The 5th DR and DER World Forum was held on October 16th and 17th in Costa Mesa, CA. The 2 day conference brings together US and international stakeholders from across the DR/DER industry to discuss optimizing Automated Demand Response and Distributed Energy Resources.

Dr. Michel Kamel, MelRok CTO, chaired a panel on the first day of the conference. The panel entitled ‘Supporting the Grid: Connected Buildings’ reviewed the role buildings can play in supporting power grids. The premise for any such role is that buildings need to be ‘connected’ to the Grid, with real time communication from and to the building’s energy systems. The panel reviewed technologies and solutions required for connected grids, and discussed (regulatory and rate) changes needed to enhance the business case for connected buildings.

The distinguished list of panelists consisted of:

Dr. David Hungerford
Senior Scientist
California Energy Commission

Dr. Mukesh Khattar
Technical Executive, Data Centers
EPRI

Lois Gordon
Chief Executive Officer
ASWB Engineering

Mary Ann Piette
Director, Building Technology and Urban Systems Division
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

More information can be found on the forum’s website: [ Click here for more information ]