The OpenADR Alliance is pleased to introduce Albert Chiu, Principal Product Manager for PG&E. Albert has been a member of the OpenADR board since its inception and remains a strong advocate for the OpenADR standard. Below, he addresses questions regarding his role in the industry and shares some insights on PG&E’s role and his vision for the energy sector.
Can you provide your professional background and PG&E’s role in the energy sector?
I am a Principal Product Manager in the Integrated Grid Planning and Innovation Department at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). With over 25 years of experience in clean energy, I focus on developing policies and programs for Virtual Power Plants (VPP), Load Management (LM), Integrated Demand Side Management (IDSM), and Vehicle Grid Integration (VGI). I lead the Demand Response Emerging Technology (DRET) and IDSM programs at PG&E, where I oversee technology studies, policy development, and strategy. My expertise spans the entire product lifecycle of Distributed Energy Resource (DER) technologies, and I have frequently served as a witness assistant in various load management proceedings.
What is your motivation for being a board member of the OpenADR Alliance?
I have been involved with the OpenADR standard since its inception in 2008, working alongside Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Southern California Edison. Since helping found the Alliance in 2010, I have held several board positions. I believe that open communication standards are critical to the success of load flexibility, helping the industry increase adoption while reducing implementation and operational costs.
What do you feel are the biggest accomplishments of the OpenADR Alliance?
One of the Alliance's greatest achievements is successfully establishing the OpenADR standard as an international IEC standard.
Can you provide an overview of PG&E's current use cases and implementation of OpenADR?
PG&E’s Automated Demand Response (ADR) Program provides incentives and technical assistance to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. We help offset the costs of enabling technologies and energy-efficient devices that interoperate using OpenADR 2.0a, 2.0b, or 3.0.
Regarding dynamic pricing, our Hourly Flexible Pilot leverages a public Pricing API to deliver dynamic, day-ahead pricing information to users. PG&E provides this information using the OpenADR 3.0 format to promote a more reliable grid and lower energy costs.
What is your vision for the future of the standard and the Alliance?
As Demand Response and load flexibility evolve, the Alliance must remain nimble. We need to adapt to a changing landscape where new companies are beginning to take on traditional aggregator roles, ensuring the standard continues to meet the needs of a shifting market.