Silver Spring expands Partnership with OG&E on Customer Engagement and Demand Response

Silver Spring Networks is leading provider of smart grid platforms. Recently, they announced that their company is expanding its partnership with Oklahoma’s largest electric company, OG&E. The electric company is expanding its work with Silver Spring as they begin their second year of its demand response study, which currently serves 6,000 OG&E customers. OG&E will leverage Silver Spring for installation, demand management software, in-home energy management technologies, online enrollment services, and program management for the study.

By providing the Silver Spring’s CustomerIQ web portal to its entire smart meter customer base, OG&E has dramatically increased its smart grid leadership in consumer engagement, delivering customer participation, outreach, research and the economic benefits of deploying smart grid technology. Efficiencies created by the Positive Energy Together® program, OG&E estimates it could avoid building two new peaking generation plants between now and 2016.

OG&E is the first utility to offer the recently enhanced and expanded version of the CustomerIQ web portal to all 775,000 of its customers. CustomerIQ enables utilities to directly engage customers to reduce support costs and deliver energy efficiency improvements in meeting overall demand reduction goals.

Silver Spring is leading OG&E’s implementation of a fully integrated demand response solution this summer, to an additional 3,000 residential and business customers. OG&E uses the Silver Spring UtilityIQTM Demand Response Manager back-office software, because the software leverages the Silver Spring IP-based network, which supports multiple smart grid applications on common infrastructure.

For the summer of 2011, participants who volunteer for the second phase of the study will have the opportunity to manage their electricity use and costs with Control4® EC-100 in-home energy displays and the Energate Pioneer PCT. OG&E will use study results from 2010 and 2011 to determine how customers respond to price signals and information delivered via smart technology to reduce energy consumption during peak demand and price periods.

Tendril Partners with UISOL to Provide Smart Grid Technology

Tendril, an Energy Platform company, is partnering with Utility Integration Solutions, Inc. (UISOL), the leading provider of demand response management and automation systems, on a Price Response Demand demonstration project for PJM Interconnection. This project will show how Locational Marginal Price, paired with distributed intelligence, can drive automated residential Demand Response in the home.

The project will also allow PJM to test the end-to-end integration of a near real-time Price Response Demand program, in order to better manage electricity demand. There are two fairly obvious benefits to utilities and other Demand Response providers. The first, by adjusting temperatures on thermostats by one or two degrees throughout the day, utilities can lower overall demand in their service area, which will ultimately result in cost savings for consumers. The second main benefit is that lower level consumption, could also lead to better integration of renewable energy into the grid, which will minimize utilities' need to purchase high-priced energy on the wholesale markets, which in turn, ends up putting savings back in consumers' pockets.

Additionally, a price-responsive demand program can provide significant environmental benefits, as well. By trying to conserve our energy, a price responsive demand program can help reduce consumer reliance on peaking combustion turbines and diesel energy generators, thus allowing for a cleaner environment.

New White Paper: Consumer Attitudes and the Benefits of Smart Grid Technologies

Parks Associates just recently a new White Paper on Consumer Attitudes and the Benefits of Smart Grid Technologies.

The energy industry is undergoing a paradigm shift, with numerous companies, from utilities to service providers, vying for part of this new business. A fundamental question regarding these efforts is, "How motivated are consumers to manage their electricity consumption?"

Download here.

Honeywell Survey Shows That Americans Chose Comfort Over Saving Money and 'Going Green' This Summer

Most people agree that saving money and being "green" are important — until 100 degree temperatures are involved. Survey findings released today by Honeywell following one of the hottest summers on record found nearly two thirds of American consumers chose comfort over cost savings and conserving energy when temperatures spiked.

Sixty percent of those polled saw their energy bills increase compared to summers past, but those cost increases did not stop respondents from pursuing comfort. In fact, 30 percent of consumers who saw their bills climb said it was well worth the higher costs to stay comfortable.

