Five years ago NEEA stepped into a brand new territory: distribution. The program was called the Distribution Efficiency Initiative (DEI). Our partners were 13 regional utilities and R.W. Beck, a Seattle-based contracting firm that has worked on energy, water/wastewater and solid waste projects for more than 65 years.

TRAILBLAZING
Instead of helping customers improve the methods in which energy is used, through this project NEEA and R.W. Beck have been working together with regional utilities to explore ways to improve the efficiency by which energy is initially transferred to its end users. Specifically, the program was able to develop methods for reliably transferring electricity in the lower voltage bandwidth range of 120-114 volts, reducing energy consumption as well as losses in the electricity transfer.

According to R.W. Beck’s recent findings, DEI could save two to three percent of energy, reduce system peak by 2 to 3 percent and reduce reactive power requirements by 4 to 8 percent. By conservative estimates, this could result in energy savings in the range of 150 and 275 average megawatts of energy in the Pacific Northwest.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS
KC Fagen, project manager at R.W. Beck, says the project initially received lackluster interest.

“Some (utilities) embraced it with open arms; others didn’t believe in it,” Fagen said. “But by and large the utilities that were involved became bigger believers in it. They saw the advantages and cost effectiveness of it.”

R.W. Beck and NEEA first engaged in this project almost five years ago, beginning with a research study that installed voltage regulators in 395 homes in the Northwest. From there R.W. Beck worked with NEEA and six utilities to implement pilot studies at 10 substations and 31 distribution feeders.

According to Fagen, the process has been a long one because they were working with new technology that required certification before utilities could use it. He added that because these methods are new approaches to energy efficiency, regulatory bodies have yet to catch up, leaving initial set-up fees on the utilities’ shoulders.

MOVING FORWARD
Fagen is confident that both utilities and regulatory bodies will see the long-term cost effectiveness of DEI.

In efforts to help gain widespread support, R.W. Beck has produced software tools and a guidebook to help utilities calculate the potential savings and implement DEI within their utility. The DEI team hopes to use these products as well as continue holding workshops with NEEA, the Bonneville Power Administration and utilities to gain support.

“It’s exciting because NEEA’s tackling an area that few venture into, which is changing the mindsets of utilities and the regulatory body,” Fagen said. He added that such a paradigm shift will open the door for overwhelming cost savings that will continue to build on each other over the years.

“Its sustainablity is greater than 15 years,” he said. “It’s the same as building a green generation.”

Fagen, however, is driven by more than just cost savings.

“(Distribution efficiency) is a critical piece of an overall strategy that has to be used in order to reduce our impact on the world and meet the growing electricity needs,” he said.