Sensors promise to aid in utility demand management
Green tech company BPL Global brings a new twist to the term “remote control.”
The Pittsburgh-based startup is behind a pilot program in California called Easy Green that aims to cut energy consumption through the use of sensor technology installed in homes.
In partnership with the South San Joaquin Irrigation District, BPL Global is working to install its sensors on thermostats in roughly 1,700 households, according to CEO Keith Schaefer.
The sensors monitor average household temperatures, especially during the summer months, and are programmed to communicate with a home’s central air-conditioning system through wireless communications when temperatures fall below one of two predesignated levels (either 78 or 84 degrees). When these levels are reached, the air-conditioning is programmed to switch off. The shutoff, in turn, is communicated with load management systems at the power company.
The theory is that by turning off these systems, keeping them from overcooling houses (especially during the middle of the day when many homes are empty), the area can avert blackouts and divert electricity to areas where it is needed most (such as larger commercial complexes).
The installation is free to the residential customers, who potentially can earn credits of $300 to $600 per summer season, according to Schaefer. The irrigation district is paying for the systems by selling the unused energy back to PG&E. “This is all transparent to the individual customer,” he says.
Schaefer says about 40 percent of households in the South San Joaquin district that have been approached about the project are opting to have the sensors installed. To date, the company has signed up about 1,000 homes. In fact, BPL Global found itself with an installation backlog when the test was started, he says.
BPL Global targeted California as one of its first test beds because the state has passed laws limiting the construction of more utility plants. In other words: Demand is going up, but capacity isn't going to do the same.
Beyond California, BPL Global's aspirations are global, and more cities are targeted for pilots in the fourth quarter. Schaefer says the company is setting up additional tests in regions including Greece, Kuwait and Thailand.