energy Efficiency, prog-
nostic appliance alerts and optimization of consumption
versus capacity contracts. In competitive markets, disag-
gregated load information serves as a valuable resource
for understanding the variability (risk, uncertainty) of
underlying customer loads relative to the sources and
costs of electric production. Additionally, the ability to
supply near real-time disaggregated usage information
to customers creates opportunities for innovative services
to effect customer retention (or acquisition).
NILM is implemented as hardware or software. The
hardware implementation contains current sensors at the
fuse box (or main circuit breaker) and data communica-
tion capabilities to dispatch raw or partially processed
data to a central location for undergoing disaggrega-
tion. Software implementations require minimal or no
hardware to be deployed at the customer site, apart
from access to real-time whole premise data. The disag-
gregation for most hardware and software products is
conducted in the internet cloud and end use data or
information presented to the customer presented to the
customer either through a mobile app or a web inter-
face. Software implementations that utilize smart meter
data are of most interest to utility companies due to cost
and convenience.
A common objective of the research as represented by
the need of the three funding utilities namely EDF, GNF
and Enel is to assess the state of European residential
NILM products through a laboratory evaluation for
understanding performance and cost under a variety of
test scenarios. EDF is specifically interested in NILM for
10248368
22
space heating load detection and to potentially provide
customers real-time information to manage their space
heating loads. GNF's interest lies in products and tech-
nologies that can disaggregate 15-minute smart meter
data to identify boiler loads and estimate their consump-
tion. The results will be used to screen vendor products
for a future field pilot. Enel is interested in the NILM
technologies that can integrate with their smart meter
hardware and use the data to develop insights and intel-
ligence about customer loads.
The laboratory testing evaluated fifteen NILM submis-
sions representing twelve unique vendor products.
Flexibility Requirements for Demand Response
(3002005896)
With increasing penetration of variable generation—as
expected over the coming decades in most regions—
there will be a significant need for operational flexibility.
This flexibility will be necessary to respond to variations
in net load that are both very short (seconds to minutes)
and longer (one to several hours). The focus of this
update is to provide supporting material for the EPRI sup-
plemental project, Flexible Demand Response, on flexibil-
ity needs in power systems with increasing penetrations
of variable generation such as wind and solar PV. The
update first introduces the need for flexibility, placing it
in the context of system reliability and power system op-
erations. Next, the update defines requirements at both
a system and resource level that should be taken into
account when considering the introduction of flexible de-
mand response into system operations. Finally, examples
are given from California and the Midcontinent Indepen-
dent System Operator (MISO) of ongoing industry efforts
to introduce flexibility incentives into electricity markets.
The material presented here can inform flexible demand
response product development and better ensure that the
resources developed in that category can be effectively
integrated into system operations.
Flexible Demand Response: Evaluation of Water
Preheaters to Support Grid Services at Sacramento
Municipal Utility District (3002011775)
Advances in communications technologies have pre-
sented an opportunity for residential demand response
(DR) programs to expand beyond simple load switching
programs to support more advanced services such as
frequency regulation, load balancing, and ramping en-
ergy. As the penetration of renewable energy continues
to increase, it is vital that end-use loads be effectively
employed to utilize energy when it is available.
The advancement of flexible residential devices is a key
component for the grid of the future. Electric water heat-
ers are a prime end-use technology with potential to be
harnessed for advanced DR strategies. This report out-
lines EPRI laboratory and field testing of a water heater
controller that can regulate the power of an electric resis-
tance water heater for DR purposes. The tested functions
of the load controller included ramping capabilities at
various rates and response to PJM frequency regulation
signals.
10248368
23
Evaluation of Residential Room Air Conditioner
Control with Smart Plugs for Peak Load Reduction
(3002009455)
A very small portion of plug loads today are being
managed externally with smart plugs as part of a plug
load energy management system. This study evaluated
a sample of smart plug technologies with the potential
for supporting peak load reduction. A room air condi-
tioner (AC) smart plug called the ThinkEco Modlet was
selected for field trial, to assess product capabilities
and potential demand savings, and recommend any
improvements. Impacts observed ranged from power us-
age reduction of controlled room AC units (e.g., through
cycling achieved during demand response (DR) events)
to no impact (e.g., due to continuous running of the
AC). Actual outcomes depended on a variety of factors,
including room occupancy, consumer override, outdoor
temperature conditions, and the size of the AC unit rela-
tive to the physical indoor space.
