Integration of Real-Time Building Data into Economic Dispatch of Dynamically Electrified Building Steam Systems

Generating steam from boilers for commercial building and industrial use costs American businesses over ten billion dollars per year, constituting 13% of commercial building, and 9% of industrial, energy consumption. Selectively offsetting fuel consumption for steam generation with electric steam generation can substantially reduce the cost of generating steam while enhancing resiliency, providing valuable grid services, and reducing emissions. Facilities can realize these benefits by installing a new electric boiler in parallel with the existing fossil fuel boiler and optimizing dispatch of the hybrid boiler system to minimize facility costs in response to volatile electricity pricing—a process called dynamic electrification. This project will enable dynamic electrification by incorporating real-time building data into the dispatch optimization. Phase I will support development of the optimization by incorporating 1) real-time monitoring of boiler operations, 2) current and forecasted building electrical load, and 3) procedurally generated descriptions of the building’s electricity tariff. Technology developed through this program could reduce the cost of steam generation for fuel oil boilers in the United States by 25%. This technology would be applicable across the fleet of commercial buildings using boilers and in manufacturing facilities using steam for thermal processes. This cost reduction will enhance the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers of energy intensive products.