Transactive-Control-Based Connected Home Solution for Existing Residential Units and Communities

Lead Performer: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – Richland, WA
Partners:
-- University of Colorado – Denver, CO
-- University of Oklahoma – Norman, OK
-- National Rural Electric Cooperative Association – Arlington, VA
-- Vectren – Vevay, IN
-- STRATIS – Philadelphia, PA
-- Oklahoma Gas & Electric – Oklahoma City, OK
-- Boulder Housing Partners – Boulder, CO
-- Xcel Energy – Minneapolis, MN
DOE Total Funding: $3,000,000
FY19 Funding: $1,000,000
Project Term: October 1, 2018 – September 30, 2021
Funding Type: Lab Call

Project Objective

The proposed project aims to overcome two barriers to large-scale market adoption of flexible building load control: difficulty in integrating a new connected platform with existing home systems; and lack of quantification of benefits to home inhabitants, like improved comfort, and benefits to the local utility, like grid services, resulting from connected home solutions. The project team will develop an end-to-end solution that addresses integration and cyber security. The solution will be validated by quantifying the benefits such as the energy cost savings and demand reduction potentials through field studies in different climate zones, utility territories, and socioeconomic contexts.

Project Impact

The project will provide a way to validate value streams of grid-interactive, efficient homes by proving that existing homes can be cost-effectively upgraded to provide grid services in the near future. With the evidence of consumer benefits, including energy and cost savings, improved comfort, and full automation, service providers can develop additional applications on the platform such as HVAC fault detection, preventive maintenance, remote energy audits, and home services beyond energy to further integrate connected technologies with different aspects of smart homes. The developed software and hardware solutions can be directly used by vendors to provide energy efficiency and demand response services to utilities and homeowners.

Contacts

DOE Technology Manager: Erika Gupta
Lead Performer: Nora Wang, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory