Brief. Cutting Costs and Improving Demand Response with Automated Notification

Transcription

1 Brief Cutting Costs and Improving Demand Response with Automated Notification

2 Supporting the Fifth Fuel: Cutting Costs and Improving Demand Response with Automated Notification Are Load Curtailment Communication Challenges Costing You Money? What are the day-to-day challenges you face when communicating to load curtailment customers? Are you reaching customers quickly enough to maintain the real-time balance between supply and demand and avoid penalties? Have you hesitated in upgrading or purchasing a demand response communication system because you re not sure of the return on investment or its ability to meet or exceed regulatory requirements? We ve entered an era where there s no turning back on the demand to reduce energy consumption. A large part of the responsibility for increasing the use of the fifth fuel energy efficiency and conservation falls squarely on the shoulders of utility companies. It s not a small challenge. Successful demand response operations rely heavily on rapid communication with customers, especially during unexpected peaks. Maintaining that delicate supply-versusdemand balance while avoiding financial penalties that eat away at profit margins requires an efficient, automated communication system. Efficient Notification Improves Load Curtailment Operations When it comes to energy conservation and efficiency, communication is tantamount to our efforts, particularly for power utility companies as they seek to increase end-user participation and compliance in their demand response programs. This paper will discuss how the use of geographically enabled mass notification can improve strategic capabilities and actual communication to industrial, commercial, and residential customers alike. 2 of 7

3 Improving Day-to-Day Load Curtailment Communication Plain and simple, demand response customers cannot curtail energy use if they cannot be reached in a timely manner. And non-compliance can result in significant financial penalties if power grids are overloaded or utilities are forced to purchase additional power at a much higher cost to satisfy demand. The use of an automated notification system alleviates this risk by meeting common load curtailment communication challenges. (See Figure 1.) Figure 1. Demand Response Communication Challenges Speed of communication Communications Challenges Demand response customers cannot curtail energy use if they cannot be reached quickly. Unexpected peaks and short timeframes make it difficult to notify large numbers of customers quickly through manual methods Advantages of Automated Notifications Collapses notification time from hours to minutes. Reaches tens, hundreds, or thousands of customers via all contact methods (office phone, cell phone, IM, text messaging, , and more) from a single message Resource requirements Manually calling curtailment customers is labor-intensive and expensive Reduces staff needed to manage an incident Customer satisfaction Insufficient communication of emergencies, such as gas leaks and downed lines, can expose utilities companies to liability Inbound calls spike, agent resources are taxed, and customer satisfaction declines during outages Enables proactive communication on customer service issues, decreasing inbound calls and dissatisfaction Increases participation/compliance in programs Reporting and compliance No reliable audit trail to ensure curtailment compliance Provides real-time responses to curtailment requests Provides a historical audit trail Contact accuracy Difficult to maintain accurate customer contact information Can be used to validate contact information 3 of 7

4 How Automated Notification Works Utility notifies customers in minutes Energy usage skyrockets due to sudden increased demand (for example, triggered by cold snaps or heat waves). Control center operators must inform curtailment customers to cut back on usage so the utility can meet demand without penalties. The control center operator identifies affected transformers on a map in the notification system and within minutes sends a targeted message to all demand response market participants hotels, property managers, businesses, residents, and others within the selected area. No guesswork and no manual calling. Demand response customers curtail usage Major energy-using customers in the affected area receive notice of this curtailment opportunity via phone, , Instant Messenger, text messaging, fax, and more within minutes. The system continues to cycle through all contact paths until the customer confirms receipt to make sure the message gets through. Customers can indicate whether they are curtailing usage to comply with the opportunity by using the system s two-way response capabilities. Utility gets results in 60 seconds The system s dynamic dashboard provides a real-time confirmation report of who received and confirmed the message to curtail. Once energy demand drops off, utilities can use the system again to quickly and easily notify customers to cease curtailment and resume normal operations. 4 of 7

