20160914Johnson Direct.pdf

DAVID J. MEYER
VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF COUNSEL OF
REGULATORY & GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
AVISTA CORPORATION
P.O. BOX 3727
1411 EAST MISSION AVENUE, MSC 27
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON 99220-3727
TELEPHONE: [phone]
EMAIL: david .meyer@avistacorp .com
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BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION
OF AVISTA CORPORATION FOR A
FINDING OF PRUDENCE FOR 2014-2015
EXPENDITURES ASSOCIATED WITH
PROVIDING ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICE IN THE
STATE OF IDAHO
CASE NO. AVU-E-16-0~
FOR AVISTA CORPORATION
DIRECT TESTIMONY
OF
DAN JOHNSON
(ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS)
1 I. INTRODUCTION
2 Q. Please state your name, employer and business
3 address .
4 A. My name is Dan Johnson . I am employed by Avista
5 as Director, Energy Efficiency . My business address is East
6 1411 Mission Avenue , Spokane, Washington.
7 Q. Would you please describe your education and
8 business experience?
9 A. I graduated from the University of Washington with
10 Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering . I received
11 a .:1a :.;ters i n Eng i ne ering Ean a g e men t degre e fr om Port l and
12 St c1 t e Un iver s ity.
13 I joined the Company in 2010 as the Project Manager for
14 the Smartgrid Demonstration Project . I began my current
15 duties as the Director of Energy Efficiency in June of 2014.
16 Prior to joining Avista, I was employed by the Spokane
17 International Airport where I was the Director of
18 Engineering and Planning and prior to that I was with Pacific
19 Gas Transmission Co , a high pressure gas transmission
20 company.
21 Q. What is the scope of your testimony in this
22 proceeding?
Johnson , Di 1
Avista Corporation
1 A. I will provide an overview of the Company 's 2014 -
2 2015 Idaho DSM portfolio results and expenditures for
3 electric and natural gas efficiency programs . I address
4 Avista ' s involvement with the Northwest Energy Efficiency
5 Alliance (NEEA) , the status of the Company's recent re-
6 instated natural gas DSM programs, and the evaluation by
7 Avista's third-party contractor "Nexant" I will also provide
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an update on the Company 's university
development activities.
Q. Do you sponsor exhibits?
A. Ye s, I p r e s ent chree e xhi oi t s .
research and
Exh i bit Nu . 1,
12 Sche dule 1 is Av ista' s 2014 Annu 2,l Demar.ct-Si d e Mar.ag 2me nt
13 Report , and Schedule 2 is Avista 's 2 015 Annual Demand -Side
14 Management Report. These reports include the summary of DSM
15 energy savings and a summary of electric DSM cost -
16 effectiveness . Exhibit No . 1 , Schedule 3 is a summary of
17 2015 research and development projects, funded by the DSM
18 tariff rider .
19
Johnson, Di 2
Avista Corporation
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II. OVERVIEW OF DSM PROGRAMS AND CURRENT ISSUES
Q. Would you please provide a brief overview of
4 Avista's DSM programs?
5 A. Yes . Avista has continuously offered energy
6 efficiency services since 1978. This is the twenty-second
7 year of the DSM tariff rider , a distribution charge to fund
8 DSM that is now replicated in many other states. Schedule
9 91 currently has a rate equal to 2 .7 % of reta il revenue for
10 electric service, and the Schedule 191 rate is 2 .2 % of retail
11 revenue for natural gas.
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As d e sc r ibe d, t he Compan y 's p ro gr a ms are d e live r e d
across a full customer spectrum. Virtually all customers
14 have had the opportunity to participate and many have
15 directly benefited from the program offerings. All customers
16 hav e b e nefited t hr ough enhanced resou r ce cost -ef fic ien cies
17 as a result of this portfolio app r oach .
18 Q. What were t he Company's energy efficiency targets
19 and results for 2014-15?
