San Antonio aims to cut peak energy demand by 250 MW

A company that works to reduce energy loads using smart-grid technology expects to help San Antonio reduce its peak power demand by 250 megawatts over the next four years.

Consert is doing more than implementing its Virtual Peak Plant software for the Texas city, though: it’s also relocating its headquarters there, moving from its current home in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“This is a smart win and major coup for San Antonio,” said Mayor Julián Castro. “It will draw high-paying jobs in the energy and technology fields and vault San Antonio into the future with smart-grid technologies and energy conservation.”

Consert uses real-time, wireless smart-grid technology to help utility customers conserve energy. It currently has a pilot program under way with San Antonio’s CPS Energy in which participants have set daily use profiles on their major-energy consuming devices, such as heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters and pool pumps. Participants have also checked their energy consumption from an online portal and authorized CPS Energy to cycle their devices off for brief periods during times of peak energy consumption.

Early results from the  pilot show double-digit reduction in energy use compared to the previous year’s consumption. The pilot program will be extended into a commercial implementation over the next four years aimed at reducing peak demand by more than 250 megawatts.

CPS Energy outlined a Vision 2020 plan that which calls for 20 percent of the city’s power to come from renewable sources by 2020.