OPALCO Receives Bonneville Grant to Help Test “Smart Grid” Technology

Local electrical contractors and electricians Bruce Russell, Jeff Spinner, Stan Armstrong, Dave Rude, Kevin Loomis and Nick Kardel with Washington State Labor & Industries Electrical Inspectors Jerry Vance and Dennis Patterson and Marian O'Brien, OPALCO Program Coordinator for The Peak Project after a pre-installation briefing at OPALCO's Eastsound office.

“It’s a matter of degrees”

Orcas Power & Light and Bonneville Power Administration have teamed up to offer an innovative residential demand response pilot program called The Peak Project. The Peak Project, which is part of a national initiative known as “the smart grid” will measure how utility/member cooperation can reduce strain on electric systems and control costs. Smart grid technology involves two-way communication where the grid and appliances actually “talk” to each other to help manage energy use in real time. The Peak Project is bringing this technology to life in the Pacific Northwest. Along with OPALCO, other utilities already participating in the study include: Kootenai Electric Cooperative, Emerald People’s Utility District, Mason County Public Utility District and the City of Port Angeles.

In the two-year test study, OPALCO will utilize a combination of devices, such as the Aclara Demand Response Unit, Energate Pioneer Z100 Smart Thermostat, and the AzTech In Home Display in volunteer homes. The Demand Response Unit (DRU) communicates water heater electrical usage to OPALCO which provides valuable data and allows the utility to respond to demand during critical peak times, thereby reducing stress on the grid following power outages. Adjusting a small amount of the electricity used during just a few peak hours, can decrease or eliminate the need for OPALCO to purchase more expensive power to meet demand.

The Smart Thermostat allows the coop member to easily customize and program their home heating system energy usage for cost and efficiency savings. The In Home Display can be used by the homeowner to monitor real-time use of electricity in their home.

The Spring Point, Deer Harbor and West Sound areas were chosen for this innovative program because that service circuit has unique qualities in how it manages the delivery of power. With the concentrated potential of The Peak Project, OPALCO will be able to make use of the devices to study the effects of residential demand response and the smart grid via the same infrastructure that now allows OPALCO to read meters remotely.

Participation requires no expense on the part of the member. OPALCO will schedule appointments at the homeowner’s convenience, and local contractors will install The Peak Project devices, which homeowners will be able to continue to use after the two-year pilot study. Participants will also receive an orientation of the devices, an informational resource packet, and a thank you gift from OPALCO.

“These devices are great learning tools for members and their families,” said Randy Cornelius, OPALCO General Manager, who has already had the devices installed in his home. “It’s an ideal educational opportunity to discover how the appliances in our home contribute to our electricity usage, and where we can conserve, becoming more energy efficient. The more we learn, the more we can take control of our own electric bills.”

Call Marian O’Brien at 376-3587 to schedule an installation. For more information go to www.opalco.com.

OPALCO is a member-owned cooperative electrical utility serving more than 11,000 members on 20 islands in San Juan County.  OPALCO provides electricity that is 95% greenhouse-gas free and is predominately generated by hydro-electric plants. OPALCO was founded in 1937 to bring electricity to rural islanders.