20 A. The Company 's energy efficiency targets are
21 established in the process of developing the Electric and
22 Natural Gas Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs). The targets
23 derived through the resource planning efforts provide a
Johnson , Di 3
Avista Corporation
1 starting point for program planning which is accomplished
2 through the annual business planning process where program
3 offerings are optimized for the Company 's service territory
4 based on current economic and market conditions .
5 The results of Avista 's energy efficiency programs
6 exceeded the 2014 IRP target but fell short in 2015 of the
7 targets established as part of this IRP process , as shown in
8 Table No. 1 below. Idaho energy efficiency savings for 2014
9 were 16,292 MWh and savings for 2015 were 14,789 MWh . This
10 represents 100 % of the Company 's two-year IRP target of
11 30,99 6 MWh f o r th i s pe r i od, n ot inc ludi ng 4 ,0 30 firs t -yea _c
12 ~Wh a c qu ired th r o ugh NEEA.
13 Table No. 1
Time Period of Local Evaluated IRP Target Percent
Reported Savings MWh Savings Achieved
2014 16,292 15,3 30 106%
2 015 14,789 15,6 66 94%
2014 -2015 31 ,0 81 30 ,996 100 %
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15 Avista 's 2014 -15 Annua l Re ports provided i n Exhibit No.
16 1, Schedu l es 1 and 2 support these figures .
17 Over 197 aMW of cumulative savings have been achieved
18 through Avista 's energy efficiency efforts in the past
19 thirty-eight years, of which 127 aMW of DSM i s currently in
20 place on the Company's system, and approximately 37 aMW in
Johnson, Di 4
Avista Corporation
1 our Idaho service territory. Current Company-sponsored
2 conservation reduces retail loads by 11.0 percent.
3 In January 2016 Avista re-instated its Idaho natural
4 gas programs after working with the Commission Staff to
5 evaluate new cost effective data and analysis. Avista is
6 now providing natural gas incentive programs for both
7 residential and commercial customers. We are currently
8 seeing increased awareness with rebates of $579,277 and
9 therm savings of 92,964 from January through July 2016.
10 Q. How does Avista make available its DSM program
11 ofi'erings and e-1.u<..!ate cus comers about enerc;'Y sav ings?
12 A. Av i st a prov i de ,3 opr:-o r cun it i e s f or c us t ome r s t o
13 l e arn about r ebat e s we of f er a s we ll as t i p s on how to better
14 manage their home and business energy usage. We utilize
15 broadcast media with our "Efficiency Matters" campaign to
16 help increase awareness about energy efficiency. We also use
17 online, radio, and print advertising as well as our
18 website, avistautilities.com - t o help educate customers on
19 rebates and energy savings tips. Our "Energy Use Guide"
20 contains information that can be utilized throughout the
21 year to help encourage efficient use of space heating and
22 cooling, appliances, electronics, and more. Online tools on
23 our website can perform a free energy analysis to help
Johnson, Di 5
Avista Corporation
1 customers have a bette r understanding of how energy is being
2 used in their home, and outline the top ways they can save
3 energy . Home Energy Reports are also delivered to a randomly
4 selected group of approximately 25 ,200 Idaho customers
5 annually. The reports are designed to help customers better
6 assess their energy consumption and explore ways to reduce
7 their energy use .
8 In addition, both residential and nonresidential
9 customers have access to direct outreach activities . Avista
10 offers energy fairs and workshops for residential customers ,
i1 wit h emph c.si ::; gi ven t o l ow-i n c om,3 cu s t ome r s. Dire ct
12 o utre a.ch f or nonre s i den t i a l c u s t ome r s is d e li v er ed through
13 a ccount executives and ef f iciency enginee rs who provide on -
14 site information regarding energy savings opportunities and
15 avai lable program information.
16 Q. Please describe the residential DSM program and
17 offerings provided in 2014-2015.
18 A . The Company 's residential portfolio provides a
19 variety of measures, through different delivery channels,
20 offeri ng energy efficiency improvement opportunities to
21 Avista customers. The majority of the residential portfolio
22 is implemented through prescriptive rebates, processed in-
23 house by Avista . New construction and exist i ng residential
Johnson, Di 6
Avista Corporation
1 homes (up to four-plex) that heat with Avista electric or
2 natural gas, can select from a list of energy efficiency
3 measures available for installation in their homes.
