As part of its efforts to quantify benefits from the smart grid, the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability tasked Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) with developing a tool that can estimate the potential energy and emissions benefits that can result from the deployment of smart grid technologies. The Emissions Quantification Tool (EQT), which was developed with active engagement from the utility and energy industry, quantifies the direct emissions impacts – positive and negative – of specific planned or installed smart grid projects. The free, web-based calculator aims to estimate the impact of NOx, SO2 and CO2 emissions on smart grid infrastructure investments, taking into account specific context and project details with a broadly applicable methodology. The EQT uses a standardized methodology to estimate pollutant emissions reductions that can be realized by implementing some smart grid projects. The EQT calculates the resulting changes to emissions and energy use profiles associated with the integration of smart grid projects, including energy storage, enabled solar generation, advanced metering and others. Calculations are based on well-established historical data sources and models, like the EPA’s own eGRID database, a greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator, and Avoided Emissions and Generation Tool (AVERT). Users have the flexibility to enter their own custom data or choose from curated inputs and be guided through the calculation.
The free Emissions Quantification tool is available HERE.