This document discusses Boston College's electricity usage and installed capacity (ICAP) costs. It notes that BC consumed 80M kWh last year and had a typical peak demand of 13,671 kW. Due to rising ICAP costs from ISO New England, BC faces an estimated $2.46M charge for the next fiscal year. The document outlines low and high impact options to reduce costs during ICAP peak days, such as adjusting temperatures and lighting or shutting down buildings. It also discusses developing a strategy to predict and respond to peak days to lower costs while minimizing disruption.

1. Facilities Management
Demand
Management
2017
1

2. • Utility Budget Context
• About Installed Capacity (ICAP)
• Potential Impact
• Possible Responses
• Results
2
Agenda

3. • Memorandum Of Understanding with
Eversource
• 7,325,398 Square Feet
• 338 Acres
• 4 Campuses
• 147 Buildings
• 14,077 Students
• 168,651 Alumni (as of 2013) 3
Boston College Statistics

4. 80M kWh Consumption
4
Our utility budget is dominated by electricity
Electricity
50%
Water
18%
Natural Gas
29%
Oil
3%

5. 13,671 kW
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Our Typical Peak Demand

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ICAP

7. • Installed Capacity (ICAP)
• Based on a high demand day determined by the ISO-NE
• Individual customer “Tags” are set annually
• ICAP “Tags” reset every year based on the year before
• The “Tag” you set this year will effect your charge next
year
7
ICAP

8. Budget impact – kW on TOU account

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ISO New England supplies our electricity
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) created
Independent System
Operators, or ISOs
ISO New England (ISO-NE) is
an independent, non-profit
Regional Transmission
Organization (RTO), serving
Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island and
Vermont

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Electrical make-up

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Renewables

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ISO-NE’s mission is Reliability
Grid
Operation
Market
Administration
Power System
Planning
Coordinate and direct
the flow of electricity
over the region
Design, run and oversee
the billion-dollar
markets where
electricity is bought and
sold
Perform studies,
analysis and planning to
ensure electricity needs
will be met over the
next 10 years
ISO-NE’s Three Critical Roles

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Reliability requires capacity
• Installed Capacity (ICAP) is the
ability of the electrical grid to
supply electricity to its customers
• ISO-NE funds capacity through
ICAP surcharges
• Surcharges are based on
customers’ electrical usage at peak
times (e.g., during a heat wave)

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Estimated Capacity Costs – June 1st to May 31st
• 2015/2016 = $3.43/kW/Month
• 2016/2017 = $8.26/kW/Month
• 2017/2018 = $15.00/kW/Month
• 2018/2019 = $9.55/kW/Month
• 2019/2020 = $7.03/kW/Month
• 2020/2021 = $5.30/kW/Month
https://www.iso-ne.com/about/key-stats/markets#fcaresults

15. • BC’s estimated ICAP tag 13,671 kW
• FY 18 ICAP charge: $15.00/kW/Month
The Math:
13,671 kW x $15.00 = $205,065/Month
= $2,460,780/Year
Budget impact for next Fiscal Year

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Analysis

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Previous
ICAP data
https://www.iso-ne.com

18. Which months
did the test
occur?

19. Which days
did the test
occur?

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Possible Responses

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Options
• No change to operations
Absorb entire $2.4 million impact in FY18 as a one-time hit.
• Low impact
Could avoid $45k. Turn up temperatures on office air conditioning & lights throughout
campus.
• High impact
Could avoid an additional $600k. Shut down up to 62 buildings and early dismissal.
• Lock ICAP rate
Negotiate with electricity provider based on total annual volume usage with a premium.
Regardless, keep focus on conserving electricity throughout the year (1 million kWh = $38k)!

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Cost Avoidance vs. Inconvenience
• ICAP tag dates are most often in July or August and the
hour is typically mid- to late-afternoon (2 to 5 p.m.)
• High impact option could affect:
– Academic / Admissions events
– Camps / Summer operations
– Athletic events
– Student move-in
• Need to balance cost avoidance with inconvenience

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Developing a strategy to reduce ICAP costs
Low Impact Option
 Set air conditioning to 75F
 Turn off office lights
 Close windows
 Draw curtains & blinds
 Unplug chargers
 Turn off small electronics
(e.g., coffee makers)
 Requires community-wide
participation
Reduce electricity use on predicted ICAP days
Could Avoid
~$45k
Affects
1,500 offices

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Developing a strategy to reduce ICAP costs
High Impact Option
 Turn off all
non-emergency lighting
 Turn off all
air conditioning
 Can be done by Facilities
staff at building panels and
remotely with building
automation systems
 May necessitate an
early release
Reduce electricity use on predicted ICAP days
Could Avoid
an additional
~$600k
Affects
62 buildings

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High impact option would affect 62 buildings
 Main Campus
 Newton Campus
 Brighton Campus
 All buildings over
10,000 GSF

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Capacity costs as a pass through

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Managing potential ICAP “tag” days
• 3rd party prediction services notified BC the day
before
• Decision made by 10:00 a.m. of the potential peak
day
• Advisories sent out in advance – Mass email,
Website and hanging notifications on building
entrances – Tiger Teams
• Upon notification, start the building turn-off process

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Email
messaging

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Downloadable messaging

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Downloadable
Messaging

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Managing potential ICAP “tag” days
• 6:00 p.m. start the building turn-on process
IN STAGES!!!
• Next day all systems are back to normal
• Anticipate *3 occurrences over the course of
the summer
*LOL!

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BMS
Demand
Response

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CHM
Results

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Source:
ISO New England Customer Support
(413) 540-4220 (call center)
CustServ@iso-ne.com
ISO New England Inc.
One Sullivan Road | Holyoke, MA 01040-2841

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Discussion