4 Customers must purchase and install the equipment or
5 qualifying energy efficiency measure and submit a rebate
6 application with the appropriate documentation within 90
7 days of installation in order to receive an incentive.
8 In the 2014 and 2015 program years, Avista offered the
9 following residential programs to Idaho electric customers
10 noted in Illustration No. 1:
11 I llust ration ~o. 1:
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RESIDENTIAL
High Efficiency Variable Speed Motor
High Effic i ency Tanked Water He ater
Space Heat Conversion (Direct Use of Natural Gas)
Water Heat Conversion (Direct Use of Natural Gas)
Multifamily Natural Gas Market Transformation (Direct
Use of Natural Gas)
Ceiling , Attic, Floor, Wall Insulation
Energy Efficient Windows
ENERGY STAR® Homes
ENERGY STAR® Appliances
CFL (and CFL Recyc l ing) Promotions
"Second" Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling Program -
(Discontinued mid-2015)
Community Events and Workshops
Low-cost/no-cost information
On-line Home Energy Audits and Analysis
Simple Steps Smart Savings (CFLs, LEDs and Showerheads)
Johnson, Di 7
Avista Corporation
1 The residential programs shown above a r e primarily
2 s tandard offerings, otherwise known as prescriptive
3 programs .
4 Idaho residential customers also received Avista-
5 sponsored programs in the form of manufacturer buy -downs for
6 compact fluorescent lighting (CFL), light-emitting diodes
7 (LED 's) and l ow-flow showerhead measures (Simple St eps Smart
8 Savings). These products have a lower retail price point at
9 the time of purchase and are usually part of a regional ,
10 multi-state program offering .
11 Q. Pleas e da s c ribe t h e nonresiden ·t:ial 0 SM o £f e ring s
12 p rovided du ring thi s time .
13 A. Within the nonresidential segment , programs ar e
14 offered to retail electric and natural gas customers through
15 a combination of prescriptive rebates and site specific
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assessments .
relatively
Prescriptive rebates are gea re d toward
uni form measures , app l ications and energy
18 savings . This delivery method reduces implementation expense
19 while simplifying participation for both customers and trade
20 allies .
21 The site spec i fic offerings are available fo r a l l other
22 efficiency mea sur es and applicat ions that are unique to a
23 customer 's bus i ness. In these situations , each energy
John son , Di 8
Avista Corporation
1 efficiency project is individually analyzed based on the
2 measure being installed and considers other variab les that
3 may be present in the building or in the process operation.
4 Illustration No. 2 below includes a list of
5 nonresidential rebates available for e l ectric customers in
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the 2014 and 2015 program years:
Illustration No. 2:
NONRESIDENTIAL (COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL)
EnergySmart Grocer
Power Management for PC Networks
*Premium Efficiency Motors
Fo od Service Equipment
Commercial HVAC Variable Frequency Drives
Re Lro-C ommis 0 i oning
Conmerc i a l Cl othes Wa s hers
Li ghting a nd Cont r ols
Green Motors Rewind Program
*Commercial Window s and Insulat ion
*Commercial Water Heater Program
*Standby Generator Block Heater
Site Specific Offerings in Various End Uses
*Discontinued in 2015, moved to site-specific program
Avista offers site-specific incentives for commercial
24 and indu s t r ial customers for custom projec ts. The s i t e -
25 specific program provides incentives on cost -effect ive
26 commercial and industrial energy efficiency measures that
27 meet required simple payback and measure life requirements.
28 This is implemented through on-site audits and analyses,
29 customized project evaluation, and dual fuel incentive
Johnson, Di 9
Avista Corporation
1 calculators for energy savings generated specific to the
2 customer's premise or process ("project u ). Incentives were
3 offered for any measure that had greater than a one-year and
4 less than an eight-year simple payback for lighting measures
5 or less than a thirteen-year simple payback for non-lighting
6 measures .
