Electro/Telecom Industry Trends
January 2003
Net savings: A look at two online systems helping people track and conserve energy
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Automatic meter reading devices may be a major energy conservation feature in smart buildings, but to date, only a few technologies use IP-based equipment to track and manage energy use. That picture is beginning to change.
On the meter-reading front, muNet’s residential and commercial WebGate information systems are the first Internet Protocol interfaces to be integrated with electric meters. The systems provide web-based, two-way communication, and continuous access to meter data for both utilities and their customers. That means customers and the utility can query the meters using any computer with an Internet connection.
Right now, Scottsboro Electric Power Board, an Alabama utility, is testing muNet’s technology in a time-of-use (TOU) trial that rewards customers for off-peak energy use by charging significantly lower rates. Through TOU pricing, homeowners can cut their energy bills and utilities may be able to avoid billing out peak resources.
“In this program, the meter recognizes the price point of the energy at any given time, and homeowners can set their home thermostats, hot water heaters, and pool pumps to respond to those prices,” explains Sean Doyle, muNet’s director of Sales and Marketing. “If energy is cheap, the homeowner may have the air conditioner set at 72 degrees. When prices rise, that homeowner can program the system to automatically bump up the thermostat.”
The self-monitoring system from WebGen
WebGen Systems offers the first and so far the only automated energy conservation network. Through its Intelligent Use of Energy (IUE) System™, WebGen analyzes load requirements and continuously adjusts settings for building systems after factoring in information on energy prices, weather data from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, air quality data, and more.
Bill O’Connor, WebGen project manager explains how the system works to cut energy use. “Let’s say you have an office where it’s acceptable to maintain the temperature between 70 and 73 degrees. The system could be maintaining the temperature at 71 degrees with the fan running at 80 percent. Our system might predict it could lower the fan output to 60 percent, and our system will have determined how long it takes the temperature to rise to 73. When the temperature goes up near the limit of 73 degrees, our system would release the fan to its normal control setting."
O’Connor continues, “Our technology tweaks building systems to stay within set points allowed by the customer for temperature, humidity, building pressure, CO2 levels, and other environmental factors. These tweaks may not save you a million dollars, but they might save you a dollar a million times.”
Because WebGen’s technology is intelligent, it continuously learns building habits and quirks, then adjusts to accommodate them. Both government and the private sector building managers are beginning to realize the impact of IUE systems on energy costs.
In December 2002, the state of California’s Department of General Services (DGS) finished installing WebGen’s network-based energy management in 65 buildings. Throughout the installation phase of the project, WebGen’s system proved itself again and again, finding countless instances of energy waste such as an office where fans ran 24/7. Now, California’s DGS is reporting a 20 percent reduction in energy use compared to the base year of 2000.
Along with load reduction, WebGen’s automated system facilitates peak load avoidance. That helps organizations cut costs by earning lower peak usage rates from their electric utilities.