Project Title: Predictive Solar-Integrated Commercial Building Load Control
Funding Opportunity: SunShot Technology to Market (Incubator 10)
SunShot Subprogram: Technology to Market
Location: Aspen, CO
Amount Awarded: $495,248
Awardee Cost Share: $143,000
Project Investigator: Nathan Glasgow

EdgePower is creating hardware and software solutions that will integrate the HVAC and lighting loads of a building with forecast data and solar photovoltaic (PV) production levels. As a result, EdgePower will be able to better match PV supply with building demand and reduce peak demand at the utility meter. This project will combine site-based solar forecast data from Clean Power Research with forecast and real-time net load data at a commercial building test site. The project will quantify the utility savings of using load control to smooth the commercial PV customer’s net load profile and highlight the potential value of integrating forecasting and load control technologies with battery storage.

Approach

This project will provide a proof of concept application of solar forecasting to building load controllers on commercial buildings with tied PV systems. The building load control algorithms will be incorporated into EdgePower’s existing load control gateway and will interface with SolarAnywhere PV system forecast data produced by Clean Power Research. By combining solar forecasting, building load controllers and algorithms to manage building load, EdgePower will create an integrated solution that reduces demand charges for commercial customers. A successful demonstration project will result in electric bill savings that are greater than a standalone PV system.

Innovation

Traditionally, demand charge savings are not always reliable in buildings with solar PV alone, so this new process is an alternative to more expensive battery storage technologies. The novelty of this approach is that it deploys a solution that combines building load management with solar forecasting. This synergy is missing in most other solar and energy management projects and will result in savings for solar customers.