The ThinkEco Modlet was also evaluated in the Elec-
tric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI’s) Knoxville, TN
lab facility. The Modlet achieved 49-55% reduction in
average power consumption, with setbacks of 75°F
to 78°F, compared to baseline room AC operation at
72°F target temperature and no modlet. A Friedrich Wifi
room AC was also lab tested for comparison purposes.
It achieved 14-21% reduction in average power con-
sumption with setbacks of 75°F to 78°F, compared to a
baseline of 72°F target temperature.
Accuracy of power consumption as reported by the
devices was also evaluated, along with impact of room
AC fan speed settings. Based on lab testing, the modlet
power measurements were within 4% of EPRI’s lab mea-
surements, and were biased lower than the lab measure-
ments. The Friedrich room AC platform reported a static
value for power consumption based on the window AC
model’s power rating. Since power consumption report-
ed by smart plug devices can vary widely in accuracy, it
is recommended that manufacturers identify the method
used to report power usage to better gauge accuracy of
the reported power values.
Overall the products tested performed as manufacturers
described in marketing literature. However, details of how
products operate in support of DR and their power saving
potential were generally left undocumented in consumer
literature. It is recommended that product capabilities to
support DR be better documented, including capabilities
to receive and process DR event signals. Moreover, the
process of self-registration of Wifi devices is a non-trivial
task that required manual entry of Wifi keys and codes.
An automated process could greatly simplify the process
and is a recommended as a future advancement.
Evaluation of Permanent Load Shift (PLS) Technologies
and Development of Energy Savings Tool
(3002011344)
This report provides an overview of permanent load
shifting technologies including details about each
10248368
24
performance characteristics, maturity, market status,
cost-effectiveness and safety as well as environmental
concerns, if any. The load shifting technologies reviewed
here fall under these three categories a) traditional
thermal energy storage systems b) Electric storage
systems and finally controls based technologies.
The report also includes a review of existing Energy-
Plus™ building simulation model which details the
process of developing EnergyPlus™ models for baseline,
as well as scenarios that incorporate Thermal Energy
Storage (TES) systems. The research revealed some
required fixes in the EnergyPlus™ related to the controls
systems of storage systems; these were communicated
to National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) who have in
turn incorporated the fixes back into EnergyPlus™. The
review on EnergyPlus™also include details on ice tank
modeling and chilled water coverage. The simulations
from EnergyPlus™ allow for estimation of energy savings
and implementation costs for thermal energy storage
systems used in buildings.
Finally, this report provides details of a beta version of
predictive tool, called Thermal Energy Storage System
(TESS), which estimates energy savings and implementa-
tion costs for thermal energy storage systems used in the
building. The tool can scale models to match building
characteristics with multiple levels of scaling; first for
building size, and then for annual energy use, and
finally for monthly peak demand. The tool incorporates
results from EnergyPlus™.
Technology Reference Guide to Electric Motors 3Rs:
Repair, Rewind, Replace (3002009182)
When an electric motor fails, numerous critical questions
must be answered to ensure that steps taken to resolve the
problem result in the best efficiency for the lowest cost,
both short-term and long-term. The purpose of this docu-
ment is to help inform the difficult decisions of how and
when to address the problem of aging/failing motors.
Many questions must be considered to determine wheth-
er a motor should be repaired, rewound, or replaced,
but the two most common questions are:
• When a motor fails, is it better to repair or replace it?
• Can a repaired or rewound motor retain its effi-
ciency rating?
This guide will provide answers to these questions as
well as a step-by-step reference for assessing motor
failure and determining the best course of action.
