The American Public Power Association’s Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments program has approved $487,203 in funding for seven projects that aim to apply novel methods and technologies towards improving utility operations and services.
Projects chosen to receive funding are:
Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company ($125,000)
Town-Wide Thermal Scanning to Accelerate the Effectiveness of Standard Audits: MMWEC, on behalf of its member Municipal Light Plants (MLPs), aims to modernize residential conservation audits. While current manual audits are generally successful, they remain costly, require the customer to be both home and present for the audit, and too obstructive for difficult building scenarios. This pilot proposes deploying Kestrix -- a drone-based thermal imaging and AI platform -- to scan the Old Town and Gingerbread Hill districts of Marblehead and the Horseshoe Drive neighborhood of West Boylston, consisting of older, single story ranch homes.
WPPI Energy ($120,000)
Field Validation of AI-Enabled HVAC Optimization for Small Commercial Buildings: This project will evaluate AI-enabled HVAC optimization technologies for commercial buildings through a Wisconsin based field study. AI-enabled HVAC optimization uses advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and automation to adjust heating, cooling, and ventilation in response to building conditions, weather, and occupancy patterns. It also offers predictive maintenance benefits, helping facility managers address operational issues before they lead to equipment failure.
Burbank Water & Power ($77,750)
Power Efficient Design in Utility Customer Electrification Programs: The project will be executed in two parallel steps with feedback loops via a demonstration project to transfer on-the-ground learnings. The first step is designing a program guide to implement power efficient design (PED) in residential buildings – both single and multifamily – with accompanying guides for key audiences. The second step is developing a simulation model to analyze the cost benefits, such as reduced infrastructure upgrades, and staff time, from implementing PED on a utility grid vs. traditional electrification. Finally, a demonstration project on residential units will be performed, informed by this simulation model and the program guide.
Seattle City Light ($75,000)
PERFORM-D: Prof. Education for Resilient and Functional Outcomes in Real-world Mech. Design: The proposed Professional Education for Resilient & Functional Outcomes in Real-world Mechanical design (PERFORM) project advances the design, installation, and commissioning of commercial Central Heat Pump Water Heater (CHPWH) systems for multifamily buildings, addressing a critical need for information to ensure high-performance, energy-efficient, domestic hot water solutions.
Middleborough Gas & Electric Department ($39,953)
Stronger Together Community Engagement Playbook & Toolkit: This initiative will develop a comprehensive and customizable communication playbook used and tested for Massachusetts public power utilities, and templatized for future, broad scale adoption by utilities of any size and location. Included in the playbook is an accompanying toolkit with resources for a broader audience.
Indiana Municipal Power Agency ($30,000)
IMPA Leadership Institute: IMPA plans to launch a 3-day leadership institute program, welcoming approximately 20 new leaders of IMPA member communities to complete the educational program together. Courses throughout the program will include education on IMPA and its services, the broader public power industry, APPA and its services, promotion of the value of municipal utilities, personality assessments that identify enrollees’ strengths and weaknesses, instruction on workforce development, an elected official’s roundtable, and more.
Marblehead Municipal Light Department ($19,500)
Residential Battery Pilot: This project is a residential battery pilot where we are testing whether small, plug-in batteries connected to specific household appliances can serve as a practical tool for reducing peak load. MMLD will deploy a total of 30 plug-in battery units across residential and community-based settings and operate them together as a coordinated load flexibility resource.
The Fall grant application cycle opens May 1 and runs through August 15.
The DEED program funds research, pilot projects, and education to improve the operations and services of public power utilities.
