1 | Building Technologies Program eere.energy.gov

The Parker Ranch installation in Hawaii

BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM

Distribution Transformers

Energy Conservation Program

Christopher Bolduc on behalf of

U.S. Department of Energy

Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

November 3, 2011
2 | Building Technologies Program eere.energy.gov

Draft Life-Cycle Cost, Payback Period Sensitivity Results: ZDMH, H0, 

and SA1 Core Materials Exclusion for Medium Voltage LiquidImmersed Transformers

Prepared for the Medium Voltage Distribution Transformers Negotiated 

Rulemaking Working Group

November 6, 2011

Contents

• Life-Cycle Cost Results for Design Lines 1 – 5

• Payback Period Results for Design Lines 1 – 5

• Materials Selection Results for Design Lines 1 – 5

Contents
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Design Line 1 LCC Results

Efficiency Level

1 2 3 4 5 6

Efficiency (%) 99.16% 99.22% 99.25% 99.31% 99.42% 99.50%

Transformers with Net Increase in LCC (%) 51.42% 68.63% 76.38% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers with No Impact on LCC (%) 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers with Net LCC Savings (%) 48.58% 31.38% 23.63% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Mean LCC Savings ($) 80 -104 -336 NA NA NA

Median LCC Savings ($) -18 -221 -515 NA NA NA

-1500

-1000

-500

0

500

1000

1500

CSL 1 CSL 2 CSL 3 CSL 4 CSL 5 CSL 6

Average LCC Savings ($)

Efficiency Level

Design Line 1 Average LCC Savings

Average; Median; Box 25%-75%; Whisker 5%-95%

median

average
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Design Line 2 LCC Results

Efficiency Level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Efficiency (%) 99.00% 99.07% 99.11% 99.18% 99.31% 99.41% 99.46%

Transformers with Net LCC Cost (%) 79.63% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers with No Change in LCC (%) 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers with Net LCC Benefit (%) 20.38% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Mean LCC Savings ($) -100 NA NA NA NA NA NA

Median LCC Savings ($) -131 NA NA NA NA NA NA

-400

-300

-200

-100

0

100

200

300

CSL 1 CSL 2 CSL 3 CSL 4 CSL 5 CSL 6 CSL 7

Average LCC Savings ($)

Efficiency Level

Design Line 2 Average LCC Savings

Average; Median; Box 25%-75%; Whisker 5%-95%

median

average
5 | Building Technologies Program eere.energy.gov

Design Line 3 LCC Results

Efficiency Level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Efficiency (%) 99.48% 99.51% 99.54% 99.57% 99.61% 99.69% 99.73%

Transformers with Net Increase in LCC (%) 14.29% 21.29% 57.79% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers with No Impact on LCC (%) 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers with Net LCC Savings (%) 85.71% 78.71% 42.21% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Mean LCC Savings ($) 1658 1946 184 NA NA NA NA

Median LCC Savings ($) 1485 1444 -509 NA NA NA NA

-6000

-4000

-2000

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

CSL 1 CSL 2 CSL 3 CSL 4 CSL 5 CSL 6 CSL 7

Average LCC Savings ($)

Efficiency Level

Design Line 3 Average LCC Savings

Average; Median; Box 25%-75%; Whisker 5%-95%

median

average
6 | Building Technologies Program eere.energy.gov

Design Line 4 LCC Results

Efficiency Level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Efficiency (%) 99.16% 99.22% 99.25% 99.31% 99.42% 99.50% 99.60%

Transformers with Net LCC Cost (%) 7.33% 81.67% 85.83% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers with No Change in LCC (%) 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers with Net LCC Benefit (%) 92.67% 18.33% 8.88% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Mean LCC Savings ($) 570 -815.4 -1941.7 NA NA NA NA

Median LCC Savings ($) 533 -1035.8 -2255.3 NA NA NA NA

-4000

-3000

-2000

-1000

0

1000

2000

CSL 1 CSL 2 CSL 3 CSL 4 CSL 5 CSL 6 CSL 7

Average LCC Savings ($)