Testing and Demonstration of Advanced Inverter-
Driven Heat Pumps (3002007365)
For electric utilities and their customers, variable capac-
ity space conditioning provides a potential resource in
load management both today and into the future. This
project examined emerging variable capacity heat pump
technologies for both residential and small commercial
applications in the Southeastern U.S. In a controlled
laboratory setting, a multi-split variable capacity heat
pump for residential applications was examined. In the
field, four unique residential field sites investigated the
performance and operation of split, variable capacity
heat pumps. Additionally, a variable capacity rooftop
unit was examined in a laboratory setup and through
a field investigation. The findings of this effort identify
performance characteristics of the examined variable
capacity heat pump applications. The results provide
a foundation for electric utilities to consider the
10248368
25
applicability of variable capacity heat pumps for their
specific objectives in load management.
A Laboratory Evaluation of Color Tunable LED
Products (3002011116)
The advent and adoption of light emitting diodes (LEDs)
has brought about large energy savings through more
efficient and longer lasting lighting products. The inven-
tion of LEDs has also brought about a unique feature for
lighting: programmable color tuning. LEDs can be easily
designed to output a range of specific frequencies of
light. Furthermore, the microscale of an LED allows LEDs
of multiple colors to be integrated into a single lighting
product. By reducing and mixing the output of different
colored dies, millions of color combinations can easily
be created. There are many traditional applications for
multi-color lights – stage lighting, accent lighting, sig-
nage, displays – but there are several new applications
that are being explored due to the flexibility that LEDs
now provide. The most commonly discussed application
is lighting for health, where indoor color temperatures
can be modified to replicate the color temperature shifts
of the sun throughout the day. Other applications include
indoor food production where certain wavelengths may
increase the growth and yield of a crop. Whatever the
application, LEDs can now provide greater flexibility in
terms of color output than any other lighting technology
before, and this presents a challenge to the electric grid.
As an LED changes color, its power consumption also
changes. Where lighting loads were once fairly static,
the potential widespread adoption of color tuning LEDs
could provide a new load shape.
This project was designed to gather and evaluate sev-
eral types of commercially available color tunable LED
products, and analyze the various changes that may
occur as the color is shifted. The Electric Power Research
Institute (EPRI) identified three primary categories of color
tunable LED products for evaluation: tunable white, full
color, and dim-to-warm. Each of these categories has
products for multiple applications, including screw-based
lamps, down lights, troffers, flood lights, and more. This
report provides the results of EPRI's evaluation of each of
these types of color changing products.
PowerPoint product for above project:
Evaluation of Color Tunable LED Products
(3002011401)
Evaluation of Effective Useful Life (EUL) of LED
Lighting and the Impact of Fast Power Cycling
(3002010198)
This paper evaluates the challenges that exist around
the performance and operation of LEDs (Light Emitting
Diodes) in long-term field usage, as well as the impact
of rapid power cycling on the operation of various
screw based lighting technologies—including LED, CFL
and halogen.
Several questions remain around LED technology for
general lighting, but one of the most important questions
is, “Will an LED fixture last as long as the manufacturer
10248368
26
claims?” This PowerPoint presents the condensed findings
of a research project with SCE to quantify the perfor-
mance of LEDs that have been installed for at least three
years. The primary goal of the project was to explore
the Effective Useful Life (EUL) of LED fixtures and to try to
identify changes in performance throughout one year of
monitoring. This was accomplished through three primary
objectives.
Objective #1 focused on exploring and better under-
standing the Effective Useful Life (EUL) of LED products
via field evaluation. 50 LED products that had been
installed in the field at least 3 years were identified to
see how they aged. Baseline measurements, followed
approximately one year later by a second set of field
measurements, were taken to determine color shift.
Objective #2 focused on exploring the EUL character-
istics of new LED products through laboratory testing.
New products of exact or similar make/model to the
field products were installed in laboratory test stands that
simulated their real-world operation based on applica-
tion (i.e. street lights 12 hours ON/ 2 hours OFF, retail
16 hours ON/ 2 hours OFF, etc.) At the beginning of
laboratory testing, the fixtures’ initial lighting characteris-
tics were collected. Measurements were taken every two
months over one year to determine if changes in perfor-
mance occurred.
Objective #3 evaluated the impact of fast power cycling
on the lifespan of screw-based lighting products. This
phase tested LED, CFL and halogen based lamps by
cycling the power on and off every minute to determine
the lifespan impact of fast power cycling.
