CEA Awarded GFO Grant from California Energy Commission for Advanced Plug Load Research
SACRAMENTO, California, February 16, 2021 — The California Energy Alliance (CEA), California’s leading energy stakeholder advocacy organization, today announced that they were awarded EPIC funding for the California Energy Commission (CEC) solicitation GFO-20-303 for applied research and development and technology demonstration and deployment projects that advance innovative technologies for controlling plug load and exterior lighting energy use.
The objectives of the research are to reduce electricity use of active and standby modes for residential and commercial plug load devices and provide information that may inform future updates to codes and standards.
CEA will partner with the University of California, Davis (California Lighting Technology Center) and University of California, Irvine (CALPLUG) in the project. The project is expected to span three years, and work is expected to start in March 2021. The total funding allocated for this part of the opportunity is $997,000.
“This research is important because plug loads are one of the fastest growing categories of energy use in residential and commercial buildings in California and are not currently widely monitored or controlled. Results from the research will ultimately have a tangible impact on how we implement future demand management and grid modernization strategies in California. This project is also a prime example of how CEA leverages the rich diversity of collaborative expertise in its member base to identify and deliver vital research and development to meet the demands of evolving California’s energy future. We look forward to working with our partners and the California Energy Commission on this exciting project,” said Josh Dean, CEA Executive Director.”
The CEC received eleven proposals by the due date, October 5, 2020. Each proposal was screened, reviewed, evaluated, and scored using the solicitation criteria. All eleven proposals passed the stage one application screening.
The project was approved at a publicly noticed CEC business meeting on February 10, 2021. For information on the meeting see: https://www.energy.ca.gov/event/meeting/2021-02/energy-commission-business-meeting
For more information on GFO-20-303 and the Notice of Proposed Awards, see:
https://www.energy.ca.gov/solicitations/2020-07/gfo-20-303-advanced-plug-load-and-smart-exterior-lighting-systems and https://www.energy.ca.gov/media/4693
About the California Energy Commission
The California Energy Commission is leading the state to a 100 percent clean energy future. It has seven core responsibilities: developing renewable energy, transforming transportation, increasing energy efficiency, investing in energy innovation, advancing state energy policy, certifying thermal power plants, and preparing for energy emergencies.
About CEA
Founded in 2016, CEA is a nonprofit, non-partisan alliance of business, government, environmental and NGO leaders advocating for energy productivity to achieve economic growth, environmental justice, energy security, affordability, and resilience. CEA’s work focuses on advocacy, outreach, and evolution of codes, standards, and policy.
For information on CEA membership, initiatives, and history, see https://caenergyalliance.org/ or contact clifton.lemon@caenergyalliance.org.