To accurately evaluate the customer, utility, and societal benefits of electrification—the adoption of beneficial electric technologies in place of alternatives—the development of a standard analytical framework is necessary. This technical update outlines the approach taken to quantify the overall load growth, economic, and environmental impacts of electrification.
Background
Business enterprises are constantly striving to increase productivity and enhance their competitiveness in the global marketplace. In many cases, electrification—the application of novel, energy-efficient electric technologies as alternatives to fossil-fueled or non-energized processes—can boost productivity and improve product quality for end-use customers.
Objectives
To improve the framework that can be used for quantifying the benefits of electrification.
Approach
Two distinct tools have been developed. The first, the electrification initial screening tool, can be used to identify technologies that are both cost effective for the customer, and have widespread utility impacts. The second, the electrification impacts tool, can be used to do detailed analyses of the load growth, economic, and environmental impacts of specific opportunities.
Results
This document outlines the analytics and modeling framework used by the Electrification for Customer Productivity Program (P199), as well as the updates and improvements made to this framework in 2017. These improvements allow for a more accurate and robust analysis of utility information during member-specific portfolio assessments.
Applications, Value, and Use
The analytical tools developed are intended to be applied by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in member-specific portfolio assessments to examine the potential for electrification within the member's service territory on a technology-by-technology basis, and to conduct detailed studies on the economic and environmental impacts of electrification for technologies selected for deep dive analysis. This technical update can be used to better understand the framework of EPRI's electrification analytical tools, as well as the changes implemented as part of the 2017 Electrification Program.