The U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) announced the results of a year-long effort to put the power grid in the hands of consumers through technology. Homeowners who participated in the project received new electric meters, as well as thermostats, water heaters and dryers connected through a service oriented architecture (SOA) developed using IBM software from WebSphere and T.J. Watson Research Laboratory.
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The project was funded primarily by DOE, with other support provided by utilities and manufacturers. It involved two separate studies to test demand-response concepts and technologies. 数据挖掘研究院
In these studies, volunteers were able to set how much money they wanted to spend per month on energy. Using 'smart devices' that were installed in their thermostats, dryers and hot water heaters, the homeowners were able to see how much money they were spending, in five minute increments, and were alerted when usage should be modified based on their own, pre-set spending limits and their impact on the electrical grid.
The Pacific Northwest GridWise™ Demonstration Project, with its two studies, found that advanced technologies enable consumers to be active participants in improving power grid efficiency and reliability, while saving money in the process.
Homeowners who participated in the Olympic Peninsula project received new electric meters, as well as thermostats, water heaters and dryers connected through a service oriented architecture (SOA) developed using IBM software from WebSphere and T.J. Watson Research Laboratory. The software let homeowners customize devices to a desired level of comfort or economy and automatically responded to changing electricity prices in five-minute intervals. The Olympic Peninsula Project found homeowners are willing to adjust their individual energy use based on price signals -- provided via information technology tools. 数据挖掘研究院
Participants received constantly updated pricing information via the Internet. A “virtual” bank account was established for each household and money saved by adjusting home energy consumption in collaboration with needs of the grid was converted into real money kept by the homeowners. With the help of these tools, consumers easily and automatically changed how and when they used electricity, for their own financial benefit and the benefit of the grid. The study found that a combination of demand response and distributed generation reduced peak distribution loads by 50 percent for days on end. Over the duration of the study, participants who responded to real-time prices reduced peak power use by 15 percent.
To reduce usage in peak periods, when electricity is most expensive, the software automatically lowered thermostats or shut off the heating element of water heaters to the pre-set response limits established by individual homeowners. The Olympic Peninsula Project found homeowners are willing to adjust their individual energy use based on price signals -- provided via information technology tools. 数据挖掘实验室
In the Grid Friendly Appliance project, Grid Friendly Appliance (GFA) controllers were embedded in dryers and water heaters in 150 homes in Washington and Oregon. The GFA controller is a small electronic circuit board developed by researchers at PNNL that detects and responds to stress on the electricity grid. When stress is detected, the controller automatically turns off specific functions like the heating element in the dryer. This momentary interruption can reduce electricity consumption enough to stabilize the balance between supply and demand on the grid without the need to turn on inefficient gas-turbine generators.
The Grid Friendly™ Appliance Project demonstrated that everyday household appliances can automatically reduce energy consumption at critical moments when they are fitted with controllers that sense stress on the grid. Both studies helped reduce pressure on the grid during times of peak demand.
The study also found that Grid Friendly Appliance controllers have the technical capacity to act as a shock absorber for the grid and can prevent or reduce the impact of power outages. Such events occurred once a day on average, each lasting for up to a few minutes. The appliances responded reliably and participants reported little to no inconvenience. The vast majority of homeowners in the study stated they would be willing to purchase an appliance configured with such grid-responsive controls. 数据挖掘研究院
The Department of Energy's Bonneville Power Administration, PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric, the City of Port Angeles and Clallam County PUD #1 were partners and financial contributors to the Pacific Northwest GridWise Demonstration Project managed by PNNL. Large in-kind contributions from industrial collaborators include Sears Kenmore dryers produced by Whirlpool Corporation and real-time event software and distributed automation and analytics developed by IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center. 数据挖掘研究院
