Fairfield University and the Town of Fairfield receive ISO New England's 2004 Demand Response Achievement Award

Fairfield University and the Town of Fairfield receive ISO New England's 2004 Demand Response Achievement Award

Image: Energy Award

Representatives from ISO New England Inc., the operator of the region's bulk power system and wholesale electricity markets, presented Fairfield University President Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. and First Selectman Ken Flatto with 2004 Demand Response Achievement Awards on Wednesday, March 30. The awards recognize these entities' participation and performance in ISO New England's Demand Response Program.

Representatives from EnerNOC, a Boston-based firm under contract with ISO New England to recruit and work with commercial electricity users for the Demand Response Program, were also present.

"When the power grid is most stressed, we assist by reducing our electricity use," said Ric Taylor, associate vice president for campus planning and operations, noting that the program dovetails with a number of initiatives the University has undertaken to be as energy efficient as possible. "A small sacrifice in our shedding load can help improve overall power system reliability. Environmentally, the energy-producing plants are less stressed, thereby avoiding additional emissions. By participating in the program, the University also benefits from a new revenue stream that helps to balance ever-rising utility costs."

The Town of Fairfield, the first Connecticut municipality to participate in the program, is also pleased with the opportunity to help improve the region's electrical reliability.

The Town's Director of Public Works, Richard White, remarked, "We combine the resources of several Town facilities to maximize our contribution to maintaining reliability within the region without compromising our day-to-day operations. It's exciting to know that we are helping keep the power flowing to our community."

Residential, commercial, and industrial customers throughout Connecticut and New England are participating in ISO New England's Demand Response Program.

The program requires customers to respond to capacity deficiency events by quickly decreasing their energy consumption from the electrical grid in exchange for recurring payments. The Demand Response Program allows ISO New England to help maintain reliability by calling on these customers to reduce power consumption during times of stress on the region's bulk power grid.

"Fairfield University and the Town of Fairfield have proven to be dependable and valuable partners in the ISO New England Real-Time Demand Response Program and should be proud of their contributions to maintaining the reliability of the electrical grid in Southwest Connecticut," said Robert Laurita, ISO New England's senior program administrator.

In an unscheduled test last summer (which neither participant nor EnerNOC knew was a test), Fairfield University dropped 2.3 megawatts of energy within 15 minutes, enough to power 1,600 to 2,300 homes in Fairfield County, and vastly more than the University had pledged. The Town dropped several hundred kilowatts across several facilities, including the Town Hall and Water Pollution Control Facility.

"Fairfield University and the Town of Fairfield have been an integral part of making the electrical grid more reliable through their participation in the Demand Response Program," said David Brewster, President and Chief Operating Officer of EnerNOC. "The level of performance that EnerNOC and its clients achieved during this event is getting national recognition, giving demand response credibility as a real and verifiable resource.

"This is a critical program to make the electrical grid more reliable and Fairfield University and the Town of Fairfield are shining examples of how end-use customers can really participate in the electricity markets in meaningful ways - and make money while doing so."

The University was able to respond so quickly thanks to automated notification from EnerNOC and a computerized energy management system that enables officials to control more than three-quarters of the University's energy usage from two centralized locations.

EnerNOC also has the ability to automatically turn on the emergency generators at participating sites across the University's campus and Town upon ISO New England's request. Fairfield's generators can handle about 20 percent of the University's usual energy usage of 3 to 3.5 megawatts. Fairfield's peak usage rises to about 5 megawatts on hot summer days due to air conditioning. The new technology has allowed Fairfield to monitor its energy consumption 24 hours a day. "You can pick up problems before they become a major crash," Taylor said.

Participation in the demand response program is among several initiatives the University has undertaken over the last ten years following a study it conducted with United Technologies Carrier in 1998 to examine its energy usage and look for ways to control and reduce electricity consumption. These efforts have produced tremendous payback for the University, cutting its kilowatt-hour usage by 11 percent per square foot, and thus saving money and helping the environment.

Among the specific changes the University made were:

Changed exterior lights from those with mercury to those using high-pressure sodium.

In 2001, a grant from the Keck Foundation and SNET allowed Dr. Evangelos Hadjimichael, dean of the School of Engineering, to spearhead the installation of about 700 solar panels - one of the largest residential installations in the country ­­- on the roof of one of the University's Townhouses. The solar array produces 12.5 kilowatts of electricity.

Attending the award presentation were: von Arx, Flatto, Taylor, Laurita, Brewster, Town of Fairfield Director of Public Works Richard White, Town of Fairfield Assistant Director of Public Works Ed Boman, Fairfield University Vice President of Finance William J. Lucas, Fairfield University Control Supervisor Bill Romatzick, Fairfield University Energy Manager Bill Auger, University Electrician John Tedesco, and Director of Campus Operations Theodore Hunyadi.

Posted On: 04-04-2005 10:04 AM

Volume: 37 Number: 179