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Fayetteville Public Works Case Study

0 comments Posted January 06, 2011 at 07:30 am

Consert set up a pilot program of the Consert Solution with 100 homes in the Fayetteville area.  Participants saved an average of 17 percent on their monthly energy bills, and the utility decided to expand the pilot to its full user base.

It All Starts in the Neighborhood

The Consert Energy Management Solution allows members to conserve energy and redirects it back as if a generating source. It is now a well-known fact that a few high energy consuming devices account for the bulk of energy usage in a home or small business. Energy consumption by those devices can be unnoticeable to the user if controlled intelligently. However, users today have no way of customizing efficiencies per their usage profiles.  Consert’s solution allows individuals to implement a granular level of control over their appliances with ease.

Installing the Solution

The hardware installation process to implement the Consert Energy Management Solution is short and simple.

• A certified Consert installer and utility meter representative schedules an hour visit at the residential or small commercial property.
• The utility meter representative switches out the existing meter with a smart meter which has a Consert Gateway under cover.
• The installer attaches Consert intelligent, wirelessly communicating measurement and control devices on major energy consuming devices, such as the HVAC units and water heater.
• The installer then proceeds to replace the existing thermostat with a Consert programmable communicating thermostat.
• Finally, the installer ensures that the measurement and control devices can communicate wirelessly via ZigBee to the Consert Gateway which further corresponds with the Consert Data Center via the Verizon Wireless’ 3G EV-DO network.

Accessing the Energy Saving “Smart Button”

Once the necessary hardware is installed in their home or business, consumers gain access to the Consert’s online energy management portal.

• The Consert installer provides the consumer with a step-by-step guide that outlines how to access Consert’s online portal.
• At their convenience, the consumer logs in on the Consert website to create their own dynamic profile or to choose a preprogrammed profile of their liking.  Both allow the consumer to manage energy usage according to their preferences.  These preferences may be changed at any time.
• To set up a dynamic profile, the consumer is asked to set defined limits to authorize the energy provider to further manage usage for mutual economic benefit and to address peak loads.  The set up process typically takes 10-15 minutes.  Some questions the consumer is asked include:

1. What time does the first person in your household awaken?
2. What times does the last person in your household leave?
3. What do you consider a comfortable temperature in the summer or winter?
4. What temperature would you turn it to when no one is home?

Once the consumer answers all questions, they simply activate their profile and logout.