NavigaDER is a new software tool created to help Community Choice Agencies (CCAs) evaluate and design customer programs for deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs). In previous articles, we introduced NavigaDER and explained how NavigaDER analyzes data to estimate the environmental and financial impacts of DER programs. In this post, Kevin Miller, Energy Programs Analyst at Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), and Brett Wiley, Customer Programs Manager at MCE, share their experiences working with NavigaDER.

Central Coast Community Energy

3CE serves Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties, as well as parts of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. As an Energy Programs Analyst for 3CE, Kevin Miller designs and implements energy programs for electrification, resiliency, and greenhouse gas reductions. As part of the Advisory Board for the development of NavigaDER, Kevin participated in user test sessions and has hands-on experience with the tool.

What has excited you most about using NavigaDER?

Kevin (3CE):  We were really excited about being able to analyze subsets of customer data to determine the benefits of energy storage. 3CE is determined to find the best path forward to utilize DERs to their full potential; this tool may very well help us get there.

What features have you found to be most helpful?

The simplicity and ease of use was a standout feature for me. It’s important that the tool is easy to use so that staff are encouraged to use it and aren’t afraid of the complex analyses. NavigaDER makes answering the burning questions regarding the value of DERs simple and intuitive.

Did any program modeling result in NavigaDER surprise you?

The ability to assess the Resource Adequacy value of customer-sited DERs was very insightful for our energy procurement strategy, as well as for determining return on investment for program efforts. 3CE hopes to continue using the tool to determine the best way to utilize DERs within our service territory.

MCE

MCE serves 36 member communities across Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano counties. As a Customer Programs Manager for MCE, Brett Wiley finds, assesses, and manages opportunities to increase equitable access to transportation electrification resources. Brett has also been the lead on the NavigaDER project, including software development, testing, and user experience.

What has excited you most about using NavigaDER?

Brett (MCE): With NavigaDER, I can see the forest and the trees. In program design, it’s expensive to model scenarios. Even then, those scenarios are most likely addressing the market average rather than the unique aspects of each CCA and customer group. In program implementation, we often market a service or a product without understanding which customer is the best fit. Customer groups can often be viewed as a monolith. NavigaDER allows a CCA to understand the financial impacts of a program and what incentives may be appropriate. The ability to toggle between aggregate and individual customer impacts allows us to identify and develop a marketing plan for the most likely participants before we launch, rather than relying on casting a wide net. I also like that these results can be downloaded straight out of the tool.

What features have you found to be most helpful?

The ability to create program scenarios and compare the customer-level impacts between them. This feature helps me understand the differences between strategies in a day, compared to the weeks that a colleague or consultant would need to run a complex analysis. This is important for program design, as well as iteration throughout implementation.

Did any program modeling result in NavigaDER surprise you?

Starting in August 2020 and as part of our resiliency program, our early test case for this software was determining which of MCE’s 41,000 solar customers would benefit most from battery storage. The initial simulated load profiles helped visualize how much we could flatten the peak and fill the belly of the duck curve with solar. The CCA revenue and expense impacts allow me, as a program manager, to have more nuanced and informed conversations about a program’s impact with our procurement team.

Want to learn more NavigaDER?

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MCE received a grant from the California Energy Commission to develop NavigaDER. The tool was developed in partnership with TerraVerde Energy and The Climate Center.