7 Q. How does Avista address energy efficiency programs
8 for low-income customers?
9 A. The residential low-income program is comprised
10 primarily of site-specific offerings delivered by local
11 Cornmuni l y Ac t ion h.ge a c i es (CAAs) t o o e nefit income -
12 qua lifi ed, r es i dent i al c us t omers . Avi s ta cont ract s wi t h
13 agenc ies to utilize existing infrastruct ure c urrentl y in
14 place as a result of delivering the Federal Weatherization
15 Assistance and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs
16 (LIHEAP) . The customer intake process includes potential
17 consideration of participation for energy assistance and
18 other income-qualified programs that can also serve as
19 referrals for weatherization services.
20 The program targeted to l ow-inc ome customers is
21 provided by the Community Action Partnership of Lewiston.
22 The agency receives a set amount of funding each year to
23 make energy efficiency improvements to income -qualified
Johnson, Di 10
Avista Corporation
1 homes that are heated by Avista electric or natural gas
2 services. These improvements may include upgrades to heating
3 and water heating equipment , ceiling , wal l and floor
4 insulation , replacement of windows, doors , and conversions
5 from electric heating to natural gas heating .
6 Q. What was the cost of Avista's electric efficiency
7 acquisitions?
8 A. During 2014-15 , the Company spent $9 ,999 ,742 on
9 Idaho electric DSM programs, of which 47 % was paid out to
10 customers in direct incentives pursuant to the cost-
11 e f fe cti ve ness t ests sh ,)wn i n Exh i bi t ilo . 1, Sc he dul e s 1 a nd
12 2 . Th i s p e rcentage ctoe s n ot i nc l ude a dd it i ona l b e ne f i t s
13 such as te c hnical ana lyse s provided t o c ustomers by the
14 Compan y 's DSM engineering staff or regional market
15 transformation efforts through NEEA.
16 Q. Do the 2014-15 results reflect Avista's
17 participation in regional energy efficiency efforts?
18 A . No . The numbers reported only include the local
19 acquisition evaluated by the Company 's independent evaluator
20 Nexant, and do not include 4 , 030 MWh of first -year Idaho
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savings acquired through Northwest Energy Effi ciency
Alliance's (NEEA) regional efforts . NEEA focuses on using
23 a regional approach to obtain electric efficiency through
Johnson , Di 11
Avista Corporation
1 the transformation of markets for efficiency measures and
2 services. Avista has been a member of the NEEA, and actively
3 invo lved in its governance, since the creation of that
4 organization in 1996. As one of fourteen funders, Avista is
5 supportive of the use of a coordinated regi onal market
6 transformation effort to the extent that the effort is a
7 cost-effective enhancement of, or alternative to , local
8 utility efforts at acquiring those resources for our
9 customers. Avista has committed to NEEA's next funding
10 period of 2015 through 2019, opting in for all NEEA
11 in i t i ative s.
12 The leveliz e d c ost of r Esou r c es a cq u i r ed throu gh
13 Av is ta ' s Idaho p a rticipation in NEEA was $28 . 9 per firs t
14 year MWh. This compares with $28.4 per first-year MWh for
15 Avista -funded local cost-effective e nergy efficiency
16 programs in Idaho . During 2014 Avista's Idaho -relat ed NEEA
17 fu ndi n g wa s $603,481, and for 2015 Avista' s Idaho-related
18 NEEA funding was $563 ,571.
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As will be discussed late in my testimony, the Idaho
electric programs have been cost -effective, including
21 Avista's participation in NEEA, from both a Total Resource
22 Cost (TRC) test and Program Administrator Cost (PAC) test
23 perspective.
Johnson, Di 12
Avista Corporation
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Q. What is the status of the Idaho electric and
natural gas tariff rider balances?
A. At December 31 , 2 015, the Idaho electric and
natural gas tariff rider balances were $431,784 underfunded
and $60 ,768 underfunded, respectively (i.e. dollars expended
6 exceeded dollars collected through the Tariff Rider)1 •
7 Q. Please describe the opportunity for external
8 participation in Avista's DSM activities.