Honeywell is reminding homeowners of five simple ways to stay cost conscious and environmentally sound, without impacting comfort:

1. Invest in a programmable thermostat: Twenty-five percent of consumers polled stated that they turned off their air conditioning when they were not at home this summer as a way to limit expenses. What consumers may not know is that the amount of energy used to turn cooling and heating equipment on and off can actually cost more than keeping it running at a low level around the clock. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), for every degree homeowners raise or lower (depending on the season) the set-points on their thermostats over an eight-hour period, they can save one percent on their household utility costs.

2. Think of your energy bill as a debit card, not a credit card: Avoid the buy now, pay later mentality. According to the DOE, heating and cooling costs make up almost 50 percent of a homeowner's average annual utility bill ($1,500 on average). The costs add up, so consider moderate energy use throughout the year. Some homes may soon be equipped with energy meters that can gauge energy costs in real-time, cutting down on the "binge now, regret later" experience.

3. Use high-powered appliances after 10 p.m.: Like long distance telephone calls, electricity prices during specific times of the day can be more expensive than others. Powering on high-powered appliances like dishwashers, washers and dryers during off hours can offset the price of increased heat or air-conditioning use.

4. Take advantage of the energy-saving programs from your utility: Power providers nationwide offer a variety of ways to help their customers better manage energy consumption. This includes everything from home energy audits and lighting retrofits to appliance rebates and demand response programs, which give consumers incentives for automatically cycling air conditioners on and off during the hottest days of the summer. The impact on comfort is negligible, but the opportunity to cut costs is significant.

5. Stay informed: Technological advancements like home energy managers and smart-grid-ready appliances are expected to deliver more in-depth energy information and offer substantial savings.

For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.

Cisco Powers Up Energy Management Tools for Utilities, Consumers, Businesses

Cisco unveiled new technologies that build on its recently announced Connected Grid portfolio and help consumers and businesses better monitor and manage their energy consumption for cost and carbon savings, including an easy-to-use interface for the home environment. The Cisco Home Energy Management Solution features a Home Energy Controller along with Cisco Energy Management Services that, when provided by utilities to their customers, are designed to help consumers securely and reliably gain insight into, and easier control over, their energy use.

Additionally, Cisco announced key updates to its Smart Connected Buildings portfolio, including the new Cisco Network Building Mediator Manager 6300, which enables centralized management of Smart Connected Buildings across global enterprise operations, and the new Cisco Network Building Mediator 3.1, which provides the platform for linking multiple disparate building automation systems and protocols over Internet Protocol and for allowing greater integration and visibility of energy flows across real estate and information technology.

For more information, click here.

Consumers growing more aware of Energy Consumption

One key finding from Parks Associates energy research is that consumers are growing more aware about their energy consumption. Eighty percent of U.S. households are interested in learning more about how to cut their energy costs (although this interest does not equal a desire or need to learn about smart grids, which will be discussed later). Over one-half already have a programmable thermostat, meaning the majority of U.S. households have at least one energy-saving device in their home.

If current utility plans come to full fruition, U.S. households will soon have many more energy-saving options through AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) deployments. Utilities have deployed over 13 million smart meters, with plans to install 50 million more over the next five years. Predictably, other firms are eyeing this space for new market opportunities, hoping to build off this new bedrock technology and create more avenues for service and product opportunities in the home.

Click here to sign up to read Parks Associates Home Systems Newsletter.

Consumers prefer home monitoring fees to be part of utility bills.

Nearly two thirds of consumers are prepared to pay for a home monitoring service letting them view excess energy consumption or security settings around the house when not at home. This is according to research carried out by UK-based connected home provider Intamac.

The research carried out across consumers in the UK and North America to find out their attitudes towards remote home monitoring and control showed that there’s a keen interest in better managing energy consumption. Yet, while consumers in both regions are eager to have better remote control over their homes, paying for a separate service is another matter.

According to research from the Energy Saving Trust, consumers find energy bills the hardest to understand, with 82% of people not even knowing what energy tariff they’re on. Added to that the current recession with people wanting to conserve energy and money it’s clear that a remote home monitoring and control system appeals. The trick is to make the payment for it appealing too.

