US utility co-op automates management of energy efficiency portfolio

Metering.com 4 MAY 2017

Missouri River Energy Services selected cloud-based demand side management solutions firm energyOrbit to help its members manage their energy efficiency projects.

In a press statement, Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) said it selected energyOrbit’s demand side management platform to automate recording and management of energy efficiency projects being deployed by the agency’s 60 member municipal utilities under the Bright Energy Solutions programme.

Through the Bright Energy Solutions programme, MRES provides cash incentives to residential and business customers of its member utility companies in Iowa, Minnesota and Dakota for participating in various energy efficiency programmes.

Consumers are also provided with rebates to install energy efficient equipment and appliances to reduce their energy usage and costs. The programme is meant to help utility firms maintain the stability of grid networks and reduce operational costs.

Commenting on the signing of the contract with energyOrbit, Shannon Murfield, manager of energy services at MRES, said with the “…platform, our members can independently attain all of their own tracking and reporting needs.”

“It also offers MRES more opportunities for customer engagement.”

energyOrbit claims that its demand side management platform will help MRES and its member utility firms reduce the costs of operating their energy efficiency programmes by up to 75%.

With the platform members of MRES will be able to automate filing, store and retrieve energy efficiency data on a single platform. The platform helps utility IT departments reduce human error and simplify processing of energy efficiency data.

“One of our core missions is to ensure our clients are able to move away from non- collaborative, static business solutions and realise significant productivity gains by switching to collaborative, online solution,” reiterated Udi Merhav, CEO of energyOrbit. [US utility co-op sets aside $300,000 for energy efficiency upgrades].

Demand side management and peak periods

In related news, Wabash Valley Power selected smart grid solutions provider OMNETRIC Group to deploy a demand response programme.

In a press statement, Wabash Valley Power said it will use the consortium’s demand response solution to reduce peak demand for its 23 member energy distribution cooperatives operating in the US states of Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.

The demand response solution will enable customers of the Wabash Valley Power to reduce their energy consumption during peak periods and reduce costs to ensure the reliability of grid networks.

Image credit: 123rf.