Additional related products:
Effective useful Life (EUL) for LED Lighting Applications
– Buildings III: Sub-Project C (3002009067)
SCE Buildings III – Sub Task C: LED Effective Useful
Life/Fast Power Cycling (3002010197)
Heat Pump Water Heaters Using Carbon Dioxide
Refrigerant: Laboratory Testing for Florida Power and
Light’s Unique Climate (3002012141)
Heat pump water heaters offer significant energy savings
compared with electric resistance water heaters, and
are particularly efficient in hot and humid climates, such
as that in South Florida. New heat pump water heaters
using CO2 as the refrigerant have recently come to the
U.S. market and manufacturers claim significant improve-
ments to efficiency and capacity, without the use of elec-
tric resistance heating. In this project, EPRI tested one
such system in the laboratory at conditions simulating
Florida Power and Light’s service territory weather condi-
tions, with fixed-draw and simulated load profile test-
ing. The annual energy consumption and peak demand
contributions of the system are calculated and compared
with baseline electric resistance water heaters.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY DEMONSTRATIONS
Energy Efficiency Demonstration 2.0: Results of Four
Demonstrations of Three Commercial Technologies
(3002009947)
EPRI’s first Energy Efficiency Demonstration was con-
ducted in 2009-2012. It focused on end-use electric
utilization, specifically on heating, cooling and lighting
technologies that go beyond incremental efficiency im-
provements and have the potential for up to 40% energy
savings. Energy Efficiency Demonstration 2.0 built on the
initial work by demonstrating a new cycle of high-poten-
10248368
27
tial energy-efficient technologies. The project focused
on commercial customer applications where significant
energy savings could be achieved.
EPRI and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) demon-
strated three commercial technologies at four sites in
Energy Efficiency Demonstration 2.0. The first demonstra-
tion involved controllable induction high bay lighting at
a warehouse in Knoxville, Tennessee. Heat pump water
heater field studies were conducted at a laundry facility at
Tennessee Technological University and at a cafeteria at
Mississippi State University. The third technology demon-
strated was evaporative pre-cooling for rooftop air condi-
tioning units at a distribution facility in Byahlia, Mississippi.
This report provides an overview of each technology as
well as detailed information about each demonstration,
including site selection, installation, and results.
1. Heat Pump Water Heater Demonstration at Tennes-
see Technological University (3002010320)
Two demonstrations involved heat pump water heat-
ers (HPWHs) at two universities. One of these sites
was a laundry facility at Tennessee Technological
University (TTU). The HPWH storage tank was in-
stalled in series with the existing gas water heater in
a pre-heating configuration in which water from the
cold water supply enters the HPWH pre-heat tank
prior to going to the gas water heater. The HPWH
provides heating but does not have to provide the
full heating lift because water first travels to the gas
water heater. In addition to water heating benefits,
the HPWH was installed to provide space cool-
ing. The HPWH ductwork was louvered so it could
alternately provide cooling to the laundry space or
an adjacent mechanical room.
 The HPWH ran from October 2014 to May 2015
when a hardware failure ended the demonstration.
During the demonstration, the HPWH effectively
pre-heated water going to an existing gas water
heating system. The HPWH generated small savings
on water heating costs, but the high installation cost
would result in a prohibitively long payback period.
2. Demonstration of Heat Pump Water Heater at
Mississippi State University (3002010321)
Two demonstrations involved heat pump water
heaters (HPWHs) at two universities. One of these
sites was a cafeteria at Mississippi State University
(MSU). A single-pass, water-to-water HPWH was in-
stalled at the Perry Cafeteria at MSU to work in par-
allel with an existing gas water heater. A 119-gallon
and a 200-gallon storage tank were installed in a
series configuration to store the HPWH hot water.
The HPWH was installed in a mechanical room
in the basement of the cafeteria facility, which is
unconditioned but contains several small condensing
4. Demonstration of Controllable High Bay Lighting in
units and the gas water heater. The configuration for
this field study was designed so that the water flow
through the HPWH and gas water heater could be
adjusted via valves and the HPWH system could
be shut off by a temperature sensor if it ran out of
hot water. This approach increased the storage and
heating capacity while simultaneously reducing the
flow rate through the gas water heater tank.
