Foothill College's energy system includes 1.5 MW of solar PV, 250 KW of cogeneration, and utility power. The document discusses distributed generation, the intelligent grid, and a new electricity model with energy generation close to loads. It also examines the energy pulse of the campus throughout the day and the concept of "Energy Intelligence" which uses monitoring, modeling, and management of smart energy systems.

1. Foothill Energy System
Foothill College
Fall 2012

2. Big Ideas
• Modern utility systems
• Foothill’s power grid
• Renewable Energy (RE), Distributed
generation (DG) and Intelligent Grid (IG)
• New Electricity Model
• Energy pulse of a building
• Energy Intelligence Ei = cm3

3. Important Energy Units
• KW => Kilowatts (1,000 watts)
• MW => Megawatts (1,000,000 watts)
• kWh => Kilowatt-Hours
• mWh => Megawatt-Hours
• Therms => 100,000 BTU of heat capacity
• BTU => British Thermal Units
• Joule => one watt-second
• KJ => Kilo Joules (~ 0.95 BTU)

4. Modern Utility Systems
1) The power plant, where primary energy from fuel is converted to electricity using a generator. 2) High-
voltage transmission lines, which efficiently move electricity over large distances from power plants to end
users. These are necessary, because today most power plants are built in remote places far from where
people live, since a power plant is seldom a good thing to live beside. 3) A substation is the link between the
transmission system and the distribution system. It "steps down" the voltage to lower levels suitable for
distributing to end users. 4) Transformers reduce the voltage further to levels that can be used by appliances
and machines operated by end users. 5) Local distribution wires move this low-voltage power to end-use
locations, otherwise known as homes, schools and businesses.
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/ebf200up/node/151

5. Foothill Power Grid
• 1.5 MW solar photovoltaic (PV)
– 100KW PE
– 440 KW IH
– 1 MW Lots 2-3
• 250 KW cogeneration
– 4 Capstone micro turbines in PE
• Main PG&E utility meter
• 75 buildings (8-10 building types)

6. Foothill Energy System
Foothill College is the ideal test bed for innovative energy technology for
clean generation, smart distribution, and efficient end use

7. Large Scale RE
Distributed Generation

8. Renewable Energy (RE)
• Zero emission power!
• 1.5 MW (mega-watt) Solar PV
• Generates ~ 2 million kWh per year
– 25% of our 8M kWh projected load
• Produces 80 to 120% of our peak load
– Very strong daytime electricity demand
• Offsets natural gas (power) on hot days
– Saves ~ 1 lb of CO2 for every kWh produced

9. Capstone Microturbine
Benefits
Ultra-low emissions (CARB 2003 DG certified)
Minimal annual maintenance
Direct2Grid interconnection UL1741, CA Rule 21,
NYPSC DG , No fluid storage, leakage, changes,
disposal Reduced compression maintenance
As low as 0.2 psig inlet pressure
Uncontaminated exhaust heat for sensitive direct-
drying applications
Phase-to-phase balance (0-100%) on stand-alone
units
Small footprint, lightweight , Vibration-free, quiet
operation . Easy indoor/outdoor/rooftop sitting
Zero hardware arraying (up to 1.2MW)
Optional remote monitoring/dispatch
Optional heat recovery module
Optional 2-to-100-unit PowerServer networking
Optional external gas compressor that serves
multiple units
All Capstone MicroTurbines Operate
Continuously or On-Demand
Stand alone or Grid Connect
Individually or Multi-pack
Run on a variety of fuels
Low or High Pressure Natural Gas
Biogas (landfill, wastewater treatment
centers, anaerobic)
Flare gas , Diesel , Propane , Kerosene

10. Capstone Microturbine Heat Recirculation
Waste heat from the generation of electricity is recirculated through
a heat exchanger and transferred to a thermal sink, typically district
steam, heating a swimming pool, or hot water for a hotel or hospital.