9 A . The Company has had continuo us energy efficiency
10 stakeholder involvement sin c e 1992 . The Company's program
11 o f f e r ings, p l a n ning, e '1a l ua t i on f in d i n g s , un d erlyi ng c ost -
12 ef f e cti ve nes s tes t s a n d re s ul t s a r e re v iewe d d ur in g
13 stakeholde r meetings . Currentl y , the Compan y ho l ds in-pe r s o n
14 meetings at least twice per year, ho sts several webinars
15 annually, provides a full analysis of the results of DSM
16 operations on an annual and monthly basis, identifies large
17 pro j e c t s a nd provides a quarterly ne wsletter summarizing
18 recent DSM activities2 • Since January 2016, Avista has held
19 seve r a l me etings with its Advis o r y Group, by way o f
20 conference calls , emails and webinars as well as two in -
1 The tariff rider a dj ustments were approved effect i ve Octob er 1, 2013
for electric and January 1, 2016 for na tural gas .
2 With appropriate precautions for customer confidentiality .
Johnson , Di 13
Avista Corporation
1 person meetings. The spring meeting , which was on the heels
2 of the Spring NEEA Energy Exchange Conference in Coeur
3 d 'Alene , ID , was one of the most attended meetings i n sev eral
4 years , with 12 external members in -person and two additional
5 externals calling in . In addition , the Company had numerous
6 phone discussions with the Advisory Group on topics related
7 to DSM activit i es , as well as current and future eva l uations.
8 Avista 's DSM Advisory Group consists of interested
9 regulatory , consumer and energy industry parties3 •
10 Avista appreciates the active engagement of many
11 pa~t ~es , i ncl udi ng the Commis s i on 3t a ff a s p a rt of our Ene r gy
12 Ef f i c iency Ad vi so .c y Group . Addi t ionally, t he Sna ke Riv er
13 Allia n c e , t h e No rt hwest Ene r g y Coalition, Unive r sit y o f
14 I daho I ntegrated Design Lab , and the Northwest Industrial
15 Gas Users have representation on Avista 's Advisory Group .
16 III. PRUDENCE OF INCURRED DSM COSTS
17 Q. Would you please explain the Company's request for
18 a finding of prudence in this case?
3 The Advisory Gr oup i s Avista 's non-b indi ng overs i ght and ad v i sor y group
for energy eff ici e ncy . The Advisory group is current l y compos ed of the
I PUC Staff , UTC sta f f, OPUC Staff, the Public Counsel Unit of the
Washi ngton Of f i ce o f At torney General , Northwest Energy Coalition, SNAP,
The Energy Proj ec t , Northwest Energy Effi ciency Alliance , Northwest
Power and Conservati on Council , No r thwest Energy Eff i c i ency Council ,
I daho Conservati on League , Putnam Price and the Opportuni ty Council .
Johnson, Di 14
Avista Corporation
1 A. Yes . The Idaho electric programs have been cost-
2 effective from both a Total Resource Cost ( TRC) test and
3 Program Administrator Cost (PAC) test perspective. The 2014
4 TRC benefit-to -cost ratio of 1 .76 for the Idaho electric DSM
5 portfolio is cost-effective, with a residual TRC benefit to
6 customers of over $6 .0 million as provided in Exhibit No.l,
7 Schedule 1. The 2015 TRC benefit-to-cost ratio of 1.29 for
8 the Idaho electric DSM portfolio is cost-effective , with a
9 residual TRC benefit to customers of over $2 .4 million . The
10 PAC, also known as the Utility Cost Test (UCT), benefit-to­
ll c o s t r at i o jur ing 2 01 4 w:i.s 3 .2 2, with a re :..;i dua ::i_ PAC be n efit
12 o f nea rly $ 9 . 1 mill i on . The b e ne fi t -t o-c os t ra t i o d u ring
13 2015 was 2.3 9, with a r esidual PAC bene f it of nearly $6 .1
14 million. These are summarized in Exhibit No . 1, Schedule 2 ,
15 starting at page 6.
