Technology Acceleration Project

SCE launched the “Technology Acceleration Process Improvement Proposal” (TAPIP) in early 2021. This project aimed to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies into the energy efficiency resource programs with process modifications to the Customized Energy Efficiency (EE) Program. The initiative was done to address barriers to adoption of emerging technologies as measures in the EE programs: Timing: The process for a technology to go from an emerging technology (ET) project to a customized project or deemed measure can be lengthy. Industry Standard Practice: The extensive timeline to adoption presents a risk that fast-evolving technologies become industry standard practice by the time the technology is evaluated within the Emerging Technologies Program.   Hesitancy to Adopt New Technologies: Resource programs are hesitant to adopt a technology as a measure if the cost-effectiveness parameters and customer satisfaction concerns are unknown. Lack of Data: ET projects are small-scale projects that do not provide the level of information needed for creating a deemed measure. To overcome these barriers, SCE developed a new, accelerated approach to introduce emerging technologies to the EE resource programs. The Emerging Technologies Program partnered with the Customized EE Program to develop a unique offering that would include added benefits to select emerging technologies offered through the Customized EE Program. To incentivize Customers to participate in the Customized EE Program with an unproven technology, SCE committed to pay incentives estimated at the time of Project Application (PA) approval, regardless of the technology’s measured energy savings performance. Added benefits included extensive measurement and verification to produce additional data to inform cost-effectiveness parameters, future workpaper development, and how the resource programs may address adoption barriers for these emerging technologies. SCE’s intent was to pilot this approach with 3 to 5 pilot projects which could feature 1 to 3 new emerging technologies. The total EE Program Incentives were capped at $650,000 for the 3-5 projects. Consistent with Customized EE Program requirements, Customer participants would fund the equipment and installation. The ET Program would fund M&V data collection on the technology’s performance. SCE was able to complete portions of this approach: Technology Selection, M&V/Calculation Methodology, and Customer Outreach. Due to lack of Customer interest, the project stopped in late 2021. To close the project, SCE documented lessons learned from the milestones that were completed for this initiative, listed below: Technology Selection, Calculation Methodology, & M&V Plan Customer Outreach & Incentive Reservation Design