?Had a chance learn and connect with the doers in the energy space at the 50th PLMA (@PLMAflm) conference working to modernize our power grid and improve people’s lives though load flexibility.
The conference offered a fascinating look at the motivations and challenges faced by a diverse ecosystem across utilities, regulatory bodies, vendors/startups, device OEMs, implementers, installers, and industry organizations. Here are a few key takeaways:
??Load Flexibility No Longer an Option: Ramping up VPPs and load flexibility is critical to align load with low cost/fast to stand up renewable energy sources in order to meet load growth demand ??over the next 5 years.
??Customer DR Evolution: Customer demand response programs are finally moving beyond smart thermostats! New pilots are making progress towards multi-device programs, expanding the potential impact on the grid.
??Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G): Early Days: V2G is still in its early stages. ????Although utilities are piloting programs, we’re facing high V2G charger costs (4-5x regular chargers) and alignment challenges on standards. Much work remains before adoption can truly scale.
??Customer-Centric Simplicity: Dollars and cents are king! ?? Customers want simple ways to track savings, dead-simple incentive structures, and one-step program onboarding—all in one place. This simplicity is hard to achieve, given the challenges across the industry stack.
??Valuing the "Complete Value Stack": Properly quantifying both monetary and non-monetary benefits of load flexibility remains a challenge—but it's essential to drive the industry forward.
Thanks to the warm and collaborative PLMA community for the opportunity to volunteer at the show. Truly made attending solo such a welcoming experience! Looking forward to seeing how the industry advances in the coming years.
President/CEO at Francium Strategies LLC
4 个月Wishing you the best after the most recent storm!