Overview: Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Education Center
The Cost Benefit Assessment Education Center provides a library of information and explores cost-benefit analysis methods, approaches, and rationales for valuing distributed energy resources (DER) in the context of an integrated grid. It serves utility distribution planners, strategic planners, program managers; private industry; regulators; policy makers; and the general public, among others. It addresses fundamentals and technical concepts of applying cost benefit assessments to DER integration and provides illustrative use cases to demonstrate various applications and choices/assumptions that influence ensuing results. Modeling tools are also referenced.
Research is organized to support understanding of foundational principles as well as more focused, context-specific topics. Consider the site an online guidebook for conducting and understanding DER cost benefit analysis, using various scenarios and perspectives such as utility cost, DER asset owner, and society.
Please check back frequently to see what’s new and feel free to contact us with questions or comments.
EPRI CBA Research
EPRI continues to expand and refine its research to develop a holistic, transparent, and repeatable cost-benefit analysis framework for evaluating the integration of distributed energy resources with transmission and distribution systems. As part of EPRI’s Integrated Grid initiative, this research provides a foundation for determining technical and economic impacts of DER’s various technologies and deployments. The framework has been used to develop use cases that demonstrate its application for a range of scenarios.
This list recent EPRI cost benefit analysis research is organized chronologically and by Fundamentals, Technical Concepts, Applications, and Tools (These categories defined in the table below). For each deliverable the hyperlink connects you to an abstract in EPRI’s Member Center. EPRI encourages visitors to review the available material to gain a clearer understanding of principles, use cases, and supporting software tools.
Please note: Many of the hyperlinks connect to publicly-available products, but some are access-controlled. EPRI subscribers must enter their username and password; non-subscribers will need to purchase these offerings.
EPRI CBA Research – Matrix
Public (non-EPRI) CBA Research
Diverse cost-benefit analyses are being undertaken by a range of organizations outside of EPRI, helping to advance industry thinking about methods that can best value DER within different contexts and interpret results.
Use this page’s Resources tab to view some of this research, which EPRI will update as new research becomes available.
Forthcoming Features
This site will be under continual development and is anticipated to iteratively incorporate expanding functionality. Currently, information is static and largely comprises hyperlinks to relevant EPRI and non-EPRI research and tools. Future features are expected to include:
- Relevant webcast recordings,
- Video vignettes of CBA research,
- An online learning platform for pursuing interactive classroom coursework,
- Educational modules comprising topical issues, and
- Access to an expanded set of functional tools.
Please check back to see what’s new!