5 By combining mapping software and notification services with geo-coded telephone data, a GIS (Geographic Information Systems)-enabled mass notification system can send geographically targeted notifications based on postal code, street address, radius from a specific point, or custom-defined area. Utility-specific information, such as the location of transformers, can be added to maps for pinpointed communications. Utilities wishing to notify all market participants in their demand response programs can further automate curtailment communications through close integration of a notification system with energy usage monitoring systems. Once usage reaches specific levels as determined by the utility, the system sends pre-recorded notifications to load curtailment customers automatically, eliminating a step in the process. Additional Notification Uses Unplanned interruptions Inform residential and commercial customers of outages, blackouts, and brownouts and severe weather Planned service interruptions Proactively notify customers in advance of tree trimming and other maintenance Restoration of service Advise customers of repair progress and expected return of service Electrical team coordination Immediately advise electric line crews, technicians, and tree-trimming crews to change locations, come in early, or even stay home if they are not needed New program announcements Announce a summer energy reduction program for a single-family households or small industrial and Of equal importance is the ability for utilities to commercial companies in specified areas satisfy government communication requirements. Two-way communication capabilities, real-time confirmations from customers, and full audit trail reporting of broadcasts and recipient confirmations allow power utilities to track and deliver important messages to select customers or to an entire customer base to ensure curtailment compliance. Automated Notification: A Win/Win Solution Automated mass notification systems are the optimal communication platform for delivering messages to load curtailment enrollees, collapsing communication time from hours to minutes, increasing participation and compliance in load curtailment programs, and reducing costs by preventing financial penalties and easing already overburdened internal labor requirements. 5 of 7

6 Top 10 Reasons Power Utilities Select Everbridge: 1. Everbridge Aware + GIS provides a time- and cost-efficient way to send targeted communications. By identifying a geographic region on a map, power utilities can quickly send messages to any number of customers within the selected region via any contact method. 2. Everbridge Aware is the easiest-to-use notification system available. When seconds count, a notification solution that non-technical team members can use easily for immediate communications makes the difference between curtailment compliance and significant financial penalties. 3. Everbridge is trusted by the world s most sophisticated organizations and most security-conscious government agencies. More than 1,000 corporations, utilities, and government organizations rely on Everbridge for proven performance. 4. Everbridge Aware is the most reliable solution available. Everbridge Aware is the only ACT-SaaS SM notification solution on the market. With constant data replication across Everbridge s globally dispersed data centers, a large disaster will not disrupt the Everbridge service unlike other solutions that experience failover delays. 5. Everbridge delivers messages faster. Automated notification systems that blast messages indiscriminately across all contact devices often overload communication infrastructures, requiring that broadcasts be throttled back or slowed down. With intelligent sequential message delivery, more people get the message faster. 6. Everbridge helps you make quick, informed decisions. The Everbridge system offers comprehensive reporting and management tools that give you the ability to manage all your notifications in a powerful, simple-to-use interface. 7. Everbridge delivers a proven ROI. Everbridge Aware provides a quantifiable ROI (Return on Investment) for routine and emergency communication needs. 8. Everbridge takes a mission-critical approach to your data security. Everbridge s system is built to the most rigorous security standards to ensure the unparalleled privacy and security of our most important data yours. 9. Everbridge Aware integrates easily with your existing systems. The Everbridge mass notification system will works with almost any application. The Everbridge web services API also allows utilities to automate high-volume, high-scale communications to support dynamic pricing, advanced metering, and other important programs. 10. Focus matters and it shows in our solution. Everbridge is the expert in incident notification because we focus on what we do best providing you with a reliable, effective solution you can count on when you need it most. 6 of 7

7 About Everbridge Everbridge, the world s recognized leader in incident notification systems, merges technology with industry expertise to help millions of people communicate in a crisis and connect on a daily basis. The company s notification platform and incident lifecycle communications model make communicating to many as simple and effective as communicating to one. Organizations in more than 100 countries including Salesforce.com, AirTran Airways, the American Red Cross, and Virginia Tech rely on Everbridge for their emergency notification and day-to-day incident communication needs. For more information about Everbridge, visit. Contact Us Everbridge technology + expertise of 7