Has your cooperative operated a load management program in the past that controlled water heaters, HVAC systems, pool pumps and/or irrigation systems?  Is it still effective?   Are you (re)considering load management to avoid capacity purchases as the generation "capacity bubble" goes away and the cost of energy increases?  Typical programs allow you to avoid building or buying new capacity by "clipping" your demand during the peak.  They also allow you to defer energy use which could move the loads into a lower cost regime.

There are also new uses and values emerging for load management that reach beyond capacity and energy avoidance .  Besides being a useful distribution tool, believe it or not, load management applications are becoming more useful in the transmission ancillary services arena. 

Load Management technology has improved significantly over the last 10 years.  New systems include individually addressable switches, paging technology, 2-way communications, and integrated thermostats.  This technology provides much greater flexibility and control, and it can be a very cost-effective option for reducing wholesale energy costs and improving operational flexibility.  Perhaps now is the time to consider installing a load management system or to re-evaluate your existing load management tools.

If so, we can help you evaluate the existing system; create a functionality-driven specification for a system upgrade or a replacement system; contact and screen vendors and their products/proposals; manage procurement and delivery; assist with implementation, training, and integration with other systems. 

You may be able to take advantage of existing systems by implementing an integrated operating strategy while developing an upgrade/replacement strategy for the longer term.

Not sure if load management is an economic option?  We can evaluate your situation and quickly determine if it is a viable alternative for your cooperative.

Please contact us!  We’re ready to help you get started!

Tom Siegrist      tom.siegrist@enervision-inc.com
Robert Duval     robert.duval@enervision-in.com