Industry News – January 30th 2012

Welcome to Industry News: a weekly overview of developments in the energy utility, smart grid & energy efficiency markets. This week we have an award for Duke Energy’s Smart Energy Now, positive results for the ‘smart city’ in San Diego and additional energy efficiency funding in Canada.

Utilities

The APPA announced results from its annual survey of power public utilities, who list environmental regulations and ‘low energy IQ’ among their primary concerns. A lingering concern about natural gas prices, and the potential loss of some ability to hedge prices due to CFTC rulings, were also noted.
Source: PublicPowerWeekly

A 15-year agreement for Minnesota Power to purchase hydroelectricity from Manitoba Hydro was approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. The 250MW power purchase agreement will begin in 2020, reducing Minnesota Power’s dependence on coal.
Source: Marketwatch

Utilities & Smart Grid

The editors of POWERGRID International magazine and PennWell Corp. announced the results of their Projects of the Year Awards. Duke Energy took home the ‘Best Energy Efficiency/Demand Response Project’ prize for its Smart Energy Now program, part of the Envision Charlotte initiative. Smart Energy Now captures data from over 150 meters in 65 buildings on a near real-time basis, aggregating and normalizing that data and working with several partners to generate community level content.
Source: Charlotte Business Journal

Oklahoma Gas & Electric announced results from its two-year demand response study of 6,000 residential consumers. Customers with a smart thermostat achieved a 48% demand reduction during the peak period, with groups including a Programmable Communicating Thermostat and a Variable Peak Price rate plan demonstrating the highest average demand reduction.
Source: PRNewsire

Hydro-Québec has completed the first phase of its smart meter rollout, installing over 20,00 devices in Boucherville, Memphrémagog RCM and Villeray. Phase two will be presented at Régie de l’énergie hearings in February.
Source: Hydro-Québec

Dominion and Lockheed Martin announced a grid side energy efficiency solution, EDGE, and a joint marketing and development alliance. EDGE is a voltage management solution enabling utilities to deploy incremental grid-side energy management that requires no behavioral changes or purchases by end customers.
Source: PRNewsire

Institutions, Cities & States

Smart City San Diego has announced results of the group’s initiatives, including smart appliance pilots, policy leadership and economic development. The collaborative was founded to help San Diego become a clean energy leader, and includes the City of San Diego, GE, UC San Diego, CleanTECH San Diego and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).
Source: Smart City San Diego

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has announced that it will partner with Appalachian Power Co to publicize energy efficiency programs. A memorandum of understanding for the collaboration runs through 2013.
Source: Miami Herald

Energy audit companies in Oregon have found $40-million worth of energy efficiency improvements in the state’s school districts, which would save around $3.6 million a year if implemented. Auditors looked at 100 primarily small and rural school districts, as part of Governor John Kitzhaber’s ‘Cool Schools’ initiative.
Source: The Argus Observer

North America

Hydro Ottawa Limited and Enbridge Gas Distribution are working with the Ottawa Senators and NHL Green to provide an energy audit of Scotiabank Place. Natural Resources Canada will act as advisor to NHL Green for the initiative, in an effort to improve efficiency, reduce costs and lessen environmental impact.
Source: NHL

The Canadian government has announced an additional $117 million in funding for its EcoEnergy Efficiency Initiative. The investment is on top of the $78 million announced last year, and will be spent over the next three years.
Source: CTV News

According to a report from the ACEEE, $3.4 billion could be saved annually from energy efficiency upgrades to US apartment buildings. Buildings with five or more residential units could save 15-30% of energy costs with cost-effective upgrades, improving the bottom line for building owners and tenants.
Source: ACEEE

A survey by the Institute of Energy Efficiency shows that electric utilities in the US had installed 27 million smart meters by September 2011. It is forecast that 65 million will be installed by 2015, representing 54% of all homes in the country.
Source: IAEI Magazine

International

According to a new report from Pike Research, worldwide revenue from building energy management systems will reach $6 billion by 2020, a compound average growth rate of nearly 14%. The report also notes that, according to the US Department of Energy, 18% of all energy produced in the US is used for heating, cooling, lighting, and other functions in commercial buildings.
Source: Pike Research

A British Gas survey of 700 smart-meter-equipped consumers found that 48% used their energy monitors on a daily basis, and 64% are undertaking energy efficiency improvements. British Gas currently has 400,000 smart meters deployed, with 1.5 million expected by the end of 2012.
Source: Metering.com

And finally…

Capilano University is handing out 200 fleece blankets to employees at its North Vancouver campus, as part of its ‘Get UR Fleece On’ campaign to rid the school of space heaters. “Space heaters are huge energy hogs,” said Laura Williams, the university’s energy manager. “The overarching goal for the initiative ultimately would be to get rid of all the space heaters across our campus.”
Source: North Shore News