Clean Technologies - Wind Power
The "Negawatt"
As clean energy use continues to grow in New York and beyond, we are making great strides toward increasing energy independence and affordability while reducing the harmful effects of fossil fuels. However, the cheapest and cleanest electricity is that which is never produced, otherwise known as the “negawatt.” Negawatts come from the cleanest power plants ever – the ones that don’t have to be built.
A negawatt is energy not consumed, either by turning things off, not turning them on, or by boosting energy efficiency through using technology that requires less energy to perform the same functions. Increasing efficiency and conservation leads to a reduced demand for energy, which translates to lower prices for consumers and less of an impact on the environment. In every sector, whether residential, commercial, industrial, or transportation, there are opportunities to increase efficiency and conservation and reduce overall energy use.
In New York, energy efficiency programs are supported through Energy $mart, which is run by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), with money from a small surcharge on utility bills. A variety of energy efficiency solutions are available to residential and business customers of New York state utilities who seek to reduce energy usage and costs and reduce the impact that homes have on the environment. In addition, New York has just begun a new energy efficiency initiative - the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EPS) - with the goal of reducing energy consumption 15% from what it would have been without such effort by 2015. The programs will build upon current NYSERDA programs and also will also include new utility-sponsored programs. Stricter building codes and standards are also expected to help the state meet this aggressive target.
From high efficiency lighting to ENERGY STAR® rated appliances to improvements in insulation and sealing, there are number of ways to reduce energy consumption in our daily lives. Many of the things we can do in our own homes are also employed on a larger scale in commercial and industrial settings, where efficiency improvements are made with new machinery and equipment purchases and building design.
Weatherization Assistance
New York State also offers a Weatherization Assistance Program through the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal where homeowners and renters can seek assistance to reduce the energy used to heat their homes and provide hot water. Eligibility for the program is based on household income relative to federal low-income guidelines. The actual energy audits and weatherization work are handled by local service providers. A listing of these providers can be found on the NYS Housing and Community Renewal website.
Please browse some our links and resources to see how you can reduce energy use, make your own home more efficient, and learn more about green building and design.
Demand Response
In addition to saving energy through efficiency improvements, technology can also be utilized to manage the demand from electricity customers during critical periods of supply shortage or in response to fluctuating market conditions. Demand response programs help prevent blackouts and brownouts in our communities during times of peak energy usage or in other situations where there is extra stress on the electric grid.
With demand response programs, electricity customers, often through the use of dedicated control systems, decrease their energy use at the request of the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), or in response to market prices. Following a pre-planned load prioritization scheme, the customer agrees to reduce non-essential energy-intensive services, such as lights, machines, or air conditioning, during the critical timeframes. Alternately, energy consumption can be reduced through on-site generation of electricity to supplement the power grid. When an electricity supply reaches peak demand, demand response can also help reduce the peak price and can stabilize pricing in general.
Commercial and residential energy use varies greatly throughout the year and even within a single day. Electric grid operators must respond accordingly to determine the amount of power needed from generators at any given point in time. Some types of power production can be manipulated to increase or decrease in response to changing supply and demand conditions. Others however, such as wind and solar, are intermittent due to their variable source.
Given the fluctuations in both supply and demand, efficiency of the power grid itself is another area where we can have a major impact on energy conservation. Especially as the proportion of intermittent power sources such as wind power in a system grows, demand response may become increasingly essential to the effective management of the electric grid.
Participants in demand response programs administered by NYISO and NYSERDA are paid for their commitment to participate and for their actual performance in reducing their load or operating their on-site generation during an actual curtailment event.
Demand Response Providers
The majority of commercial, industrial, and institutional customers choose to work with Demand Response Providers. These are private companies that specialize in offering energy strategy and energy management solutions ranging from coordinating participation in the demand response programs to monitoring energy usage and identifying ways that customers can reduce consumption.
Demand response providers can also supply advanced metering and proprietary software to their customers that helps them keep track of their energy usage, target high electricity demand times, and alter their operational activities to reduce demand. Some companies also offer energy procurement services to help businesses purchase power in deregulated, competitive wholesale markets. The resources can be a mix of renewable and non-renewable energy. Two of ACE NY’s member companies are among the largest providers of demand response services - Energy Curtailment Specialists, Inc. and EnerNOC. More information regarding Demand Response can be found in the Links and Resources section.
Combined with other technological developments such as advanced metering, demand response can have an important impact on creating a more efficient, reliable and effective power grid. Please visit some of the listed links to learn more!