How it works
 (estimation + performance = payment)

Most utility programs provide a fixed rebate based on estimated savings. ​Market Access pays for grid value delivered AND payments are not capped at project cost (this is not a rebate)!  

Estimation

Annual Savings
​Estimates

Once you know that a customer site is eligible for FLEXmarket projects and you have your preliminary scope of work, you will want to estimate the value that you will earn for implementing a project at the site.

To accomplish this, you'll need a few inputs including,  can use the Project Value Estimator (PVE) tool (only available to FLEXmarket aggregators - not a part of our network? No problem, create a profile and get started).

The PVE tool varies by market, so you will want to navigate to the market specific page from the top menu. On the right hand side of the market specific page, under the prospecting tab, you will find the link to the PVE tool. ​

Load Shapes

Aggregator payments are based on measured performance, and the load shape is used to arrive at an hourly kWh value that is then paired with the hourly avoided cost curve to help forecast project value.

Measured savings can and will deviate from the deemed load shape. 

Definitions

• Load Shape: How much energy a customer uses per hour.
• Resource Curve: is the impact flexibility on hourly usage… aka savings load shape.
• DEER Load Shapes: A series of 8,760 hourly values that distribute the annual kWh savings amongst each hour of the year. 

Example: Insulating an attic will reduce heating and cooling load, so its resource curve will be a reduction in energy usage that varies based on the times the HVAC system is running. 

Project Payment
​Parameters

Project Payment Parameters include:

Program Admin Costs
A portion of project value is allocated towards general program oversight with two components:

• Utility administration costs
• Recurve administration costs (this is how Recurve gets paid)

​​**The Program Admin Costs will always equal a fixed percentage of the Estimated Project Value and will NEVER fluctuate based on the actual performance of the project.  
​
Attainable Value Cap

• Because there is limited funding for programs, there is a cap put in place to ensure funds remain available for all projects that are submitted into the market.
• When a project is enrolled in the market 120% of the estimated project value is reserved.

Performance

Total Realized
​Hourly Savings

Actual site savings adjusted by population comparison group.

Total Project
​Grid Value

The Recurve Platform tracks the savings of every aggregators projects monthly both at a site, then for payment at the portfolio. Aggregators can track their projects savings in their instance of the Recurve Fleet Manager and valued via Flex Ledger. All Calculations are open-source with market rules guided by the CPUC Normalized Metered Energy Consumption CPUC rulebook.

Aggregators are paid for the measured grid value at the meter, so projects that maximize summer peak reductions will be the most valuable.

Payment

Actual aggregator
​payment

Payments will be made at fixed quarterly intervals established in the program rules and are based on each aggregator’s project portfolio that is “active for payment”. Projects become “active for payment” after the value generated exceeds participant costs (as applicable) and marketplace management costs for the project associated with the forecasted savings. Payments are paid in full at the end of the first full year in operation.

In addition, 10% of measured project value will be withheld each quarter to provide a safety factor in regards to seasonality. As projects complete the full 12 month measurement period, aggregators will be compensated with a “true-up” payment in the following quarterly payment cycle that will release owed funds. A visualization of payment cadences is shown in the figure below.​

Project Value Estimation

Project value estimation is key to aggregator success in the FLEXmarket program.  If a project is overvalued/underperforms, the Program Admin Costs will represent a higher proportion of the Realized Project Value. A project can produce the same Realized Project Value, but depending on the Estimated Project Value, Aggregator Payment can vary. Remember, estimate the value of your projects as accurately as possible.

• The Attainable Value Cap for a project will always equal 120% of the Estimated Project Value. 
• If the value accrued by the project exceeds 120% of the Estimated Project Value, excess funds may not be available.
• ​The Program Admin Costs will alway equal a fixed percentage of the Estimated Project Value. Program Admin Costs will never fluctuate based on project performance.​

Get Started

Project Enrollment

​The least-complicated project enrollment process you'll find. To enroll a project, submissions will need to include some fairly basic information about you (the aggregator), the customer, and the project. Below is a list of the minimum requirements for the Project Enrollment Process.Aggregator Information

​Aggregator Information

• Company Name
• Primary Contact Name, Email, and Phone Number

Customer Information 

• Customer Name, Email, and Phone Number
• Customer Street Address, City, State, and Zip Code

Project Information 

• Unique Identifier for the Utility Meter for both Electric and Gas (this is typically the Service Agreement ID (SAID))
• Annual Predicted Savings for both Electric and Gas
• Project Costs broken out by Electric and Gas interventions
• Total Project Cost (Total cost of a project without customer incentives deducted)
• Total Customer Cost (out of pocket costs for a customer i.e. customer incentives deducted)
• Project Start and Completion Dates
• Primary Measure Type
• Secondary Measure Type (if applicable)

Required Documentation 

• Customer Data Authorization Form
• Scope of Work 
• Final Invoice
• Photos of Installed Measures (Upon Completion Only)​

Find a FLEXmarket Provider

 

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