Using Data-Driven Approaches to Design Advanced Energy Communities for Existing Buildings
Building an AEC in a disadvantaged community through utility data and community engagement.
The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Los Angeles Campus
Recipient
Los Angeles, CA
Recipient Location
24th
Senate District
51st
Assembly District
$1,213,016
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
This project concluded in March 2018. The project has resulted in a shovel-ready AEC design in preparation for Phase II and has made several findings towards lowering barriers to access to energy efficiency and solar in local DACs. The implementation of a VNEM tariff was critical in showing financial viability of the design since it allows community members to share the benefits of local renewable power even if they cannot or prefer not to install solar panels and/or an energy storage system on their own property. The project team found that the existence of a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) allows for streamlined deployment of a VNEM tariff, which may not be the case in areas without a CCA.
The Issue
Upgrading existing buildings in support of state climate goals is a monumental challenge. The limitations are greatest in disadvantaged communities (DACs) because of insufficient community involvement, a high percentage of renters, a lack of energy data supporting energy retrofit programs, and a lack of knowledge transfer due to education and/or language barriers. These limitations make it difficult for energy developers to acquire adequate participation from community residents at the scale needed to tackle this challenge. Furthermore, inadequate financing strategies to overcome capital costs of community-scale energy projects are amplified in DACs where financial risks are more impactful.
Project Innovation
This project funded the planning, permitting, and preliminary engineering needed for the integration of advanced energy technologies in a disadvantaged community. The final design provides locally generated, GHG-free electricity from community solar and storage to offset electricity consumption of participants who opt in to the program. The design also enables participants to benefit from savings resulting from various onsite retrofits that enable better energy efficiency, energy management, and demand response. Participants will pay back retrofit costs and cost of capital for solar and storage assets through an on-bill financing mechanism, including a first-of-its-kind virtual net metering tariff across multiple county-owned sites and residential buildings piloted by Los Angeles Community Choice Energy. The project team developed robust data evaluation methods using the LA County Energy Atlas to efficiently and effectively identify high-need customers and site locations and to optimize project design and financing features. More information can be found at the project website: [a href="https://www.advancedenergycommunity.org/"]https://www.advancedenergycom…]
Project Benefits
Local governments can play a critical role in achieving the state's SB 350 (2015) building energy efficiency goals by helping facilitate community-scale deployment of Integrated Distributed Energy Resources (IDER) for energy efficiency. This project is piloting innovative planning, permitting, and financing approaches and tools to help improve the business case for IDER adoption at the community-scale.
Consumer Appeal
This project is increasing consumer familiarity with ZNE homes and communities, which should increase support from the local community for greater deployment of advanced energy technologies at a community scale.
Affordability
This project will reduce the time, costs, and resources needed to bring community-scale integrated distributed energy resource (IDER) projects to a shovel-ready state.
Economic Development
Increased demand for AEC deployments can result in broad economic benefits to the clean energy sector. This project is also serving to build community capacity around energy issues, which could increase support for local clean energy and economic initiatives.
Key Project Members
Felicia Federico
Subrecipients
The Energy Coalition
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Los Angeles County Office of Sustainability
Day One
Match Partners
The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Los Angeles Campus
Los Angeles County Office of Sustainability