11. Distributed Generation (DG)
• Generating power from the inside out
• Local generation of electricity
– Power generation “inside the meter”
• Reduces demand from central plants
• PV generation erases HVAC load
• Cogeneration heats the swimming pool

12. Distributed Generation + Intelligent Grid Vision
Making Clean Local Energy Accessible Now 12

13. New Electricity Model
• Building from the middle out
• Large-scale RE ‘inside the meter’
• Power generation close to load
• Sometimes called a ‘microgrid’
• Combines DG, RE, storage and IG
– Active load control and balancing
– Adv. Meter Data Management (MDM)

14. Smart Energy System Stack
Electrical Generation
Clean generation
Flow of Flow of
Energy Smart distribution Information
Efficient end use
Electrical Use
SYS-STEMic Energy principles described in Foothill College NSF-ATE Energy Program proposal October 2010

15. Energy Systems Model
fossil-fuel based & centralized
1 Modern Energy
Systems
Macrogrid de-c Clean generation
bon entr
lo w -car alize
EMS/DMS/GIS
d
2 Large-scale 3 Distributed
Renewables Resources
inte
grat tion
io n integra
4 Smart Energy
Microgrid Smart distribution
Systems
DR /
2G AM I
G 2V/V /HEN
5 Advanced 6 Building Energy
Transportation Efficiency
Nanogrid Efficient end use

16. Energy Pulse of a Campus
• Baseload energy
• Start-up (morning) energy
• PV production starts
• Midday (all systems on)
• Afternoon HVAC & PV on
• Evening HVAC on, PV off

17. Itron Interval Data 3/1 - 4/15
From the largest power user to the largest power producer
=> We are a self study in distributed electrical generation

18. Energy Intelligence =>
Ei=cm3
• Ei=cm3
• Energy Intelligence from computational:
– Monitoring
– Modeling
– Management
• Smart energy systems that integrate:
– Clean generation, smart distribution, and
efficient end-use (ecomagination principles)

19. Monitor
• Gather
– Utility meter and bills
– PV and cogen inverter output
– Submetering of buildings
• Organize
– Data by month, day, and hour
• Inspect
– Missing or anomalous data

20. Model
• When, where, and how is energy used?
• Benchmarking / comparative analysis
– How do our buildings perform compared to
other public buildings, similar size and use?
• Time-of-Use (ToU)
– Baseline (baseload) energy
– Energy Pulse (Pattern of ToU)
– Peak energy demand

21. Manage
• How can energy be used better?
– Energy Management Systems (EMS) working?
– Building Automation Controls (BAC) working?
• Have buildings been commissioned?
– Monitoring based commissioning (MBCx)
• What efficiency projects could be done?
• Can ToU be managed to generation?
– Alter the aggregate campus energy pulse

22. PSEC Energy Analysis
Program Analysis Sustainable Design Dept. Blocks/Bldg. Space Planning Site Analysis/Planning Image Study
Energy Cost Savings: 30.34 %

23. Active Learning PSEC
Winter 2013 planned occupancy

25. Smart Home Metering
Allegro.com

26. Building Science and
Performance Engineering
Remediation Analysis, BPI
Plug Loads Benchmarking
Energy Efficiency
Solar PV AMI/DR
Cogen Onsite Generation Building EMS HAN/HEN
Fuel cell BEMS/IT
Is this an industry, a building strategy, a set of SI competencies, or an ES-CO professional?

27. Summary
• Foothill College’s energy system
– PV, cogen, utility power feed
• Distributed Generation (DG)
• Intelligent Grid (IG)
• New Electricity Model
• Energy pulse of a building
• Energy Intelligence => Ei=cm3

28. Zimride Ridesharing
• Facebook trust platform
• Locate drivers/riders near you
• Keep track of rides, trip (VMT)
and GHG reduction
• Ridesharing networks
• Ridesharing culture

30. Ridesharing Culture
Social engineering for a world with fewer cars, less
petroleum, and a genuine desire to collaborate

31. Social Transportation
Networks => Tools
Flows of vehicles that have Flows of people that have
positions and paths schedules and destinations
V (P,P) <= Social Transportation Tools => P (S,D)

32. Ridesharing Corridors
San Francisco
Skyline Daly City
Foothill Palo Alto
De Anza Cupertino
San Jose