16 Q. Please summarize the Company's energy efficiency-
17 related savings for this period?
18 A . From January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2015,
19 the Company achieved 35,111 MWh of savings, including NEEA ,
20 on a gross basis. Pages 6 through 11 of Exhibit No. 1,
21 Schedule 1 detail the energy savings by regular and low-
22 income portfolios for both electric and natural gas DSM
23 programs.
Johnson, Di 15
Avista Corporation
1 Q. What evaluation of the Company's DSM programs have
2 occurred?
3 A. Nexant performed independent , or "third -party "
4 impact and process evaluation on Avista 's DSM programs for
5 the 2014 -1 5 peri od . Impact evaluation is intended to verify ,
6 and adjust as necessary , "claimed " savings . Process
7 eval u at i on reviews "procedures" for continual improvement .
8 Nexant concluded that Avista 's I daho e l ectric DSM
9 programs achieved 31 ,08 1 MWh in 2014 -15 cost-effectively and
10 that Avista's 20 1 4-20 1 5 energy efficiency programs addressed
11 c1 ll i mpac t and p ro c e s s ev a lu a ti on n eed s i n a c cor d anc e wi t h
12 i n dus t ry a n d r egul a to r y st a n dard s.
13 Q. What efforts t o improve the management of its DSM
14 program has Avista made since its last request for DSM
15 prudence in Idaho?
16 A. Avista continues t o actively manage and monitor
17 the progress of its programs that are delivered t o cust ome rs
18 with an emphasis on continuous improvements. We hold weekly
19 meetings with Program Managers and Management to s e rve as an
20 opportunity for status reports on project progress , results ,
21 and current issues . Avista ' s DSM management continues to
22 foc u s on the employment of utility best practices rel ated to
23 DSM program implementation and oversight.
Johnson , Di 16
Avista Corporation
1 The Company's DSM team achieved its combined 2014 -2015
2 savings targets, by continuously innovating, adapting, and
3 expanding program offerings. The Company remains committed
4 to its approach to energy efficiency, based on two key
5 principles. The first is to pursue all cost-effective
6 kilowatt hours and therms by offering financial incentives
7 for most energy saving measures with a simple financial
8 payback of over one year. The second key principle is to
9 use the most effective "mechanism" to deliver energy
10 efficiency services to customers.
11 Avi s t a i ~ f i na li z ing c on t r a ct negot i a ti ons wi t h N~xa~t
12 t o purcha s e a nd in t e ~ra t e the i r i Ene r gy DSM Ce ntral
13 enterprise s o ftware as the single sy s tem of record. The
14 Company believes that a single system of record will improve
15 its reporting ability, as well as, increase transparency by
16 providing external stakeholders remote access. The Company
17 has been utilizing past business mapping exerci s es, as well
18 as coordinating with other regional utilities on potential
19 program templates which may help speed the software
20 integration .
21
Johnson, Di 17
Avista Corporation
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Q.
A.
IV. SUMMARY OF REQUEST
Please summarize Avista's request in this case?
The Company requests a finding that the
4 expenditure of tariff rider revenue has been reasonable and
5 prudent . A portfolio o f programs covering all cust ome r
6 classes has been offered with gross savings of 35 ,111 MWh
7 during January 1 , 2014 through December 31 , 2 015 . The 2 014-
8 15 UCT benefit-to-cost ratio of 2.79 for the electric DSM
9 portfo lio is cost -effective.
10 The Tariff Rider funded programs have been successful .
11 Partic i p ~ti ng cu s tomer s na ve b e nefite d t hro ugh l ower bi l l s .
12 Non -pa r t j ci pa t ing c us t omar s h a ve b e ne fi t e d f r om t he Compa n y
13 having a c quired lower c o st r e sourc es as we ll a s mainta i ning
14 the energy efficiency message and infrastructure for the
15 benefit of our service territory .
16 V. OTHER COMPANY WITNESSES
17 Q. Would you please provide a brief summary of the
18 testimony of the other witness representing Avista in this
19 proceeding?
