Smart Grid

Smart Grid Demand Side Management Components

In-home display monitors

All volunteers in the Smart Grid Demonstration Project will receive an in-home display monitor that communicates wirelessly with the advanced meter on their house, allowing them to track their electric use in near real time. The easy-to-use display reveals a wealth of information, including electricity use that hour, day and month; demand; usage trends; and cost. In addition, the customer can receive important messages and timely alerts from the utility.

Customers can use the device to calculate their daily energy costs, compare usage one day with another and estimate their monthly bill. It's also programmable: customers can set personal alerts to help them manage their energy use more efficiently, such as when household usage exceeds a specified limit. The monitor has a battery and a plug-in charger. The goal of the device is to empower customers by providing them with information to better manage and understand their energy consumption.

What is a load control device/load control program?

In addition to an in-home display, approximately 500 volunteers in two selected areas will receive a load control device – 250 will receive a free programmable thermostat and 250 will receive a device that will allow IFP to power down their water heater for short periods when demand for electricity is high.

A load control device is equipment that can be used to turn off, cycle or reduce the usage of utility customer equipment during periods of high demand or high energy prices.

Load control programs have been around for decades. In fact, Idaho Falls was one of the first U.S. cities to use them as a tool to control demand associated with water heater use. Starting in 1934, switches were installed on water heaters so that they could be truned off during periods of low river flows when the hydropower plants weren't as productive; or during high demand periods when generation couldn't keep up with the explosive growth in electric consumption tied to the advent of low-cost electrical appliances like stoves, refrigerators and water heaters. This was done to avoid brownouts or blackouts due to an over- loaded system.

Today, load control programs have become relatively common among utility providers in the U.S. Nearly a half-million load control devices have been installed since 2009 with minimal customer impact or inconvenience. The newer systems can alert the customer well in advance when the utility intends to initiate an event , such as putting water heaters to sleep for 15 minutes or so, and allow the customer to opt out of the "event" if necessary.

While the equipment may be more advanced today than it was in the 1930s, the reasons for these programs remain essentially the same: to ease constraints on the distribution system and save money on the purchase of power from outside providers. Load control devices don’t cut energy usage overall, but they can help utilities better control that demand by shifting some consumption to later in the day, when the cost of electricity has fallen or the demand has shrunk.

Water heater load control program

Heating water for showers or baths, laundering, cooking and washing dishes accounts for about 20 percent of the energy consumed in the average American home. Conventional water heaters waste some energy because they constantly heat the water in the tank to maintain the temperature at which the device is set--usually between 120-140 degrees Fahrenheit. Even if the hot water tap isn't running, gallons of water are heated and kept at the ready. This leads to "standby heat loss" and it accounts for as much as 20 percent of water heating costs.

The stored energy in the tank makes water heaters a perfect candidate for load control programs. When demand for energy is soaring, IFP will be able to power down the water heater to help the utility avoid buying power when demand or prices are high. Since today's water heaters hold so much water and are very well insulated, most customers don't notice a difference, because we usually use hot water a few times throughout the day. The water heater may be turned off for an hour at a time, or cycled off every 15 minutes during an event. Customers can override the control at any time.

Any money that can be saved by avoiding the purchase of power on the wholesale market when demand is high, is put right back into the operation and helps keep IFP's rates among the lowest in the country. The programs also help forstall the need for IFP to invest in costly new power plants.

HVAC load control program

Heating and cooling accounts for a significant portion of home energy costs--approximately 40 percent. Much of this energy usage contributes to IFP's system peaks. By turning down thermostat settings by a few degrees during these peak times, utilities are able to ease contraints on distribution lines approaching capacity and also avoid making costly wholesale power purchases on the open market.

Utilities can accomplish this now by cycling the thermostats of participating customers that can communicate with the utility's advanced meters. The thermostat allows IFP to slightly adjust the temperature in your house for brief periods when demand for energy is soaring--the utility industry equivalent to rush hour traffic. The thermostat will indicate when the utility is adjustingd the thermostat and when an"event" is scheduled. The customer can override the utility request at any time; however, the utility intends to operate the program in such a way that consumers will hardly notice.

The programmable thermostat allows consumers to better manage energy use and possibly save money in the process. The thermostat allows customers to customize their home heating and cooling. It can be used to automatically turn down the heat at night and turn up the heat an hour or so before you wake. The digital thermostat is programmable for up to seven days, with as many as four set points each day. Participating customers will recieve the new thermostats as part of the pilot program.

What is the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project?

Frequently Asked Questions

Smart Grid Equipment

Smart Grid Security

Smart Grid and Your Health

The Two Smart Grid Test Areas

Information on the Meter Manufacturer

Other Smart Grid Activities in Idaho Falls

If you would like to volunteer to participate in the Smart Grid Demonstration Project, please click here.