Electrification
We have proven experience in the successful implementation of electrification projects at the building and campus scale. Driven by a commitment to grid resiliency and decarbonization and/or municipal restrictions on use of natural gas and other fossil fuels, these projects align with net zero and net zero ready energy and carbon reduction goals. Through these experiences, we have amassed sophistication in understanding the technologies and strategies to apply in electrification projects across various facility types, central plant configurations, and process load types.
Demonstrated through projects with clients as such California Air Resources Board (Southern California Headquarters), Stanford University (SESI), Montana State University (Norm Asbjornson Hall), College of Lake County (Science and Engineering Building) and Village of Plain, Wisconsin (Green Technology Training and Enterprise Center) — we design all-electric and high energy efficiency projects that strike a balance of energy efficiency, system simplicity to operate and maintain, equipment availability, and construction cost dollar efficiency.
AEI’s key steps to electrification include:
- Building load reduction strategies to reduce electrical demand, incorporating reasonable energy efficiency measures.
- Designing for distributed energy resources and installing microgrid controls coupled with large-scale thermal energy storage leading to efficient electric heating systems that leverage heat recovery chillers.
- Providing demand management and load shifting solutions like thermal storage or battery energy storage systems to minimize impact to electrical service in the era of electrical infrastructure interruptions.
- Weighing system choice factors such as energy efficiency, installation cost, operational complexity, and physical space requirements to deliver on stated project goals.
- Consider alternative solutions for becoming fossil fuel free in facilities, and explore implications on broader systems and infrastructure, tailored specifically to the needs of the client.