For the full press release, click here.

Direct Energy, Whirlpool Corporation, Best Buy, Lennox, OpenPeak Launch 'Home Energy Manager' prototype for consumers

Energy consumption is a hot topic but, despite the hype around being more efficient and "going green," the market has yet to deliver a one-stop, cost-saving, home energy management solution that's easy for consumers to understand and use. Direct Energy, Whirlpool Corporation, Best Buy, Lennox International and OpenPeak - all leaders in their respective industries - are hoping to change that tomorrow when they unveil a prototype of the Home Energy Manager (HEM) at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

The HEM is also designed to serve as an information and entertainment center in the home, providing access to news, weather, health, social networking, music and movie applications. In addition, there will be an online application store where consumers can build on the platform by downloading other applications that interest them. According to preliminary data, the HEM prototype could save consumers up to 25 percent per month on their energy bill.

The HEM leverages the opportunity created by the deployment of smart meters to residential homes, allowing consumers to track and control their energy use and costs on an easy-to-use, touch-screen device with an intuitive, graphic user interface. With the HEM, consumers will be able to manage their energy spending proactively by setting pre-determined budget limits and ensuring that appliances operate within specific parameters. Consumers will also be able to program the system directly or remotely to avoid energy consumption during peak periods.

For the full press release, click here.

WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION TO DEMONSTRATE SMART GRID-COMPATIBLE DRYER DURING INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW

Whirlpool Corporation is showcasing a smart grid-compatible clothes dryer during the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas January 7-10, 2010. The Whirlpool smart dryer demonstration illustrates how smart grid-compatible dryers will operate in consumers’ homes, reacting intelligently to peak-demand signals from a smart electrical grid and automatically modifying energy consumption.

Whirlpool Corporation’s commitment to produce one million smart appliances by the end of 2011 is a significant step toward the company’s larger commitment to make all the electronic appliances it produces, throughout the world, smart grid-compatible by the end of 2015. This timeline is dependent on the development by the end of 2010 of an open, global standard and appropriate policies to reward consumers, manufacturers and utilities. Helping to accelerate the work the company is doing, Whirlpool Corp. was recently awarded a $19.33 million-dollar federal matching grant by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Smart Grid Investment Grant program.

Considerable energy efficiency improvements have been made to individual appliances during the past several decades. By connecting household appliances, homes and communities to a smart grid, smart appliances can easily and conveniently shift a portion of household energy use to “off peak” hours, drastically reducing peak energy consumption without compromising core product performance and while keeping control in the hands of consumers. In markets where utilities offer variable or time-of-use pricing, a typical consumer could save up to $40 per year, per appliance, while also benefiting the environment.

For more information, please visit http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/.

OpenFrame 7E MultiMedia Home Energy Management Device Achieves

OpenPeak Inc., a leading provider of VoIP multimedia touch-screen device and telephony systems, announced today that its OpenFrame® 7E VoIP multimedia home energy management and communications platform has achieved ZigBee Smart Energy Certification by the ZigBee® Alliance. The OpenFrame 7E uses the ZigBee Smart Energy home area network standard to help consumers improve their energy efficiency by giving them the tools to manage their energy consumption more precisely by using automation and near real-time information.

The device collects consumption and usage data from various meters and devices within each home. OpenFrame 7E then filters and aggregates the data to transmit only the required or most relevant information about usage patterns back to the utility to eliminate the overburden of transmitting all household consumption data. Additionally, the OpenPeak platform provides an application-driven system to enable the release new energy management services to customers. By leveraging OpenPeak's back-end services platform, a utility can roll out new or updated applications that could include renewable energy monitoring, electric vehicle charging, prepaid utility bills and more.

OpenPeak's world-class, end-to-end design, engineering and delivery system allows telecom and utility providers to deliver a rich, interactive media experience to customers with the convenience and comfort of a durable touch-screen interface, along with VoIP telephone, where applicable.

For the full press release, click here.