Characterization and Demonstration of Demand Responsive Control Technologies and Strategies in Commercial Buildings

WEBCAST

Date: March 23, 2006
Time: 12-2 pm Eastern (9-11 am Pacific)

Background Information

Commercial buildings represent over one-third of electrical loads on hot summer days—reducing these loads helps improve grid reliability, flatten the system load shape, and reduce wholesale and retail costs. Demand response (DR) is any demand side action required to reduce electrical loads when contingencies such as emergencies and congestion occur that threaten system reliability and/or when market conditions raise supply costs. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, have completed a one-year project to characterize, develop, and demonstrate new control technologies and strategies for demand responsive commercial buildings and define low-power mode operating strategies that provide significant energy savings with no decrease in building comfort and amenities. Many new technologies and operational strategies provide both energy savings and peak demand reductions. The economic benefits of combining energy efficiency and demand response strategies will be a more powerful market force than either efficiency or demand response alone. This project focuses on the synergies of building operation and control technologies and strategies that meet both operational goals.

LBNL has estimated commercial buildings' contribution to peak demand; outlined a demand-side management framework that includes energy efficiency, peak load management and demand response; characterized building controls; and worked with a new high performing building to assess its DR potential. The findings were published in the proceedings of two conferences: the Fifth Annual International Conference on Enhanced Building Operations; and the Second Carnegie Mellon Conference in Electric Power Systems: Monitoring, Sensing, Software and Its Valuation for the Changing Electric Power Industry. (see the "download" section to access these papers, which are also available in the publications section of drrc.lbl.gov)

Objectives of the March 23^rd Meeting

LBNL researchers will utilize the March 23^rd webcast to:

1. Update building controls companies on DR trends and Automated DR progress,
2. Disseminate results of the 2005 studies funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and
3. Seek feedback on the LBNL advanced building controls work to date.

In addition, LBNL would like to hear from building controls companies about their approaches to energy efficiency and DR. The meeting notes will be summarized to provide feedback to DOE on the importance of the topic and research opportunities in this area.

Meeting Agenda

• Welcome and Introductions
• LBNL Presentation (60 minutes)
  • Demand Response Basics and Demand Response in the U.S.
  • Demand Response Potential in Commercial Buildings
  • Advanced Controls for Commercial Buildings
  • Research in California
    • Automation of Demand Response
  • Research in New York
    • New York Times Office Building
  • National R&D Opportunities
• Question and Answer (30 minutes)

Participation Instructions

This meeting will be broadcasted via webcast and teleconference.

• See "Webcast over WebEx" (below) for web-cast and teleconference log-in instructions.
• If you have not previously used WebEx, please sign in 5-10 minutes early to install WebEx on your computer.
• Audio will be delivered over the teleconference line (see "Dial-in Numbers").
• If you are participating via teleconference only, please download the meeting presentations ahead of time (see "Downloads")

Webcast over WebEx

1. To join the meeting: copy and paste the following link to your web browser
   
   http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=742132902&p=&t=c
   
   During the download you will need to click on Run for the Internet Explorer Security Warning window (this will take up to 2 minutes).
    
2. Fill in all the fields First and Last Name, E-mail address, Company Name, and Title. Passcode for this meeting is 336286.
3. Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy.
4. Click on "Proceed."

Dial-In Numbers for Audio

1. Leader: Mary Ann Piette
2. USA Toll Free Number: 800-857-7178
3. USA Toll Number: +1-210-234-0031
4. PASSCODE: 16378
5. Call Notes: *6 mutes and un-mutes your phone line

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