The HPWH was able to provide adequate hot water
capacity in all normal usage conditions except for a
few very cold days. The operating cost of the HPWH
and the gas water heater was highly sensitive to
the cost of gas and electricity. In this field study the
HPWH was similar or slightly less expensive per-gal-
lon to operate than the gas water heater. The study
shows that depending on local prices, HPWHs in this
configuration can be competitive in terms of operat-
ing cost with high efficiency gas water heating.
10248368
28
3. Demonstration of Evaporative Pre-Cooling for
Rooftop Air Conditioning Units (3002010322)
One demonstration was of an evaporative pre-cool-
ing system for rooftop air conditioners at a facility
in Mississippi. An evaporative pre-cooling system
(“system”) was installed in July 2014 on two 12.5-ton
rooftop air conditioner units (RTUs) at a distribution
facility in Mississippi. The two RTUs cool a small
server room within the facility. The system installed
for this demonstration was a retrofit technology
intended to add an evaporative pre-cooling function
to an existing condenser.
The evaporative pre-cooling hardware installed on
two A/C units in Mississippi saved energy and
reduced demand during hot afternoon hours for the
facility. The findings of this study suggest that evapo-
rative pre-cooling may indeed be viable in hot-hu-
mid climates—and not just in the hot-dry climates for
which the technology is most often recommended.
a Warehouse (3002010323)
One demonstration was of a controllable induction
high bay lighting system in a warehouse in Tennessee
that contained 54 lights. The purpose of the dem-
onstration was to determine the effectiveness of the
integrated control system at delivering lasting energy
savings. Twenty non-networked metal halide lights
were replaced with 20 dimmable 400-watt induction
lights. The system included a wired network connec-
tion that enabled individual fixture communication
and controllability via motion and daylight sensors.
The networked control system was hardwired so
the fixtures could be programmed and monitored
for maximum energy savings. The demonstration
showed that energy savings of 60-70% are attain-
able through the combination of advanced lighting
technologies and networked controls.
TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
PROGRAM RELATED RESEARCH
Note: The following are Technology Innovation program deliverables related to Program 170. Technology Innovation
deliverables are available to all EPRI members.
Program on Technology Innovation: A Comparison of
Two Methods for Estimating End-Use Load Shapes:
Conditional Demand Analysis and End-Use Metering
(3002009737)
Hourly load profiles for major end-uses are used for
planning purposes by electric and gas utilities, includ-
ing load forecasting, and evaluating plans to promote
energy saving appliances and to promote programs that
would shift loads from peak usage times of day. Several
methods have been used to measure residential end-use
load shapes, including end-use metering and disag-
gregation of hourly metered premise loads. Methods
for disaggregation include conditional demand analysis
(CDA) and artificial intelligence. CDA is the use of statis-
tical regression techniques that explain monthly or hourly
household energy use as a function of appliances and
devices owned, building characteristics, demographic in-
formation and climate data such as outdoor temperature.
CDA has been used extensively since the early 1980s
by electric and natural gas utilities, mostly with monthly
billing data.
A model estimated with hourly data can be used to
compute hourly end-use load profiles.
In this study, an hourly conditional demand model
was developed using data collected by the Northwest
Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) for about 100 single
family homes. In these homes, NEEA measured loads in
15-minute intervals for nearly every significant end-use
between April 2012 and March 2013. NEEA also mea-
sured the total premise load that was used in this project
to develop the CDA. The metered sample was part of a
larger Residential Building Stock Assessment (RBSA) that
10248368
29
surveyed appliance and electronic stocks, building
characteristics and demographic detail from about
1,400 homes in four states in the Pacific Northwest.
The study showed that CDA has some disadvantages
compared to end-use metering:
• End-use metering generates smoother load shapes,
at least in this study where the sample size was
small (about 100). This was especially true for small-
er loads such as electronic devices. CDA would
require a larger sample size to generate smoother
load shapes.
• CDA explains differences in kWh use among homes
as a function of differences in appliance stocks.
CDA has difficultly in measuring loads for end uses
that have high saturation rates such as refrigerators
and lighting. This is not a problem for end-use meter-
ing.
