IBM and
Consert today announced the completion of smart grid pilot project
installations with nearly 100 commercial and residential participants
partnering with the Fayetteville Public Works Commission (FPWC) in
Fayetteville, North Carolina. The pilot has helped local businesses and
residents actively participate in the monitoring and control of their energy
usage with savings of up to 40 percent.
Utilizing
software by IBM and Consert, participants can set their daily use profiles,
check their energy consumption from an Internet connection, select a monthly
target bill amount, and authorize FPWC to cycle their appliances off for brief
periods during peak energy consumption events. Data is transmitted over the 3G
Verizon Wireless network.
The pilot
aimed to reduce "ghost" consumption on devices such as air
conditioners and water heaters that draw energy when no one is home to use
them. Consumers will be able to do these same activities from a PDA or mobile
phone early next year.
The pilot
comes at a time when growing opportunities around stimulus funding and energy
security are generating widespread interest in smarter energy infrastructure.
In the
six-month pilot spearheaded by FPWC, Consert outfitted each participant’s
residence or place of business with small controllers placed on high
consumption devices. A gateway was integrated to the meter enabling two-way
communications between the participant and the FPWC utilizing wireless network
connectivity provided by Verizon Wireless.
By logging
into a Web site from their laptops, participants can check on and adjust their
energy consumption. The pilot also provides a wireless broadband Internet
connection as an option for those participants with no connectivity or those
who are using a dial-up service.
Consert
provided the technology for the pilot with smart meter and software
applications technology based on IBM software including DB2, WebSphere and
Tivoli. The system is designed to provide customers with a real-time, two-way
interactive communication and control system that allows for up to 256 devices
and components to easily work with each other.
Real-time
energy monitoring and modifications can help the typical consumer save, on
average, 15 percent or more of their normal energy use with no change in
comfort or lifestyle. In addition, the FPWC can calculate carbon savings at the
device level, rather than at the point of generation.
"By
demonstrating an effective smart grid consumer application, Fayetteville Public
Works Commission is taking a significant step to further smart grid adoption.
North Carolina is fortunate to have companies like Consert and IBM as part of a
growing cluster of smart grid companies. I am optimistic about growth in this
part of the green economy, creating benefits for consumers and utilities, as
well as creating jobs, spurring innovation and attracting investments for the
application of intelligent technology to how we deliver and use
electricity," said John E. P. Morrison, North Carolina Commerce Assistant
Secretary for Energy.
Since the
inception of the FPWC pilot program, the Consert system has measured and
verified a reduction in energy consumption of up to 40 percent in some
participating households.
"The
pilot creates an additional way for the Fayetteville Public Works Commission to
effectively meet the requirements of North Carolina renewable and energy
efficiency legislation, address future demands for costly generators and help
consumers realize savings," said Jack Roberts, Consert, Inc. CEO and
president.
In
addition to the Fayetteville Public Works Commission pilot, Consert also has
two active pilot programs in North Carolina with Wake Electric Membership
Corporation and Project FREEDM with North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
Roberts added that students in North Carolina universities are going to be
well-positioned to take advantage of the smart grid jobs of the future due to
these pilots, which are paving the way for the future of energy management as
the nation moves to alternative, renewable energy sources.
IBM is
boosting efforts with Business Partners such as Consert to give utilities and
consumers an easy way to reduce energy consumption and save money by helping to
build an upgraded electricity delivery system that uses digital technology to
reduce costs and increase reliability while promoting energy independence.
"The
only way we’re going make energy grids greener is to add instrumentation and
intelligence. Projects like these illustrate that with the right technology and
partnerships, it can be done," said Chris O’Connor, Vice President
Strategy & Market Management for IBM Tivoli Software. "Technology is
at the core of the next generation of smart grids and IBM is making significant
investments into research, skills development and partners to make smart grids
a reality." IBM is working with
clients in nearly 50 Smart Grid engagements across emerging and mature markets.
