Utility Integration Solutions, Inc. (UISOL), the utility industry business integration specialist and the leading provider of demand response management systems (DRMS), today announced that Nevada investor-owned electric utility NV Energy, Inc., has chosen the company’s DRBizNet™ DRMS software application to expand its statewide demand response (DR) and demand side management programs.
Demand response
The Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition (DRSG) announced addition of five new members namely Cisco, Cooper Power Systems, Tropos Networks (News – Alert), Grid Net, and U-SNAP Alliance.
via Cisco Joins Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition Along with Four New Members.
Light control manufacturer Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., is pleased to announce its association with The Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition (DRSG) to develop compatible products and help raise awareness of how lighting demand response activities can easily stabilize the grid. The DRSG communicates the opportunities in building the Smart Grid infrastructure and practices that will update the national electricity system and change the way customers best use electricity.
via Lutron Press Releases – Up-to-Date Light Control News and Information.
On the hottest summer afternoons, some appliances start behaving a little differently around Texas.
At the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio, the lobby lights get dimmer. In Austin, as many as 80,000 home air-conditioners begin cycling on and off at the local utility’s behest, as do 32,000 in San Antonio. SeaWorld in San Antonio reduces the amount of electricity powering water-filtration systems for its animal exhibits.
Serious discussions about renewable energy usually end up being about energy storage too. Wind and solar power are both intermittent sources of electricity, so if we want to power a significant fraction of our power grids with them, we need a way to store power for windless and cloudy days. The most talked about candidates are batteries, molten salts, pumping water uphill, compressed air, etc. All of this has to do with supply, but what about demand? “Demand response” is very underrated and might play a big role in the future. Read on for details.
via Smart Grid + Demand Response = Underrated Renewable Energy Storage? : TreeHugger.
Toward the end of 2009, SIP Forum (News – Alert) started a task force dedicated to evaluating the application of the Session Initiation Protocol in the Smart Grid ecosystem. The origins of this group were previously covered in an article I wrote for this portal here. Six months later, the group has over 100 members across a wide spectrum of companies (Utilities, Service Providers, OEMs, ISVs etc.) and has produced several key approach notes and white papers that further outline the relevance of the role SIP can play in the Smart Grid ecosystem.
via SIP Forum’s Smart Grid Group: Why SIP Is the Best Protocol and Architecture for Demand and Response.
The Peak Load Management Alliance (PLMA) expressed its support for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issuance of the National Action Plan on Demand Response on June 17, 2010. PLMA had participated in the development of the Plan throughout its development stages and is very pleased with the final product.
“Broadening the role of demand response is vital to the effective operation of the nation’s electrical grid, including the much needed incorporation of renewable resources into the system”, said Elliot Boardman, executive director of PLMA.
via PLMA Offers Support for National Action Plan on Demand Response | Earth Times News.
Now that U.S. utilities have taken federal stimulus funds and seamlessly built out two-way advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) connecting utility control centers and end users (OK, not completely, but let’s assume that the “stall-ulus” becomes a true stimulus in the near future), the question becomes, what’s next? At the moment, this new “comm layer” or “platform” has utilities planning in two directions: upstream and downstream from the smart meters. First, they are examining whether and how to leverage these new communication networks to support distribution automation (DA) and grid optimization — some have argued that it’s the embedding of sensors and IT onto the distribution grid that is, in fact, the true sense of what’s meant by ‘smart grid.’ Second, utilities are asking — and in many cases, piloting to discover — how best to involve the customer in energy efficiency and demand response programs via home-area networks (HAN) and/or consumer web portals.
Honeywell today announced the acquisition of San Rafael, Calif.-based Akuacom, a leader in automated demand response technology and services for the smart grid. The Akuacom Demand Response Automation Server provides utilities and independent system operators (ISOs) two-way communication with energy management systems at commercial and industrial sites. This gives utilities and ISOs the ability to automate the delivery of price and reliability signals to these facilities, and more effectively trim peak demand, adding to Honeywell’s energy management and smart grid portfolio.
via Honeywell Acquires Demand Response and Smart Grid Leader Akuacom | Frontier India Economic Affairs.
Proxy Demand Response (DR) is a creative program that can be used to offset the need to build expensive peaker plants and help with the management of renewable sources of energy that are intermittent in nature, like wind and solar. While the wholesale market has been operating in other states and later this year in California, the retail market has barely been accessed, due to several factors. First, it represents a smaller chunk of electricity consumption than Commercial and Industrial (C&I), and naturally utilities and third party aggregators focused on the low-hanging fruit. Second, the recent arrival of Smart Grid technologies only now offers opportunities for utilities to consider mass residential deployment and participation.
via Demand Response – Getting Ready for its Close-up in Residential Markets?.