• CDA also has difficulties in measuring loads for
end uses that have low saturation rates. In the RBSA
metered sample, only one home had a swimming
pool and only two homes had barns with equip-
ment. These rare but significant end uses are difficult
to measure in a CDA but are not a problem with
end-use metering.
CDA has some advantages. The primary data required
for CDA is relatively inexpensive compared to end-use
metering. Some utilities routinely collect this data with a
residential appliance saturation survey and smart meters.
The ideal sample size for an hourly CDA is 500 or more
homes.
Future studies, should they be considered, must capture
as many of the major loads and any correlated tertiary
loads as possible in order to produce representative and
accurate end-use load shapes using the CDA method.
Program on Technology Innovation: Next Generation
Demand Response with Building Energy Dashboards,
Demand Response Using Sensors in University of
California, Berkeley Sutardja Dai Hall (3002009683)
The emergence of big data from connected devices pro-
vides tools to greatly improve the energy performance
of buildings as well as the grid reliability provided by
demand response (DR). Over the past decade, University
of California (UC) Berkeley researchers have worked to
apply cutting edge computer science design to enable
data aggregation and nimble actuation based on big
data from connected devices. The simple Monitoring
and Actuation Profile (sMAP) delivers and labels data
from various sources into a single compact database,
and the eXtensible Building Operating System (XBOS)
provides the platform for applications to access this
data. These tools interface wireless networks with the
existing building automation systems (BAS) and create
virtual BASs by interconnecting control and sensor hard-
ware. This project describes research using this platform
in Sutardja Dai Hall (SDH) at UC Berkeley to uncover
how detailed real-time data can increase energy savings
and comfort at a granular level in the various building
zones.
Program on Technology Innovation: Building Energy
Efficiency with Wireless Sensors, Energy Efficiency
Using Sensors in University of California, Berkeley
Sutardja Dai Hall (3002009684)
The emergence of big data from connected devices pro-
vides tools to greatly improve the energy performance
of buildings as well as the grid reliability provided by
demand response (DR). Over the past decade, University
of California (UC) Berkeley researchers have worked to
apply cutting edge computer science design to enable
data aggregation and nimble actuation based on big
10248368
30
data from connected devices. The simple Monitoring
and Actuation Profile (sMAP) delivers and labels data
from various sources into a single compact database,
and the eXtensible Building Operating System (XBOS)
provides the platform for applications to access this
data. These tools interface wireless networks with exist-
ing building automation systems (BASs) and create virtual
BASs by interconnecting control and sensor hardware.
This project describes the research projects using this
platform in Sutardja Dai Hall (SDH) at UC Berkeley
to uncover how detailed real-time data can increase
energy savings and comfort at a granular level in the
various building zones.
Program on Technology Innovation: Low-Cost Sensors
for Electric End-Use Metering: State of the Market,
Requirements and Applications (3002005810)
The report summarizes the current state of low cost sen-
sor systems for power and process measurement in a
two-phase study spanning technology assessment and
field deployment. The overarching goal of this study is to
research, characterize and demonstrate sensor technolo-
gies that cost $100 or less, per single phase point of
measurement and $300 or less per three phase point of
measurement, total retail cost inclusive of data access,
interfaces, basic analytics and storage. This first phase
of the study defines the requirements, specification and
applications for "market-available" and future technolo-
gies, while the second phase is scheduled to summarize
the results from field installation.
Program on Technology Innovation: Disruptive
Lighting Innovations, 2017 (3002012255)
There are a wide variety of factors impacting the light-
ing marketplace today, but the largest factor is the
expanded use of, and innovation around, Light Emitting
Diode (LED)-based lighting. Though the use of LED-based
lighting is expanding, it still has not become the most
commonly purchased or deployed lighting technology in
most applications. LEDs have also not reached the point
of product stability yet. Today, LED efficacy (measured Blockchain: Technology Risk and Rewards for Utilities
in lumens per watt – lpw) values are still increasing and (3002010242)
new features and functions (such as color tunability, LiFi, Blockchain is a potentially disruptive technology that will
and integrated sensors) are continuing to develop. There impact the way in which many business transactions are
are also numerous standards and regulations, including conducted in the future, including those used by the util-
the DOE’s EISA 2020 setback rules, that are set to im- ity industry and its trading partners. While it is most com-
pact the lighting industry in coming years. Other factors monly known as the technology behind cryptocurrencies
impacting the lighting industry are DC powered solutions such as Bitcoin, the greater impact will likely be with the
(including Power over Ethernet (PoE) and DC build- implementation and automation of “smart” contracts that
ings), innovations around Organic Light Emitting Diodes reduce costs by eliminating intermediaries. In this white
(OLED), and new street lighting functionality. paper, the characteristics of blockchain will be explored,
providing insight into why this is a disruptive technology,
Program on Technology Innovation: Disruptive
the places blockchain is being used today, some of the
Innovations for Heating, Ventilation, and Air
potential applications of this technology in the utility
Conditioning (HVAC) Systems – 2017 (3002013866)
industry, and the current challenges and limitations of the
The primary drivers for innovation and market transfor-
technology of which utilities need to be aware.
