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Distributed Energy Resource Grid Transformation and Customer-Sited Virtual Power Plants

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Women in Renewable Energy

Part of the book series: Women in Engineering and Science ((WES))

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Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of customer-driven electricity grid transformation. It will define customer-sited distributed energy resources (DERs) and describe their aggregation into virtual power plants that will lead to grid decarbonization. It looks at the evolution of energy policy, technology, financing, and business models that have enabled clean energy investment for DERs for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. It explores the increasing potential for energy storage, rooftop solar, electrified loads, analytical tools and energy services to become significant drivers of decarbonization by adding more granularity in control and increasing value to the grid. It also provides key insights, as seen through project implementation in the authors’ careers, of the market models that have been successfully used to deploy distributed energy resources and the opportunities unfolding in the sector. The chapter is written from the viewpoint of author Audrey Lee, unless otherwise indicated.

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Notes

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    https://www.utilitydive.com/news/disruptor-sunrun-distributed-energy-services-solar-storage-dive-awards/566256/

  2. 2.

    https://www.californiadgstats.ca.gov/charts/

  3. 3.

    https://calsomah.org/

  4. 4.

    https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/demand-side-management/california-solar-initiative/csi-multifamily-affordable-solar-housing-program

  5. 5.

    https://planning.lacity.org/eir/CrossroadsHwd/deir/files/references/M420.pdf

  6. 6.

    https://www.rewiringamerica.org/IRAguide

  7. 7.

    https://nepool.com/

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. San Francisco, CA, USA

    Ja-Chin Audrey Lee

  2. Burlingame, CA, USA

    Laura Fedoruk

  3. Los Altos, CA, USA

    Steve Wheat

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  1. Ja-Chin Audrey Lee
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  2. Laura Fedoruk
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  1. Energy Solutions, Orange, CA, USA

    Katherine T. Wang

  2. Technically Speaking, Inc, Greenwood Village, CO, USA

    Jill S. Tietjen

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Lee, JC.A., Fedoruk, L., Wheat, S. (2023). Distributed Energy Resource Grid Transformation and Customer-Sited Virtual Power Plants. In: Wang, K.T., Tietjen, J.S. (eds) Women in Renewable Energy. Women in Engineering and Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28543-1_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28543-1_4

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