PEER stands for Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal and it is a dynamic, adaptive rating process designed to measure and improve sustainable power system performance; it's also modeled after LEED.
The PEER rating system helps fill a major gap in the microgrid and smart grid movements, providing an opportunity for power systems to gain competitive advantage by differentiating their performances and demonstrating meaningful outcomes. In the process, the metrics serve as a tool to accelerate transformation in the marketplace.
A growing number of stakeholders, electricity suppliers and utilities are exploring how quality can help ensure that smart grid efforts are successful. PEER is the only available measurement tool designed to help the industry apply quality principles to grid modernization.
PEER is administered by the Green Business Certification Inc.
How PEER works
By looking at power systems across four outcome categories PEER allows all stakeholders to both evaluate and set the standard for system performance that best meets customers’ needs.
- Reliability and Resiliency: The intent of this category is to ensure the reliable delivery of electricity and reduce injuries, interruptions and power quality issues. The criteria in this category address power quality, supply availability, interruptions, risk mitigation, restoration, redundancy, and microgrid capabilities;
- Energy Efficiency and Environment : The intent of this category is to assess the environmental impact of electricity generation and transmission and encourage the adoption of clean and efficient energy. The criteria in this category address energy efficiency of power delivery, air emissions, resource use, renewable energy credits, and power delivery impacts.
- Operational Effectiveness: The intent of this category is to leverage value gap analysis to identify and eliminate waste. The criteria in this category address electricity costs, asset utilization, load shaping, general operation expenses, capital spending or investment, corrective maintenance and indirect costs.
- Customer Contribution : The intent of this category is to assess customer contribution to grid service, investment and innovation. The criteria in this category address customer grid service capabilities, meter data access, tools, choice, incentives and dynamic pricing.