mation needs across all sectors in the heating, ventila-
tion, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry – residential,
commercial, and industrial – continue to be reducing
greenhouse gas emissions due to the energy footprint of
building HVAC systems, as well as reducing the global
warming potential of the refrigerants used in refrigeration
and HVAC systems. Opportunities for innovation to ad-
dress primary industry needs and challenges are being
monitored in emerging HVAC-related technologies. A
variety of emerging electric technologies were identified
and evaluated with preliminary due diligences conduct-
ed in 2017. The technologies span different components,
features, and types of HVAC systems, offering innova-
tions to improve HVAC system efficiency and cost-effec-
tiveness at varying Technology Readiness Levels (TRL).

10248368
31
PROGRAM COCKPIT
Remember to visit the Member Center website at https://membercenter.epri.com/. There you will find the latest program
information, including: Research products, Meetings & Webcasts, Annual Research Portfolios (ARPs), Calendar of Events,
Announcements, Project Status Updates, employee Contact information, Collaboration site links, and much more.

EPRI JOURNAL
EPRI Journal is the flagship publication of the Electric Power Research Institute. It provides in-depth report-
ing on electricity sector R&D, industry and technology news, EPRI thought leadership, and guest perspec-
tives from industry leaders. With features, brief articles, info-graphics, and other engaging digital formats,
readers gain insights through clear explanations about technology developments, utility field experiences,
and real-world solutions. This online journal had five publications in 2017. Please download your copies at:
http://eprijournal.com/

10248368
32
PROGRAM RELATED MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
FEBRUARY 2017
• An EPRI podcast interview with Doug Lindsay on
the third wave of energy efficiency was printed
in the February issue of Public Utilities Fortnightly.
The article focuses on the adoption of devices that
creates what EPRI calls “naturally occurring energy
efficiency.”
JUNE 2017
• EPRI research on data center loads was mentioned
in a Motherboard article about the future designs
for data farms, which may include playgrounds,
swimming pools, and shopping malls.
• Mukesh Khattar was featured in a seven-minute Data
Center Dynamics video discussing various aspects
of data centers and the utility industry. He describes
the data center industry as divided between “south
of the meter”—the familiar world of servers—and
“north of the meter,” where power generation and
transmission are taking place. The two sides have
to work together if the demands of industry are to
continue to be met.
JULY 2017
• Builder Magazine published a feature article on
how net zero energy homes can reduce load
requirements of heating and cooling systems. Ram
Narayanamurthy noted that storage can help offset
the peaks of the ebb and flow of demand.
AUGUST 2017
• Sara Beaini was interviewed by VentureWell about
her experiences as a researcher and with startups,
and her advice for pursuing a startup organization.
10248368
33
SEPTEMBER 2017
• Business Wire featured an article about the largest
net-zero-energy home community in California. EPRI
is collaborating with De Young Properties in the
project which includes 36 grid-connected homes de-
signed with the potential to produce as much clean
energy as they consume in a year. Over the next
several years, researchers will monitor energy usage
and solar production, among other performance at-
tributes of the homes to learn how they can continue
to improve zero-net-energy home design.
• Greentech Media highlighted EPRI in an article
about California’s largest net-zero-energy housing
development being built next year. De Young Proper-
ties is collaborating with EPRI on the 36-unit project
to gather data on the energy usage and impact on
the grid from this type of development.
