Page 55 - North American Clean Energy November/December 2018 Issue

Large-scale battery inverter-charger
Energy Retrofits as a Solution
Policies like building energy efficiency codes help new constructions capture these benefits, but what about existing buildings? The global average retrofit
rate is estimated to be only 1 percent
of the building stock each year, which means that the deployment of these upgrades can be massively increased with ready-to-be-installed, widely available, and noninvasive energy efficiency technologies. By increasing the global average retrofit rate to just over 5 percent per year (a fraction of its cost-effective potential), we can welcome all expected EVs through 2040 - with minimal added grid infrastructure - and meet the 2°C target set by the Paris Agreement.
Any potential increases in load can also increase the capture, and use, of renewable energy. Germany and California have both progressed deep enough into their energy transitions to realize the importance of demand flexibility as the next necessary step in achieving deep decarbonization. The load profile must be manipulated to match generation. Thus, demand flexibility is essential to meeting clean energy goals. As grids become more saturated with renewable energy, they’ll need to shift
big loads, such as EV charging, to come on during the day. Pairing these types of controls with other energy upgrades, or requiring them in new constructions and major renovations, can aid the grid in achieving more flexibility.
Ignoring these issues, or delaying solution development, presents major risks. Although they offer tremendous climate and public health benefits, EV charging and building electrification can have a sizeable impact on increasingly strained power grids, potentially affecting power reliability and quality, and possible cost increases
for consumers. This is all the more reason why policymakers, industry, and the public should make concerted efforts to more quickly deploy smart energy efficiency technologies. Managing load growth in this way may be one of our best opportunities to modernize the grid, minimize costs, and improve our quality of life.
Amy Egerter and Greg Hopkins are senior associates with Rocky Mountain Institute’s buildings practice.
Rocky Mountain Institute
www.rmi.org
Victron Energy’s MultiPlus-II comes with a stylish steel enclosure, a large internal electronics redesign, and a low production cost, which makes the product much more competitive, especially in large-scale energy projects. Victron MultiPlus-II is a 48V inverter-charger that connects with a wide range of energy storage systems, from lead-acid and lithium-based batteries to zinc-bromine flow batteries. The unit is easy to install with AC connections accessible via a single plate on its base. The 18kg MultiPlus-II draws just 11W of standby power. The MultiPlus-II is a transformer-based system, which can immediately deliver backup power if the grid drops out, including start-up supply for high-demand devices such as air conditioners and freezers. The MultiPlus-II has optional Internet-enabled remote monitoring, both through a secure Victron portal or authenticated third-party applications. This remote monitoring enables the 24/7 performance logging of connected batteries.
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