Research
Slipstream supports Dane county communities in developing energy plans to…
Many of the largest US cities adopted ambitious goals to reduce their energy and carbon emissions. However, not all communities have the same resources to tackle complex issues of reducing overall energy consumption. To leverage the resources that collaboration can provide, seven communities in Dane County (Fitchburg, Marshall, Middleton, Monona, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, and Waunakee) came together to develop energy plans that provide clear guidance on near term actions for each community. Continue reading
Blog
Utility business models: The role of investor value
In the ongoing discussions of the changing utility industry landscape, the term business model is frequently heard, but unfortunately rarely defined in an explicit way. Statements such as “utilities need new business models” therefore ring hollow.
The management literature suggests that a business model must: Continue reading
Research
Better buildings, cleaner grid. Slipstream commits to new solutions around…
Why are so many utilities pivoting to grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEB)? Because load flexibility is becoming as important to decarbonization as energy efficiency. In some jurisdictions, utility demand charges can be 30-70% of a customer’s utility bill. Utilities and clean grid advocates see real potential in GEB. Utilities can use flexible building loads to help mitigate grid stresses in peak demand periods and help keep fossil fueled power plants offline. GEB can provide certain grid services like load shifting, load shedding, and modulation. Continue reading
Research
How can we make our building systems work together to interact effectively…
Peak demand patterns are changing and stressing the grid in new ways. What if our buildings could mitigate grid stress during peak demand?
Connected lighting. Automated shades. Intelligent energy storage. Slipstream is analyzing how, when these systems work together, we can achieve maximum flexible load for the grid. We will design and implement the integrated systems on two real buildings. We’ll find out how these systems work for the grid and for people. Continue reading
Research
What is the best method to harness thermal energy storage in refrigeration…
Industrial refrigeration consumes more energy per cubic foot than any other utility load. Refrigerated facilities are energy intense and have a large peak demand. This demand creates significant impact on the grid. For an owner or operator, these facilities are expensive to operate. Thermal storage creates the opportunity to save energy and reduce or shift peak demand – resulting in energy cost savings. It also increases system resiliency. Continue reading
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