Efficiency Level

Design Line 4 Average LCC Savings

Average; Median; Box 25%-75%; Whisker 5%-95%

median

average
7 | Building Technologies Program eere.energy.gov

Design Line 5 LCC Results

Efficiency Level

1 2 3 4 5 6

Efficiency (%) 99.48% 99.51% 99.54% 99.57% 99.61% 99.69%

Transformers with Net Increase in LCC (%) 78.58% 36.08% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers with No Impact on LCC (%) 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers with Net LCC Savings (%) 21.42% 20.13% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Mean LCC Savings ($) -4968 -1445 NA NA NA NA

Median LCC Savings ($) -5572 -2618 NA NA NA NA

-20000

-15000

-10000

-5000

0

5000

10000

15000

EL 1 EL 2 EL 3 EL 4 EL 5 EL 6

Average LCC Savings ($)

Efficiency Level

Design Line 5 Average LCC Savings

Average; Median; Box 25%-75%; Whisker 5%-95%

median

average
8 | Building Technologies Program eere.energy.gov

Design Line 1 PBP Results

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

CSL 1 CSL 2 CSL 3 CSL 4 CSL 5 CSL 6

Average Payback Period (years)

Efficiency Level

Design Line1 Average Payback Period

Average; Median; Box 25%-75%; Whisker 5%-95%

median

average

Efficiency Level

1 2 3 4 5 6

Mean Payback (Years) 36.3 39.8 52.3 NA NA NA

Median Payback (Years) 24.7 34.5 45.4 NA NA NA

Transformers having Well Defined Payback (%) 88.63% 100.00% 99.67% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers having Undefined Payback (%) 11.38% 0.00% 0.33% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Mean Retail Cost ($) 2,363 2,883 3,126 NA NA NA

Mean Installation Costs ($) 2,222 2,259 2,367 NA NA NA

Mean Operating Costs ($) 204 189 185 NA NA NA

Mean Incremental First Cost ($) 327 885 1,236 NA NA NA

Mean Operating Cost Savings ($) 14 29 33 NA NA NA

Payback of Average Transformer 22.8 30.0 37.3 NA NA NA
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Design Line 2 PBP Results

Efficiency Level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Mean Payback (Years) 54.8 NA NA NA NA NA NA

Median Payback (Years) 47.2 NA NA NA NA NA NA

Transformers having Well Defined Payback (%) 97.38% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers having Undefined Payback (%) 2.63% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Mean Retail Cost ($) 1,644 NA NA NA NA NA NA

Mean Installation Costs ($) 1638 NA NA NA NA NA NA

Mean Operating Costs ($) 123 NA NA NA NA NA NA

Mean Incremental First Cost ($) 290 NA NA NA NA NA NA

Mean Operating Cost Savings ($) 7 NA NA NA NA NA NA

Payback of Average Transformer 41.0 NA NA NA NA NA NA

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

CSL 1 CSL 2 CSL 3 CSL 4 CSL 5 CSL 6 CSL 7

Average Payback Period (years)

Efficiency Level

Design Line 2 Average Payback Period

Average; Median; Box 25%-75%; Whisker 5%-95%
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Design Line 3 PBP Results

Efficiency Level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Mean Payback (Years) 16.5 19.4 32.1 NA NA NA NA

Median Payback (Years) 12.3 15.7 28.1 NA NA NA NA

Transformers having Well Defined Payback (%) 98.42% 99.00% 100.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers having Undefined Payback (%) 1.58% 1.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Mean Retail Cost ($) 9,461 10,251 13,565 NA NA NA NA

Mean Installation Costs ($) 4,428 4,534 4,746 NA NA NA NA

Mean Operating Costs ($) 1,186 1,143 1,075 NA NA NA NA

Mean Incremental First Cost ($) 1,447 2,344 5,870 NA NA NA NA

Mean Operating Cost Savings ($) 120 163 232 NA NA NA NA

Payback of Average Transformer 12.0 14.3 25.3 NA NA NA NA

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

CSL 1 CSL 2 CSL 3 CSL 4 CSL 5 CSL 6 CSL 7

Average Payback Period (years)

