Pedernales and Bluebonnet pioneer smart meters, saving money

Published 07-14-2011 by Citizen Andy

Two Central Texas cooperatives are leading the way with a pilot program allowing hundreds of their members to view and control their energy use in real time. These new smart meters have already shown significant savings for co-op members using the smart meters. This begs the question- why aren't we all using smart meters?

Electric Co-op Today has the rest of the story.

Managing Energy Loads in Texas
Smart grid pilot projects at two co-ops yield promising results

By Victoria A. Rocha | ECT Staff Writer
Published: July 14th, 2011

Two Texas co-ops are testing a smart grid technology that shows promising results for energy savings.


An Internet- and wireless-based home energy management system is up and running at Pedernales Electric and Bluebonnet Electric.

Through a year-long pilot program in which consumers regulated energy use through smart grid technology, members of both co-ops have saved as much as 19 percent on their energy bills in some cases, according to early results.

“We’ve been pleased with the results and have received mostly positive feedback” from the participants, said Will Holford, a spokesman for Bastrop-based Bluebonnet EC.

The co-ops recorded most of the energy savings during trials of the Virtual Peak Plant Program. The trials took place during two extreme-weather events in Texas this year: this spring’s heat wave, and February’s cold snap that put record demand on the electric grid, resulting in rolling blackouts.

At Bluebonnet EC, load demand among the pilot’s 220 residents and small commercial members fell by about five kilowatts each during four separate test events totaling 22 hours in February. There was “little or no noticeable impact to comfort levels,” according to preliminary results compiled by the program’s developer, Consert Inc.

“Consert’s system reduced critical load as requested and provided real-time, measurable and verifiable results,” said Mark Rose, CEO of Bluebonnet EC.

The 100-plus members at Johnson City-based Pedernales also reported positive results during May’s early heat wave. Usage was reduced between 10 percent and 20 percent. “We have been pleased with initial findings,” said Michelle Galloway, the co-op’s technical communications manager.

“This smart grid technology puts PEC and our members on the same team to effectively reduce and better control loads during peak periods.”

As a pilot participant, Bluebonnet EC consumer-member John Haneke got new meters, a programmable thermostat and boxes attached to his home’s water heaters, HVAC systems and pool pumps. Consert’s technology allows him to set daily energy use profiles, monitor energy consumption and authorize the co-op to turn off appliances for brief spells during peak periods.

The boxes “transmit signals to the Internet, where I can log on and control each appliance,” said Haneke, a retired engineer whose February-March electric bill was about $75 lower than last year’s. “I can even check in through an app on my iPhone.”

The two Texas experiments come after a similar pilot among 100 consumers at Wake Electric Co-op, Wake Forest, N.C. There, savings were about 6 percent. Other co-ops testing the program are Grayson-Collin EC, Van Alstyne, Texas, and Jones-Onslow EMC, Jacksonville, N.C.