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Consumer Benefits of A Clean Energy Transition: The resilience value of residential solar + storage systems in the continental U.S.

Publication Type

Report

Date Published

07/2024

Authors

Baik, Sunhee, Cesca Miller, Juan Pablo Carvallo

Abstract

Meeting national and state decarbonization goals requires a transition to clean energy technologies. Energy efficiency, demand flexibility, renewable energy and storage can reduce consumers’ electricity bills, lower total electricity system costs, and provide health and resilience benefits. Berkeley Lab developed a series of briefs that explore these consumer benefits of a clean energy transition.

Clean energy resources that are located behind the meter have the potential to benefit the hosting customers by providing affordability, environmental, and reliability and resilience value. Solar plus storage systems (PVESS) are clean energy resources that can supply backup power without requiring fuel resupply or increasing local emissions. This report examines the regional value of PVESS for resilience by calculating a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) that considers the annual resiliency benefits of PVESS and the annualized cost of the investment. In addition, we estimate the expected technical mitigation potential of PVESS systems at the county-level to these expected events, and characterize the customer interruption costs by determining the value of lost load at the state level.

Year of Publication

2024

Notes

This report is forthcoming.

Organization

Energy Markets and Policy Department, Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division

Research Areas

Cost of Power Interruptions, Economic and Social Valuation, Technologies and Strategies, Grid Integration and Planning