L R AS Published on Sunday 4 November 2018 - n° 253 - Categories:various USA
The summer heat did not cause the networks to explode
The American power grids were under strain this summer, which was the fourth hottest in history. Energy consumption by air conditioners was therefore intense. Until now, hot and humid summers have meant particularly high electricity bills. This summer, building owners and managers have turned these peaks in demand into income-generating opportunities.
On the one hand, there has been an increasing share of solar or wind power generators that have provided electricity. On the other hand, and most importantly, there has been demand management by building operators. These have reduced energy consumption during peak demand periods, thus reducing the importance of consumption peaks.
200 buildings participated in demand response, twice as many as in 2017. Four major electricity grids were involved. This concerted action reduced electricity consumption by 4.5 MW (equivalent to 4.The most efficient buildings were able to reduce their annual energy bills by almost 30% thanks to their continued participation in demand response activities during the summer. This is because reducing energy consumption by just a few hours during the year can generate huge savings if reductions are made during peak demand periods. In addition, the power companies paid participants in the demand response programmes, transforming these buildings into virtual power plants in a matter of minutes and, above all, maintaining reliable service.
In New York City, there have been fifteen distress signals from power companies, compared to only three in 2017. They indicate the precise places and times in the city when the power grid needs help.
With this mapping, power companies can know where they might need power, either by giving discounts during peak consumption periods or by raising prices. In Boston, where temperatures have risen 33% since the summer of 2017, electricity prices during these peaks were about 70 times higher than the three-year average price. Electricity prices reached $2,500 per megawatt hour at one point, about 70 times the three-year average.
GreenTech Media of November 2
