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Distribution EfficiencyConservation Voltage Regulation (CVR)

Jillianne Welker

4/21/2009

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Distribution Efficiency Measures

Phase balancing

Load balancing between feeders

Load balancing between substations

Reactive Power (VAR) management

Installation of mid-line voltage regulators

Reconductoring of primary feeders

Primary line extensions (to reduce secondary voltage drop)

CVR

67% of energy is wasted between

generation and the consumer.

-US Department of Energy

67% of energy is wasted between

generation and the consumer.

-US Department of Energy

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The American National Standards Institute (ANSI)Standard C84.1

Conservation Voltage RegulationWhat is Voltage Regulation?

A core responsibility of each utility is to deliver service voltage1 within a suitable range; this is is done by regulating the voltage.

What is the suitable range for delivered voltage?

1The service voltage is the point where the utility and the end user are interconnected. This is usually the electric meter.

Nominal Service Voltage

Desirable Range (Range A)

Acceptable Range (Range B)

120 126-114 127-110208 218-197 220-191240 252-228 254-220277 291-263 293-254480 504-456 508-440

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Conservation Voltage RegulationWhere does the “Conservation” come from?

126125124123122121120119118117116115114

V

O

L

T

A

G

E

122.5 National Average Customer Service Voltage

Desirable Service Voltage Range 126 - 114 VAC

UpperRange

LowerRange

90% of homes and businesses receive more voltage than they need.

-US Department of Energy

90% of homes and businesses receive more voltage than they need.

-US Department of Energy

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What is the estimated energy savings potential?

Year Org. Measures Included Potential Savings (aMW) Cost per kWh

1987 BPA CVR / system improvements 170 - 268 (BPA territory) 5 mills

2007 NEEA Study CVR only 100 - 150 (PNW Region) 1-5 mills

CVR / system improvements 160 - 190 (PNW Region) 2-15 mills

CVR / reconductoring / voltage regulators 220 - 250 (PNW Region) 10 - 30 mills

CVR / all system improvements / all loads 245 - 270 (PNW Region) 15 - 50 mills

2008 NWPPC CVR / system improvements 400 - 500 (PNW Region) 15 - 50 mills

The Council’s target was calculated using 2% of projected energy demand through 2030.

The 6th Power Plan is expected to include a technical savings potential of 470 aMW.

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What’s the end result we’re looking for? 470 aMW!

Some of the ancillary benefits~

Available to every utility

You don’t have to qualify and it doesn’t matter what kind of load you have

Incentives available to BPA utilities

Minimum of $.17 per kWh

Much of the potential requires very little improvement in infrastructure

Helps meet conservation needs/requirements

Washington’s Initiative 937

Improves power factor

Increased awareness and knowledge of the system leads to better planning

More dialog between stakeholders about what works...and what doesn’t

Marketing opportunity

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What are the primary barriers?

Utilities focus on capital expenditure projects related to expansion or system upgrades

Inherent inertia in the utility industry - business as usual

Concern over loss of revenue

CVR still seen as theoretical - difficulty quantifying benefits and costs for a business

case

Conservation efforts (financial and operational) are focused on utility end use

customers

Cooperative project decision-making

Current design standards that focus more on reliability and power quality

Difficulty quantifying benefits and costs for a business case

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-1.0%

0.0%

1.0%

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

5.0%

0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0%

% Delta V

% D

elt

a E

Avista

ClarkIdahoSnoPUDPSEDouglas

CVRf = 1

Are all utilities good candidates for CVR?

Feeder-level results from NEEA DEI Study

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Can savings of this magnitude really be achieved?

It depends on the approach.

Remember who you’re talking to

Give them what they need to make it happen Money Technical expertise Supplemental labor Presentation assistance Help build the business case Respond quickly!

Fail to plan... plan to fail

Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility

Listen!

Build customer advocacy

Trusted expertise is critical

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Under development at BPA: a distribution system efficiency strategy

Technical Strategy

The CVR measure-life was change from 1-year to 10-years in the PTR System

Scheduling 7 workshops around the region Utility perspective of and experience in applying CVR Lessons learned from the NEEA DEI Study CVR using automated EOL feedback

Working toward standardizing the methodology used to calculate the CVR factor Specifically robust statistics and weather adjustment

Currently only one M&V protocol for CVR exists Creating 3 new simplified M&V protocols

Protocols will benefit from a deemed calculator and guidebook Expect to present these protocols to the RTF in July/August

Working to deem a Calculator to make the energy savings estimation less onerous. Expect to finalize this by the end of Sept. 09

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Implementation Strategy

Create an Energy Efficiency/Distribution/Transmission workgroup Share ideas and review programmatic strategies

Use this group to identify programmatic components that will allow utilities to begin evaluating their savings potential

Create a customer profile of BPA utilities contacts, design criteria, planning schedules, existing problems, early adopters, etc.

Propose ideas to the Council about how to deal with free ridership concerns

Formalize a process in which BPA works with interested utilities to integrate energy efficiency into their long term planning process

Use success stories for marketing

Continue to offer education and training

Continue to coordinate with Smart Grid efforts and Transmission

Under development at BPA: a distribution system efficiency strategy

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Questions, Comments, Ideas?

Jillianne WelkerDistribution Efficiency/CVR Project Lead

503-504-7331jwelker2007@gmail.com