by Ryan Randazzo - Apr. 23, 2010
The Arizona Republic
Would you let your electric company take control of your air-conditioner if it saved you money?
Arizona Public Service Co. will try to answer that question with a test project that will put customers' thermostats into the utility's hands.
The plan is one of several energy-saving strategies APS and other utilities are rolling out across the country to reduce peak energy demand, when utilities have to fire up extra power plants to supply electricity to customers.
By offering lower bills, utilities hope to entice enough customers into energy-saving programs to significantly reduce power demand.
APS is seeking ways to be more efficient during the hottest days of summer, when surges in demand from air-conditioners put the biggest strain on the power grid, stretch plants to production capacity and pose a threat of power disruptions.
If regulators approve the plan, APS will invite about 300 customers to volunteer in the air-conditioning load-control test and other pilot projects starting in fall 2010.
During hot afternoons the following summer, or when there is a problem on the power grid such as a downed transmission line, APS will be able to turn up their thermostats remotely or run their air-conditioners in 20-minute intervals, alternating with other people on the plan.
Alternating when air-conditioners run ensures that not every unit is running at once, reducing the peak demand.
Customers would be able to override the controls in case they didn't want to participate that day.
The program will have a limited number of days APS can take control of thermostats and a restriction on how many hours per day they will do so, according to its application with the Arizona Corporation Commission.Participants in the trial will be offered free home-energy audits, but APS could offer customers $25 or so per summer for participating if the program becomes a permanent option for its 1.1 million customers, officials said.
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