Tendril to help with smart-grid test in Montana
NorthWestern Energy, one of the largest providers of electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest US, plans to enlist the cloud-based services of Tendril for its smart grid demonstration grant program.
The utility aims to use Tendril Energize and Tendril Connect to engage with customers, enable energy usage behavioral changes, and to provide demand response (DR) and load control benefits. The deployment is scheduled to begin this summer with select customers in urban and rural parts of Montana, with a focus on the city of Helena.
Customer volunteers will use the Tendril Energize consumer engagement application suite — which includes a web portal and mobile apps for the iPhone and Android — as well as in-home smart devices using the Tendril Connect platform for real-time energy consumption information and usage control tools.
The deployment is part of the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project, a $178-million program funded by the US Department of Energy to test new technologies and advanced analytical tools for the smart grid. NorthWestern Energy’s specific goal in the project is to test distribution automation (DA) and conservation voltage reduction (CVR), as well as energy savings associated with DR and load control.
The project will also measure the impact of providing customers with new and innovative ways to control their energy consumption, and seek insights into customer acceptance and usage behavioral changes.
Partnership with Tendril on the NorthWestern Energy project are Itron and Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin’s SEEsuite Smart Grid Command and Control platform will provide demand response management and integrated situational awareness, while Itron will supply its CENTRON R300 advanced residential meters and Tendril-sourced Home Area Network (HAN) equipment of smart thermostats and in-home display products.
The Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project is a five-year test of new technologies and advanced analytical tools to assess the potential for a safe, scalable and interoperable smart grid for regulated and non-regulated utilities. The project, being managed by Battelle, involves the Bonneville Power Administration, five technology partners, 11 utilities across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, and the University of Washington, and will involve more than 60,000 utility customers.
“This project has the potential to change the way energy providers and their customers interact in the Pacific Northwest and beyond — consumer acceptance and engagement being a critical element to a smarter grid,” said Adrian Tuck, CEO of Tendril.
