Evaluating Transactive Systems: Historical and Current U.S. DOE Research and Development Activities

About 11 years ago, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to conduct one of the first field demonstrations of what later was called a transactive system. Transactive systems have since become important tools in the DOE's research efforts to modernize the U.S. electric power grid and conserve energy in U.S. buildings. The DOE currently funds fundamental and applied research to advance transactive system technologies, including their simulation, standardization, theoretical principles, valuation, demonstration, and automation. This article will discuss the historical and current DOE research and development activities in this topic area, including a recent PNNL report concerning the valuation of transactive systems.