Monday, 29 June 2009 10:56

Meter manufacturer Itron and demand response specialist Comverge have combined forces in an integrated solution that offers big promise to electricity consumers everywhere.  The solution will enable utility companies to reduce energy consumption when demand is at a critical peak and is most expensive.

The pair announced on June 24 that Itron’s OpenWay smart meters and supporting software had been successfully integrated with Comverge’s Apollo platform.  The result is a breakthrough for utilities that now have the ability to power down power-hungry appliances in customers’ homes such as the thermostat or dishwasher.

Comverge also manufactures smart thermostats, energy dashboards, and smart plugs that can precisely measure energy consumption in the home in order to give homeowners a better handle on how they are using energy.  These devices represent a complete portfolio for utility companies looking for a fully integrated smart meter system that can control energy usage within the home – except for the data management system which Itron provides.

So far there hasn’t been a commercial deployment of the integration but the technology is being tested in pilot projects involving two major Texas utilities according to Bud Vos, chief technology officer at Comverge.  Comverge’s Apollo platform is already in use at Washington, D.C. area utility Pepco.

Itron and Comverge certainly aren’t the only developers of technology that successfully links smart meters with energy controls in the home.  Just about every major smart meter deployment project announced by utilities recently includes plans to add a demand response system in the future.  Demand response will help consumers save money on their electric bills after the costs associated with the installation projects are passed on to them.

Studies have shown that consumers typically save between 5 and 15 percent when they can actively monitor their energy consumption either through the use of a smart meter or through a similar device.

Greenbox Technology, an energy management software developer, and smart meter networking provider Silver Spring Networks have partnered with Oklahoma Gas & Electric in another project that will link consumers with their electricity provider.

Utilities want to be able to lessen the severity of demand spikes during times of critically high demand.  Critical peaks typically only amount for about two weeks out of an entire year.  During these times power plants that are otherwise shut down have to be fired up in order to meet the market demands.  This is not a cost-effective practice and certainly not an environmentally-friendly one as these power plants kept in reserve are typically of the dirty, coal-burning type.

Even though utilities have their revenue streams linked to selling energy by the megawatt, considerable revenues are lost because the supply can’t be kept on an even keel with demand.  Because of this, solutions that are available to address this issue are very attractive.

Utilities linked to their customers can use demand response systems to remotely power down energy usage.  Customers that allow this access would typically be paid for the privilege.  Homeowners could also make the decision to shut down appliances when a signal is sent out by their energy provider.  Smart devices could also be programmed to automatically respond to pricing signals.

The collaboration between Itron and Comverge certainly brings some clout.  Itron is the industry’s largest manufacturer of advanced smart meters in the United States.  Most of them lack the latest technology but Itron does have major contracts to deploy bi-directional smart meters with major utilities including Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric in California, and DTE Energy in Michigan.

With more than 500 customers signed up for its demand response program, accounting for about 2.7 gigawatts of power, Comverge is able to help utilities respond quickly to expensive peak demand costs.  About one-fourth of that total amount is from residential deployments in an industry that typically concentrates on commercial and industrial customers.

Itron
2111 N Molter Road
Liberty Lake, Washington 99019
United States
http://www.itron.com

Comverge
120 Eagle Rock Road, Suite 190
East Hanover, NJ 07936
http://www.comverge.com

Pepco Holdings
701 Ninth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC
http://www.pepco.com

Greenbox Technology
1200 Bayhill Drive
Suite 105
San Bruno, CA 94066
http://www.getgreenbox.com

Silver Spring Networks
575 Broadway Street
Redwood City, CA 94063
http://www.silverspringnet.com

Oklahoma Gas & Electric
P.O. Box 321
Oklahoma City, OK 73101-0321
http://www.oge.com

Southern California Edison
P.O. Box 6400
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91729   
http://www.sce.com

San Diego Gas & Electric
P.O. Box 25111
Santa Ana, CA 92799-5111
http://www.sdge.com

DTE Energy
2000 2nd Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
http://www.dteenergy.com
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