Comverge, Inc. (COMV 11.64, -0.41, -3.40%) , a leading provider of smart grid, demand management and energy efficiency solutions, today announced an extended agreement with NV Energy to continue to manage the industry's largest smart grid ready demand response program and build-out additional megawatts (MW). The new agreement continues the longstanding relationship between Comverge and NV Energy and follows the record-setting 2-year build out of more than 100 MW of residential and small commercial load reduction.
What do we want? Demand response! When do we want it? More and more often, according to a recent survey conducted by Frost & Sullivan, a growth-oriented company whose survey, entitled Smart Grid Market – A Customer Perspective on Demand Response, revealed interesting details about demand response programs.
What exactly is demand response? A load management program offered by local utilities or other service providers, and a critical component in the increasing adoption of smart grid systems.
via Data Shows Customer Demand for Demand Response Smart Grids | EarthTechling.
Frost & Sullivan released its end-user survey, Smart Grid Market – A Customer Perspective on Demand Response, which examines the motivations and probability of residential customers adopting demand response programs.
Demand response is defined as a load power management program offered and controlled by either electric utilities or curtailment service providers. Demand response is considered an essential component of smart grid rollout, as it is expected to reduce overall construction of peak generation plants, as well as improve overall power quality and the environment.
Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT – Analyst Report) and Itron Inc. (ITRI – Analyst Report) announced an agreement to integrate Lockheed Martin’s proprietary SEEload Demand Response Management Solution with Itron’s smart grid platform. SEEload is one of Lockheed Martin’s SEEsuite Smart Grid Command and Control applications. The application enables utilities and independent system operators to precisely and easily manage demand response events across an entire distribution network, including substations and individual feeders.
The difference between the 20th century’s electricity grid and the 21st century’s “Smart Grid” is data and how it is used to manage energy services. Think what an opportunity that represents for the knowledge workers of the Bay Area!
The traditional grid, or “dumb grid” if you like, was based on limited information and leaves no real control for us consumers over what we pay for – electricity. The future smart grid features controls based on real-time data from the generating side of the equation, as well as “demand response” based on detailed, timely information.
via City Brights: Danny Kennedy : Get Involved in Smartening the Grid.
U-Snap Alliance members promote smart grid for home nets by aiming to roll out the first products in Q3 based on its specifications for carrying smart grid data over home networks. It is one of a handful of new efforts seeking ways to unite today’s fragmented wired and wireless technologies for emerging energy applications.
So-called demand response applications are expected to be big drivers of the move to a smart electric grid. That’s because they will appeal to consumer’s wallets, letting them monitor and adjust their energy use during peak and off-peak hours to lower their utility bills.
U-Snap Alliance members are targeting to field in Q3 the first products based on its specifications for carrying smart grid data over home networks. It is one of a handful of new efforts seeking ways to unite today’s fragmented wired and wireless technologies for emerging energy applications.
So-called demand response applications are expected to be big drivers of the move to a smart electric grid. That’s because they will appeal to consumer’s wallets, letting them monitor and adjust their energy use during peak and off-peak hours to lower their utility bills.
Exelon (EXC) Subsidiary PECO Selects Comverge (COMV) Demand Response Solution | Green Stocks Central
Exelon’s (EXC) PECO subsidiary in Pennsylvania has selected Comverge’s (COMV) Apollo Demand Response Management System to meet energy efficiency targets required by Pennsylvania Act 129. For the next 3 years Comverge will provide full turnkey services including call center services and includes the installation of nearly 150K energy management devices. This will be largest demand response deployment in Pennsylvania.
via Exelon (EXC) Subsidiary PECO Selects Comverge (COMV) Demand Response Solution | Green Stocks Central.
Is there really much of a difference between demand response and smart grid?
Demand response companies try to curb peak power and are increasingly moving toward managing power throughout the day to reduce energy consumption. Smart grid companies want to add intelligence to the grid so that one day they can shut down clothes dryers and curb air conditioners remotely, sort of like demand response companies.
via Comverge: From Demand Response to Energy Management : Greentech Media.
Control4 unveiled new software today to accompany its Energy Management System 100 (EMS 100). The flash-based open platform software, called ADVANTAGE, is designed so that utilities and developers can build applications to integrate with the EMS 100.
Control4, which also builds other wireless home networking systems from audio systems to temperature control, is confident that their system will not only blend in with a utility’s back end to optimize demand response, but also engage the customer.
via Control4 Announces New Software, Partners With Lockheed Martin : Greentech Media.
