Center for the Built Environment

The goal of the Demand Response Enabling Technology Development contract is to develop disruptive technologies that enable demand response at the residential and small commercial electricity markets. The UC Berkeley team involves four project groups: Thermostat/Controls, Communications/Network, Metering/Sensors, and Energy Scavenging. These groups collaborate to develop a new thermostat, new nodes, and new meters to allow the residential-scale sector to respond to a variable electricity pricing structure aimed at reducing peak electrical demand. These groups leverage microcomputers and MEMs technology in developing wireless communication and controls 10x cheaper with 10x the functionality of existing technology.

The Phase I report, dated April 4, 2006, covers progress in initial prototypes from June 2003 – November 2005 from all four groups. This Phase II report describes the continued development, and laboratory and field testing of those prototypes and control algorithms.