Enabling Non-Residential Electrification and Efficiency with Fault Managed Power Systems (FMPS)

The Non-Residential Electrification and Efficiency with Fault-Managed Power Systems (FMPS) CalNEXT project explored the technology's market potential and assessed how FMPS can reduce barriers to electrification efforts by reducing the complexity and cost of electrical infrastructure upgrades across non-residential (commercial, industrial, and agricultural) customer segments. This project characterized associated individual technologies to better understand the landscape and program impacts with an interest in scaling the market for commercial, industrial, and agricultural systems. With the rising need for widespread electrification of buildings in California, innovative solutions are needed to support broad decarbonization efforts.  FMPS technology capitalizes on providing direct current (DC) power to DC-powered devices, reducing line losses over long distances via efficient power delivery. The team installed an FMPS system at one indoor farm in California to evaluate the energy savings potential of FMPS for horticultural lighting process systems and uncover a strategic direction for FMPS program development. These systems observed energy and environmental data for four weeks to confirm lighting system operation during a flowering cannabis growth cycle. The Project Team observed that electrical infrastructure with a higher power factor has lower potential FMPS energy savings. It was also noted that FMPS has the potential to achieve 5 percent electricity savings in indoor agriculture process lighting applications. The indoor cannabis industry could save 71 million kWh across 9,500,000 square feet of cultivation facilities with FMPS-powered horticultural lighting. Customer insights from the study showed FMPS is easier to implement in new construction projects or phased retrofits of large buildings. The insights support considerations for creating new inducement payments for FMPS through new construction programs to encourage new construction projects to adopt Class 4 Power while electrifying other building systems.