Data analytics saving tons of energy (think terawatts)

June 13, 2016 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

Utilities are maturing in their approach to demand-side management and their efforts using data analytics to impact how they and their customers engage with energy.

Research is demonstrating real savings from data analytics. Specifically, in partnership with 100 utilities spanning four continents, Opower has found that smart software can save hours' worth of energy. Not just megawatt-hours, but more than 11 terawatt-hours of energy -- equal to more than $1.1 billion in bill savings. That's enough to power more than 1 million homes for a year.

To achieve and demonstrate these savings, Opower has worked with U.S. utilities the likes of National Grid, Con Edison, Consumers Energy, Xcel Energy, DTE Energy, AEP, ComEd, Exelon, Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison, as well as international utilities including E.ON UK and TNB.

In 2015 alone, Opower's partners saved 3.2 TWh, which the company said is "twice as much energy as America's largest residential solar company."

Since 2009, ComEd has worked with Opower.

ComEd has delivered "nearly 750 GWh of savings for our customers to date," George Malek, director of Energy Efficiency Services at ComEd, said in a statement. "Opower's Home Energy Reports have enabled ComEd to scale energy efficiency in a way that achieves extraordinary savings for our customers."

Exelon company Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) customers reduced their peak load by 18 percent the summer of 2015 with the help of Opower's customer engagement platform. The data analytics at the heart of the platform provide insight into more than 85 variables and makes recommendations that are unique to customer circumstances.

Most recently, Opower has partnered with Eversource to expand its energy efficiency, demand-side management and customer engagement programs to 1 million customers across Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

National Grid customers in Rhode Island and Massachusetts have already saved $100 million on their energy bills using Opower's Home Energy Reports. In a recent development, National Grid is expanding the service to its customers in New York.

Oracle recently purchased to become the largest mission-critical cloud services provider to utilities in a transaction valued at $532 million.

For more:
- read the press release
- see this article

http://www.smartgridnews.com/story/data-analytics-saving-tons-energy-think-terawatts/2016-06-13