FEMP Digest: New REopt Lite Web Tool Released

ENERGY.GOV - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Federal Energy Management Program
 

October 2, 2017

REopt Lite Web Screening Tool Logo

New REopt Lite Tool Allows Building Owners to Optimize PV System and Battery Sizes

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) new REopt Lite web tool helps building owners evaluate the economics of grid-connected solar photovoltaics (PV) and battery storage at commercial sites. It identifies the optimal PV system size and battery dispatch strategy to minimize the life cycle cost of energy at a specific site. The web tool also estimates the amount of time a PV and battery system can sustain the site's critical load during a grid outage. The REopt Lite web tool was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office, and the nonprofit Clean Energy Group’s Resilient Power Project, with support from The Kresge Foundation.

REopt Lite is a web version of NREL’s more comprehensive REopt model, available at no cost to the user. The full REopt model is used by NREL analysts to conduct project feasibility analysis for federal agencies, military installations, businesses, campuses, and communities. Over the past 10 years, REopt has been used to evaluate renewable energy opportunities at more than 10,000 sites, and analyses have led to more than 260 megawatts of renewable energy development.

REopt Lite provides access to a subset of REopt capabilities and allows a broader audience to run their own site-specific, optimized, and integrated renewable energy decision analysis in order to accelerate renewable energy and storage project development and deployment. NREL plans to expand REopt Lite in 2018, adding additional capabilities for resiliency analysis and providing access to the model via an application programming interface. 

Visit REopt Lite to try the tool, send feedback, and subscribe to email updates. 

News

eProject Builder Unveils New Capabilities and System Updates

FEMP and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's (LBNL) eProject Builder (ePB) tool is an innovative web-based database that is changing the way energy service companies (ESCOs) and their customers manage project information from energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) and other financed projects. ePB enables users to streamline and standardize project data collection, preserve and track data for the life of the contract, conduct analysis and generate reports for portfolios of projects, and benchmark proposed projects against a historical database of ESCO projects. ePB currently contains nearly 500 projects across federal, state, local, educational and private market sectors. ESCOs with projects under DOE’s latest indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract (awarded in April 2017) are required to register and submit their projects through the ePB system.

The summer of 2017 was a busy one for the eProject Builder team, marking the release of several new features and updates including:

  • an updated version of the project data upload template and online system with new user-requested features; 
  • updates to the analysis and reporting feature to increase ease of use, including a library of editable queries, ability to save favorite report queries and improved table and graph outputs; and
  • platforms for ESCOs to submit their applications and re-certifications for both the DOE‘s Qualified List of ESCOs and the National Association of Energy Service Companies ESCO accreditation process.

Learn more about eProject Builder! Participate in one of the upcoming introductory webinars (October 18th and November 8th) or register for an account.

ENABLE Project Award Includes Energy Sales Agreement for Photovoltaics

Last week the Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) awarded a $9.4 million project for its El Paso Intelligence Center under FEMP’s Energy Savings Performance Contract ENABLE process. ESPC ENABLE is designed to permit a standardized and streamlined procurement process for small federal projects to install energy conservation measures (ECMs) in six months or less. The project, awarded to Ameresco, is the 12th project awarded under ENABLE.

The DEA project’s ECMs include 2.5 megawatts of solar photovoltaics, lighting upgrades, and water conservation measures. The solar photovoltaics component is funded through an Energy Sales Agreement (ESA), the first under ENABLE. An ESA is a project structure that allows federal agencies to utilize the ESPC long-term multiyear contracting authority to implement cost-saving renewable energy conservation measures on federal buildings and land that support domestic energy production and leverage private sector investment. The solar photovoltaic ECM cost is also partially funded by a grant through FEMP’s Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies funding opportunity. 

FEMP recently released its Energy Savings Performance Contracting Energy Sales Agreement Toolkit to provide federal agency contracting officers and other acquisition team members with information that will facilitate the timely execution of ESPC ESA projects. Learn more about ESPC ESAs and access the new ESPC ESA Toolkit.

Visit FEMP’s website to learn more about ESPC ENABLE.