• The Fresno Bee posted an article about De Young
Properties building the state’s largest grid-connected
zero-energy home community in California. EPRI
and De Young are collaborating on research and
development of the smart home community, which
will contain 36 houses with smart home energy effi-
cient designs and Tesla solar panels to enable each
home to produce as much energy as it uses.
• Frank Sharp was quoted in a Convenience Store
Decision magazine article the advantages of using
LED outdoor lighting. “Two of the key drivers the
lighting has to offer are cost savings and safety.
People are interested in cost savings, and it’s almost
the same price now as a traditional product so it’s
an easy decision to make.”
NOVEMBER 2017 DECEMBER 2017
• The November issue of Public Utilities Fortnightly • Builder Magazine posted a feature article on the
recognized the electric industry’s “Top Forty Innova- largest zero net energy home development in Cali-
tors.” EPRI was well represented with six winners. fornia. De Young Properties worked with EPRI and
Selected were Mike Howard, for applying innova- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to launch
tions that enhance the sector; Ron Domitrovic, for the EnVision community, the first grid-connected net
research in improving the efficiency of space heaters zero energy home community to be developed in
and heat pumps by using variable-speed condens- central California.
ers; Jessica Fox, for leading the Ohio River Basin
water quality trading program, the largest interstate
trading regime in the world; Maria Guimaraes, for
managing the vertical wall-climbing robot project,
which is assessing use of the devices for concrete
integrity inspections at power plants; Andrew Phillips
for Ti, the power line-crawling inspection robot; and,
John Simmins, for leading efforts to apply augment-
ed reality to improve utility operations. The maga-
zine also featured a profile of Howard discussing
the acceleration of innovation.

10248368
34
PROGRAM MEETINGS AND WEBCASTS
Program 170 has various meetings and webcasts throughout the year with the funding utility advisors. Below is a
list of those meetings and webcasts that all program advisors were invited to attend in 2017. Materials from these
events can be found on the Program Cockpit.

MEETINGS WEBCASTS
• Power Delivery and Utilization (PDU) Winter • P170 Mid-Year Base Project Updates
2017 Advisory and Sector Council Meetings June 15, 2017
Huntington Beach, CA, February 13–16, 2017
• P170 2018 Program Roll-Out
• Meeting Residential and Small Commercial July 25, 2017
Customer Needs for Space Conditioning
• P170 Collaborative Supplemental Project Updates
Project Meeting
September 21, 2017
Irving, TX, March 8–9, 2017
• P170 Year-End Base Project Updates
• Power Delivery and Utilization (PDU) Fall 2017
December 12–13, 2017
Advisory and Sector Council Meetings
Denver, CO, September 11–14, 2017

• 2017 Energy Efficiency and Demand Response

Symposium
Orlando, FL, October 24–25, 2017

10248368
35
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For technical information about the EPRI End-Use
Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Program
(Program 170) contact:
Ron Domitrovic, Program Manager
rdomitrovic@epri.com.
For general information, contact:
Ashley Kelley-Cox, Project Operations Coordinator,
Energy Utilization, akcox@epri.com
Customer Assistance Center
800.313.3774, askepri@epri.com
3420 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304-1338 • PO Box 10412, Palo Alto, California 94303-0813 • USA
800.313.3774 • 650.855.2121 • askepri@ epri.com • www.epri.com
10248368
The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.
(EPRI, www.epri.com) conducts research and development relating
to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of
the public. An independent, nonprofit organization, EPRI brings
together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from
academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity,
including reliability, efficiency, affordability, health, safety and the
environment. EPRI also provides technology, policy and economic
analyses to drive long-range research and development planning,
and supports research in emerging technologies. EPRI members
represent 90% of the electric utility revenue in the United States
with international participation in 35 countries. EPRI’s principal
offices and laboratories are located in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte,
N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Lenox, Mass.
Together . . . Shaping the Future of Electricity
©2018 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Inc. All rights reserved. Electric Power
Research Institute, EPRI, and TOGETHER…SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ELECTRICITY
are registered service marks of the Electric Power Research Institute.
Printed on recycled paper in the United States of America
3002014191