Distributed Generation
While emission reduction benefits and technological improvements are making distributed generation technologies more attractive and increasingly cost effective, there is still a need for new approaches for evaluating and developing distributed generation resources. Technologies, such as photovoltaics, small wind, biomass, geothermal heat pumps, and solar water heating, provide a means to generate energy on the customer-side of the meter.
Navigant provides rigorous program evaluations to help utilities understand the true impacts of distributed generation. These evaluations consider installation rates, persistence of installation, realized savings vs. engineering estimates, free ridership and market effects. Our experts employ a multitude of techniques during evaluations, including site inspections, metering, engineering analysis, billing data analysis, telephone surveys and trade ally surveys.
Because today’s emerging technologies have the potential to reduce direct revenues to utilities, profiting on distributed generation requires new business models. Our experts assist utilities in developing these new business models by working within the relevant regulatory framework and with regulators to develop win/win solutions for shareholders and ratepayers.