20 A . Yes . The following additional witness is
21 sponsoring direct testimony on behalf of Avista :
22 Lynn Roy , CEM , Principal at Nexant will present the
23 results of third party verification of Avista 's 2014-15 DSM
Johnson, Di 18
Avista Corporation
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electric portfolio .
and conclusions
Ms . Roy will describe the methodology
of her company's independent impact
3 evaluations and process evaluations that are a central
4 component of Avista 's Evaluation, Measurement , and
5 Verification (EM&V) Framework and EM&V Plan .
6 Her testimony concludes that Avista 's Idaho electric
7 DSM programs achieved 31 ,0 81 MWh in 2014-15 cost-effectively
8 and that Avista 's 2014 -2015 energy efficiency programs
9 addressed all impact and process evaluation needs in
10 accordance with industry and regulatory standards .
11
12 Q.
VI. :i:DAHO RESEARCH AND DEVELO:E-MENT
Ple a s e p r ovide an updat e on Avi s t a's rese arc h and
13 development work with Idaho Universities.
14 A. On August 30 , 2013 Avista filed a request with the
15 Commission to authorize up to $300 ,000 per year of Schedule
16 91 , DSM Tariff Rider revenue to fund appl ied research at
17 Idaho 's universiti e s through a "call for papers " approach .
18 The intent of this initiative is to supplement the pipeline
19 of emerging technology . The Commission approved this request
20 in Case No . AVU-E-13-08 on October 30 , 20 13. The Company
21 filed its Annual Report on March 31 , 2016 .
22 The following is a brief description of each of the
23 four selected projects for the 2015-2016 collegiate year :
Johnson , Di 19
Avista Corporation
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Increasing Hydropower Generating Efficiency through Drag
Reduction: Energy loss due to friction occurs at various
phases of hydropower generation. This research investigates
the potential of reducing the energy loss in the penstock so
that more energy is available for power generation. The
concrete/ cement surf ace of pens tock inner walls is
hydrophilic . Nanotechnology has made it possible to make
these surfaces hydrophobic or even super-hydrophobic.
Frictional drag reduction by hydrophobicity over concrete
surface treated with Zycosil has not been demonstrated or
quantified. This project evaluates the potential of
frictional drag reduction over Zycosil-treated surfaces.
Bidirectional Charger Effects on Local Electrical Grids with
Limited Access: With the increasing popularity of electrical
vehicles and the anticipated decrease in their purchase
prices over the next several years , electrical vehicles are
coming to every commercial and academic campus. On-site
charging is a benefit that many employers may want to
p r. ov i de . Thi s pr o j e ct pro p oses t o b uild a b i dire c tio nal
c har g i ng sy s t P.m on a uni versi t y c a mpus, a s yster1 t hat
o p er a t e s wit hi ~ t he v olt a ge s an d p owe r levels t ypica l o f a
home or small commercial building . We will use this charger
to inve stigate the ef f ect s of bidi r ecti onal charging on the
electrical utility system within the building and on nearby
buildings.
Simulation-Based Commissioning of Energy Management Control
Systems: The r e s e arch aims to develop a me thod t o use e nergy
simulation and co-simulation software to perform automated
and s emi-a ut omated pre-commissioning or re t r o c ommis s i oning
(Cx) of the programming that resides ins ide a cons t ructed
building 's energy management contro l sys t em (EMS). This
phase of the research is to complete manual proof of concept
work, b e nc hmark baseline performance of a chosen tes t site,
and estimate energy savings potential v i a simulation of
alternate building control strategies.
Residential Static VAR Compensator: To develop a smart
demand-side management device based on the concept of a
Residential Static VAR Compensator (RSVC) for regulating
residential voltages, especially during peak demand hours.
The proposed residential static VAR compensator reduces
Johnson, Di 20
Avista Corporation
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power consumption during peak hours in order to save energy
and costs of generation .
Q. Does that complete your pre-filed direct
testimony?
A. Yes , it does.
Johnson, Di 21
Avista Corporation