Slides and Recording from Q2 OpenEAC Alliance Meeting
Notes and Updates
On Thursday, the OpenEAC Alliance convened for its quarterly meeting. The meeting featured an update on the goals and purpose of the OpenEAC Alliance, the process of listing methodologies, and an update on new methodologies under development. Below is the summary as recorded by our AI notetaker. The slides and a link to the actual recording are below:
Slides
Recording (passcode: =h871XoJ)
Overview
The Quarterly Review Meeting of the Open EAC Alliance provided an update on the progress and challenges facing the organization amidst evolving energy industry dynamics. McGee highlighted available resources, underscoring the importance of transparency in sharing methodologies and measurement plans. With the complexity of energy measurement on the rise, the alliance aims to act as a knowledge repository, inviting organizations to contribute methodologies for public discourse. Discussions touched on the transition from theoretical frameworks to empirical practices, addressing the potential for multiple methodologies to complicate system integrity. Financial considerations were also a key agenda item, with emphasis on linking energy savings to demonstrable cost benefits, particularly for low-income communities. Future goals include the development of innovative methodologies for demand response and electrification savings, alongside a commitment to ongoing community engagement between meetings. Action items were established to streamline feedback processes and focus on developing consistent methodologies in the upcoming quarter.
Notes
Introduction and Resources Overview (00:02 - 05:26)
Meeting focused on the Open EAC Alliance quarterly update
McGee explained available resources: OpenAC.org (homepage), methods.openeac.org (technical specs), GitHub (code storage), and docs.wattcarbon.com (M&V plans)
Clarified relationship between methodologies (general approaches) and M&V plans (specific implementations)
Emphasized the importance of transparency and public sharing of methods
Purpose of the Open EAC Alliance (05:26 - 11:36)
McGee described the current energy industry as simultaneously 'imploding' (grid demands) and 'exploding' (alternative energy sources)
Energy measurement is becoming increasingly complex with time-of-day delivery, emissions intensity, and speed of delivery all factoring in
Explained that counterfactuals (determining energy usage if an intervention hadn't occurred) are particularly difficult to comprehend
Grassroots decarbonization efforts are growing as national policy becomes less reliable
Knowledge Repository Vision (11:36 - 22:59)
The alliance aims to be a knowledge repository rather than a gatekeeper of methodologies
Goal is to have organizations submit methodologies for public comment and review
Steve explained the shift from theoretical methodologies to empirical, real-world examples
Travis raised concerns about multiple methodologies enabling 'gaming the system'
Discussion about the value of having diverse approaches versus a single standardized method
Clarified that M&V plans reference specific versions of methodologies in contractual agreements
Methodology Development Process (22:59 - 33:51)
McGee explained the evolution toward more open, transparent methodology development
Molly shared experience with solar self-consumption methodology and how comments shaped development
Review of current methodologies available: decarbonization accounting, whole building weather-normalized metered savings, electrification, solar PV generation, energy efficiency, and lighting
Shifting from GitHub comments to Google Docs for easier feedback collection
Steve mentioned implementing a script to track comment history when publishing final versions
Financial Considerations and Applications (33:51 - 44:22)
James from Bayou Energy raised question about linking energy/emission savings to cost savings methodology
Discussion about the challenge of selling projects without demonstrable cost savings
David emphasized the need for transparency about bill impacts, especially for low-income communities
Cost savings from electrification projects are often harder to demonstrate than traditional energy efficiency
Molly shared example of Transport for London using carbon flexing to make heat pump business case
Future Roadmap and Next Steps (44:22 - 51:01)
Multiple approaches to calculate electrification savings were outlined
Upcoming work on three types of demand response methodologies: event-based, daily load shifting, and new carbon-intensity based approaches
Future focus areas include batteries and on-site power generation methodologies
Plans for methodologies addressing emissions from microgrids and 24/7 carbon-free energy initiatives
McGee encouraged ongoing community engagement between quarterly meetings
Action items
All participants
Engage with methodology content through Google Docs instead of GitHub for easier commenting (36:47)
Open EAC Alliance
Rewrite the demand response methodology to be more consistent with other methods (35:21)
Develop demand response, demand flexibility methods in next quarter (48:44)
Work on battery and on-site power generation methodologies (49:44)
Molly and team
Continue work on demand flexibility methodologies including publishing learning from Transport for London case (44:22)