Fujitsu America, Inc. and Powertech Labs Inc. announced a collaboration to co-innovate OpenADR (Open Automated Demand Response) technologies that allow utilities to aggregate and curtail the energy demands of residential and commercial consumers. The technology allows utilities to view energy use in residential and commercial structures as a single unit of consumption. In so doing, electric power utilities can respond to demand response events in a single transaction rather than making users opt in on a device-by-device basis.
The technology platform can interact with and control an array of heavy-consumption residential and commercial devices such as load control switches, electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), thermostats, water heaters, and other appliances. A pilot program incorporating the new technologies will be implemented on Powertech Lab's test bed at their facility in British Columbia (Powertech is a subsidiary of Canadian utility BC Hydro).
The project is expected to result in several key benefits both for utilities and their customers: utilities will be able to meet peaks in demand without having to generate more electricity, allowing the customer base to grow while managing the need for more generation. Meanwhile, customers will play a larger role in the operation of the electric grid, as their usage can be reduced or shifted during peak usage periods, helping reduce costs. This collaboration between Fujitsu and Powertech Labs comes at a time when utilities are seeking innovative ways to accommodate new energy demands, such as electric vehicles and leveraging investments in smart grids.
The project is based on an OpenADR solution developed by Fujitsu, which will provide the solution as well as the architecture support to Powertech Labs. The team from Powertech will then be responsible for deploying and testing the solution against their test bed, showcasing a number of important use cases for the modern utility including electric vehicle growth and dynamic pricing.
Find out more about the technology at the Powertech Labs booth (#2947) during the DistribuTECH Conference and Exhibition taking place between January 31 and February 2, 2017 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.
