SMART METERING – (A Pilot Project Enabling Demand Management and Real Time Purchasing)

摘要

This article addresses the many practical and legal considerations and barriers relating to installing “smart” metering and energy management systems in multi-family apartment buildings. These considerations are presented in the context of pilot project in the cooperative building in which the presenter resides, which commenced operation on October 1, 2003. Peter Funk is a partner in a law firm concentrating in energy matters attorney, served as the President of the cooperative apartment building during the implementation of this project and is an officer of the cooperative corporation responsible for the project. The project includes advanced interval metering together with a concentrator and telephonic connections with the local distribution company individual interactive displays (or a website) and automatic load curtailment devices for each apartment. These installations enable the apartment building to purchase power on a real time basis from Con Edison and sell aggregated demand reduction to the ISO (during critical power supply periods). The cooperative has implemented an internal rate structure to reflect RTP procurement and thereby encourage residents to move usage to low cost periods thus reducing demand at peak times and lowering residents’ energy costs. The building conducted a program to educate the residents in the hope that they will take advantage of load elasticity to reduce peak period demand and that providing energy cost signals will inspire energy conservation. Since this is an innovative and much needed type of demand reduction installation in New York City (in light of continuing supply problems), it has become a demonstration project that has obtained financial incentives from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and encouragement from the (PSC) New York Public Service Commission. Since, however, it is occuring post-deregulation but in the context of certain pre-deregulation regulations, the project has encountered local and state regulatory issues. This project promises to initiate a widespread multifamily building load management infrastructure as results are documented and information spread.