Massena Electric saving money
MASSENA — The Massena Electric Department was able to save up to $20,000 by using smart grid technology to lower the community's energy peak use.
MED officials are able to use integrated software to monitor and reduce the community's energy use during the peak hours each day, usually between 5 and 8 p.m. By using a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, MED was able to take several temporary power-saving steps and shave 2 megawatts from the district's total peak in October.
A lower total peak means lower demand charges levied on the utility by the New York Municipal Power Association, the group MED contracts with to purchase supplemental energy the district needs beyond their low-cost hydropower allocation from the New York Power Authority.
MED's demand charges for October will be $14,000 to $20,000 lower than demand charges paid in October 2008, because of the lower total peak, officials said.
"It's good news," MED Superintendent Andrew J. McMahon said. "Not only did we have to purchase less supplemental energy during those peak times, we were able to lower our demand charges. It will save money for all of our rate-payers."
To reduce the community's energy peak, MED uses the load-management program to monitor electrical use throughout the community on a minute-by-minute basis. The program provides real-time information about how much power is being consumed and where it is being used in Massena and outlying towns in the district.
When technicians notice energy use rising dramatically, they are able to activate the switches installed through the Water Heater Incentive Program, which remotely shut off participating customers' water heaters for a few hours until energy use drops back to more manageable levels.
MED also is able to adjust the voltage in their transformers for a short period during peak times to lessen electricity use. While officials say this does not affect their customers' ability to use electricity, it temporarily lowers the amount of energy being used by the system.
There are about 750 customers enrolled in the WHIP program. The cumulative impact of shutting off those customers' water heaters for a few hours is approximately three-quarters of a megawatt, Mr. McMahon said. By adjusting the voltage at their transformers for a short period, MED can knock another 1.5 megawatts from the district's peak, bringing the total peak down by more than 2 megawatts.
Officials said the district saves $7,000 in demand charges alone for every megawatt they can cut from their total peak.
The utility's ability to reduce energy consumption during the busiest times of the day may continue to grow. Additional customers also have agreed to sign on with the WHIP program, according to MED Board Treasurer Rene P. Hart.
Mr. Hart reported 11 more customers had enrolled in the program this fall and another 20 have been added to a waiting list to have the necessary switches installed in the near future.
