2008 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry

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Informal Sessions Description

Additional Informal Sessions may be organized on-site during the Summer Study.

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What Role Should Utilities Play in the Coming Smart Energy World?

Harvey Michaels

Tuesday, August 19
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Smart Energy refers to the potential of modulation to produce energy and demand savings by optimizing consumers end use needs (especially air conditioning, heat, hot water) based on weather, schedules, and time-differentiated costs. Meanwhile utility smart grid initiatives also seek to intelligently modulate controls in buildings. Early trials of AMI (Advanced Meter Infrastructure), linked to home control equipment, indicated nearly 35% peak impact potential, certainly qualifying this approach as a large and significant resource opportunity.

However, trends point to market-based solutions eventually capturing in-home technologies. Zigbee and Internet 0 home networks will interface with thermostats, water heater, and pool pumps. Google, Microsoft, Blackberry and other ubiquitous applications for PC's, cellular, and home networking will bring segment-specific information and controls to energy consumers. Considering this, what are the potential roles for utilities in the marketplace for smart energy systems, and what are the implications of these choices to the utility's AMI system? Some questions we will explore:

• Should utilities provide their customers smart thermostats, controls, and displays with utility-network connectivity?
• Will utilities be able to prove with an open strategy that its investments in time-based rates, Web-based customer workspaces, and communicating meters encouraged the market to move faster towards a smart energy future?
• What is the most effective role for utilities on the Web?
• What are the necessary characteristics of AMI, regarding frequency of read, head-end software, and communications from utility-to-meter and meter-to-home network?  

For more information, contact:

Harvey Michaels
Michaels Energy Strategy and Analysis
e-mail: hmichaels@nexusenergy.com

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