FEMP Updates ESCO Selector Tool

FEMP’s web-based ESCO Selector tool allows agencies to rapidly create a Notice of Opportunity (NOO) for an ESPC project that complies with federal requirements and meets agency needs. ESCO Selector has now been updated to align with the requirements of DOE’s latest ESPC Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract awarded in April 2017. These IDIQ ESPCs are awarded to ESCOs that provide guaranteed cost savings as a result of privately financed energy and water infrastructure improvements to federal facilities, without the need for additional congressional appropriations. Under an ESPC, the contractor designs, constructs, and installs an energy and water savings project that meets the federal agency’s needs as outlined in the NOO and provides the necessary financing, with no required initial cost to the federal agency.

Learn more and get started using the ESCO Selector tool!

Upcoming Webcasts

eProject Builder Demonstration

Live Webinars: October 18 and November 8, 2017

FEMP and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) will present an introduction/demonstration session on eProject Builder, the ESPC project tracking and database system that is required as part of DOE's indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts. The sessions will be interactive, with both a call-in phone line and webinar portion. While all are welcome, the training will be particularly valuable for energy service companies and federal representatives involved in projects that have chosen the energy service company (ESCO) and are in preliminary assessment or investment grade audit stage of their projects. Participants will learn about the benefits of using ePB and get a walk-through of project data entry, tracking and reporting processes. The next available dates and times are:

  • Wednesday, October 18, 2:00-3:30 EDT
  • Wednesday, November 8, 2:00-3:30 EST

To participate in the session, you will need to log in to www.readytalk.com with "access code" 4952370 shortly before the start of the webinar. The call-in line is 866-740-1260. If you would like further information on the sessions or to receive a calendar invitation, please e-mail epb-support@lbl.gov. 

Big Results in Small Places: Exploring the Untapped Energy Efficiency Potential of Small Data Centers

Live Webinar January 9, 2018

Data traffic has grown tremendously in recent years, with no signs of slowing. Close to half of all the servers handling that data live in data centers less than 5,000 square feet; however these smaller data centers are often overlooked when it comes to energy efficiency. There are compelling benefits for deploying energy saving strategies in small data centers for institutions, state and local  governments, utilities, and private companies. Learn about why effective energy management is worth your attention in small data centers, and which low-cost, high-win strategies can reduce energy demand.

Please follow the link to register for this webinar, which is part of the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Webinar Series.

In-Person Events 

Advanced Utility Energy Service Contracts Training

November 13-14, 2017
Ontario, California

Used for small and large projects, a utility energy service contract (UESC) is a limited-source contract between a federal agency and serving utility for energy management and demand-reduction services. Federal sites benefit from UESCs by meeting federal mandates, resolving site-specific challenges such as replacing aging equipment with new more energy-efficient equipment, and reducing operating costs. This two-day training examines strategies and methods used by experienced contracting officers and their technical teams—from project development to contract award and post-acceptance. Attendees will work through exercises designed to develop a project using templates and samples.  Follow the link for more information and to register.

Federal Utility Partnership Working Group Fall Seminar

November 15-16, 2017
Ontario, California

Register now and take advantage of this opportunity to fulfill federally mandated training requirements and expand your network at the 2017 Fall Federal Utility Partnership Working Group (FUPWG) Seminar. FUPWG fosters communication between federal agencies, specific sites, and utilities to implement cost-effective energy efficiency and water conservation projects to help agencies improve operations, upgrade infrastructure, and save taxpayer dollars. Please note that the FUPWG Meeting Code of Conduct prohibits the use of aggressive sales techniques by attendees at FUPWG Seminars, and it is recommended that companies limit attendance to three representatives. For more information please visit the seminar webpage

On Demand eTraining 

FEMP offers self-paced on demand eTraining courses and webinars to help federal agency personnel develop core competencies and comply with energy efficiency, renewable energy, water management and sustainability requirements. Certified FEMP trainings award continuing education units (CEUs).

FEMP Training courses are designed for federal energy and facility managers, but open to all individuals through the FEMP Training Search. Visit FEMP's Training site for a complete list of training offerings.

 

DOE Twitter Twitter

EERE Facebook Facebook

EERE LinkedInLinkedIn

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact support@govdelivery.com.

This service is provided to you at no charge by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE). Visit the Web site at eere.energy.gov.