Abstract

The Vineyard Energy Project involves the deployment of customer systems to enable real-time load measurement and management while helping customers optimize their electricity usage. The main objective is to assess the effectiveness and customer acceptance of the technologies and determine the extent to which they can help accommodate greater penetration of wind energy. Home area networks, energy management systems, direct control devices (including water heaters, air conditioners, and water pumps), and various smart appliances are integrated into Vineyard Power Management System (VPMS) (i.e., Vineyard Power’s load balancing system). The project also allows participating customers access to a Web portal—allowing them to view their energy usage information and their participation in adjusting the load shape to better match wind generation patterns. A supermarket implementation widely monitors energy use and connects VPMS with a temperature sensor and a load control switch in a refrigeration demand response demonstration responding to the VPMS price signal.