Efficiency Level

Design Line 3 Average Payback Period

Average; Median; Box 25%-75%; Whisker 5%-95%
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Design Line 4 PBP Results

Efficiency Level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Mean Payback (Years) 14.5 44.1 53.1 NA NA NA NA

Median Payback (Years) 13.9 39.4 48.9 NA NA NA NA

Transformers having Well Defined Payback (%) 100.00% 99.96% 94.71% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers having Undefined Payback (%) 0.00% 0.04% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Mean Retail Cost ($) 6,415 8,225 9,744 NA NA NA NA

Mean Installation Costs ($) 4,165 4,293 4,576 NA NA NA NA

Mean Operating Costs ($) 574 551 526 NA NA NA NA

Mean Incremental First Cost ($) 724 2,663 4,465 NA NA NA NA

Mean Operating Cost Savings ($) 53 76 104 NA NA NA NA

Payback of Average Transformer 13.6 35.0 43.0 NA NA NA NA

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

CSL 1 CSL 2 CSL 3 CSL 4 CSL 5 CSL 6 CSL 7

Average Payback Period (years)

Efficiency Level

Design Line 4 Average Payback Period

Average; Median; Box 25%-75%; Whisker 5%-95%
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Design Line 5 PBP Results

Efficiency Level

1 2 3 4 5 6

Mean Payback (Years) 49.3 43.1 NA NA NA NA

Median Payback (Years) 37.1 31.4 NA NA NA NA

Transformers having Well Defined Payback (%) 69.83% 54.50% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Transformers having Undefined Payback (%) 30.17% 1.71% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

Mean Retail Cost ($) 34,346 36,710 NA NA NA NA

Mean Installation Costs ($) 9,130 8,853 NA NA NA NA

Mean Operating Costs ($) 3,263 2,994 NA NA NA NA

Mean Incremental First Cost ($) 8,599 10,682 NA NA NA NA

Mean Operating Cost Savings ($) 143 364 NA NA NA NA

Payback of Average Transformer 60.0 29.3 NA NA NA NA

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

EL 1 EL 2 EL 3 EL 4 EL 5 EL 6

Average Payback Period 

(years)

Efficiency Level

Design Line 5 Average Payback Period

Average; Median; Box 25%-75%; Whisker 5%-95%

median

average
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Core Materials Selection

Materials Efficiency Level

Basecase 1 2 3 4 5 6

M12

M6

M5 0.0%

M4

M3 100.0% 100.0% 0.0% 5.8%

M2 0.0% 0.0% 100.0% 94.2%

H0

ZDMH

SA1

Materials Efficiency Level

Basecase 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

M12

M6

M5 0.0%

M4 0.0%

M3 0.0% 86.6%

M2 100.0% 13.4%

H0

ZDMH

SA1

Design Line 1 Design Line 2

•These results represent the fraction of each core material sampled 

in the LCC simulation.

•NULL (blank) values indicate the were no designs available for a 

given core material and efficiency level
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Core Materials Selection (cont)

Materials Efficiency Level

Basecase 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

M12

M6

M5 0.0%

M4 0.0% 0.0%

M3 100.0% 97.9% 0.0% 0.2%

M2 0.0% 2.1% 100.0% 99.8%

H0

ZDMH

SA1

Design Line 3

Materials Efficiency Level

Basecase 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

M12

M6

M5 0.0%

M4

M3 92.7% 0.3% 0.0%

M2 7.3% 99.8% 100.0% 94.7%

H0

ZDMH

SA1

Design Line 4
15 | Building Technologies Program eere.energy.gov

Core Material Selection (cont)

Design Line 5

Materials Efficiency Level

Basecase 1 2 3 4 5 6

M12

M6

M5

M4 0.0%

M3 26.8% 56.2%

M2 73.2% 43.8% 56.2%

H0

ZDMH

SA1