1. Devin Rauss Building California’s Flexible Grid October 27, 2018
ZNE Experience
Devin Rauss
Building California’s Flexible Grid
October 27, 2018

2. Path to Zero Net Energy
Moving California buildings to “ZNE,” or at least making them “ZNE-ready,” first requires constructing building with high levels of Energy Efficiency
Installing renewable energy systems (e.g., Photovoltaic Solar Systems) is the final step in making a building that is “ZNE”
The Codes & Standards team at SCE primarily supports the T24, T20, and DOE energy standards. The goal to move California to ZNE, or at least make buildings ZNE-ready, is advanced when these buildings reach high levels of energy efficiency through these efforts. The last step is the installation of a moderately-sized PV system to make the building ZNE.
SCE Supports Codes and Standards Advancing ZNE Efforts, including Title 20, Title 24, and DOE Energy Standards

3. SCE’s Recent and Ongoing ZNE Projects
Grid Integration of Residential Community (Active)
Department of Energy Solar Decathlon (Active)
ZNE Office Project in South Pasadena (Active)
ZNE New Home (Completed in 2014)
ZNE Institutional Retrofit (Completed in 2014)
ZNE Existing Home Retrofit (Completed in 2013)
ZNE Residential Community Retrofit (Completed in 2014)
In addition, SCE is engaged in several targeted ZNE projects described below:
Grid Integration of ZNE Residential Community (Active)
Collaboration between Meritage Homes, EPRI and SCE to design build, and monitor a new residential community of twenty (20) ZNE homes in Fontana, CA. A major component of this work will be to evaluate the grid level effects associated with integrating IDSM-aggressive residential communities. The homes are tentatively scheduled for completion by end of this summer.
DOE Solar Decathlon (Active)
Emerging Products continues to provide Team Orange County with technical design assistance, including identifying local technology suppliers, providing engineering support, and assisting the team with their building energy simulations. The team plans to start construction of their home in two months.
ZNE Office Project in South Pasadena (Active)
Collaboration with a commercial building developer to design, build, and monitor a new medical-office building in South Pasadena. The analysis phase of this project just began with the goal of identifying appropriate DSM technologies to deploy in this high-visibility demonstration office. The project aims to document, in detail, the process and findings associated with complying with the State’s 2030 goal of ZNE for all new non-residential buildings. Construction is expected to begin by the end of this year.
ZNE New Home (Completed in 2014)
Collaboration with a leading homebuilder to design, build, and monitor a new ZNE home in Ontario, CA. The home was built and occupied in Some of the primary project findings include 1) the incremental cost associated with building a ZNE home in Southern California can be lower than previously presumed (approximately $30K), 2) the finance industry, including lenders, realtors, and appraisers, play a huge role in packaging a business case for ZNE homes, and 3) residential distributed generation systems (solar-electric systems) are becoming so affordable that they are becoming more cost effective than other low-cost energy efficient technologies and strategies.
ZNE Institutional Retrofit (Completed in 2014)
Retrofit of three existing recreational facilities on a University campus to ZNE or near ZNE. This project was undertaken to create the foundation necessary to proceed with design and implementation of energy efficiency measures (EEMs) and renewable technologies to achieve ZNE. Some of the project goals were to 1) reduce dependency on grid source power, 2) achieve ZNE for the recreational facilities and 3) create a replicable model for achieving ZNE in other campus facilities.
ZNE Existing Home Retrofit (Completed in 2013)
The purpose of this project was to demonstrate ZNE on an existing home by applying energy efficiency measures, demand response enabling technologies, and renewable generation source. This work was instrumental in identifying real-world challenges and barriers to ZNE on existing homes by documenting 1) analysis through building simulation, 2) on-site construction and implementation challenges 3) and itemized cost considerations, for this hard to reach market segment.
ZNE Residential Community Retrofit (Completed in 2014) The purpose of this project is to demonstrate zero-net-energy (ZNE) or near ZNE by retrofitting several homes by applying energy efficiency measures, demand response enabling technologies, and renewable generation source. This is a field demonstration project consisted of simulation, identifying and installing EE measures, M&V, recalibration of simulation models, and recommendations. The project still under close review through on-site electrical monitoring by end-use
SCE has been engaged in numerous ZNE projects since the establishment of CPUC ZNE Building Goals

4. ZNE should be delivered at the lowest cost to all customers
Key ZNE Principles
ZNE should be delivered at the lowest cost to all customers
Flexibility is key
ZNE will likely require more than one definition
Depending on goal, may need to modify definition
ZNE is a policy goal that impacts, and is impacted by, a wide range of policies
Inclusion of DG expands scope
ZNE is a complicated goal and care must be taken to ensure benefits are realized