Itron, Inc., which is innovating the way utilities and cities manage energy and water, has been named a 2018 Grid Edge Innovation Award winner by Greentech Media. The award recognizes the targeted demand management program Itron deployed for Central Hudson, which enables the utility to defer infrastructure upgrades that would otherwise be needed to meet increasing peak demand. The Grid Edge Awards represent the top 10 companies or projects that have demonstrated innovative applications of grid edge technologies.
Greentech Media recognized Itron and Central Hudson for the recently implemented demand management program, which is focused on alleviating constrained load pockets in the utility’s service territory. Itron’s IntelliSOURCE Enterprise distributed energy resource management system, provides the technology foundation for the program by successfully coordinating for Central Hudson a diverse set of distributed energy resources along with providing customers an integrated engagement portal to increase energy savings. As the first production-sized non-wires alternative project developed in response to New York State’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative, the program has enrolled over 40 percent of eligible customers in a targeted zone.
Since the Central Hudson program aims to defer capital projects that would have otherwise resulted in earnings for Central Hudson, the utility collaborated with regulators to create a unique compensation model, which ensures the program is financially beneficial for both the company and its customers.
“Working with Itron makes it simple and easy for customers to participate in the program in a way that’s valuable for them and their community. With the non-wires solution, we are able to delay the need for new investment while maintaining reliability to alleviate future rate pressure and engaging with our customers,” said Joseph Hally, manager of energy transformation and solutions at Central Hudson. “We are honored to receive this award with Itron.”
“Our program provides substantial savings to the community when and where it’s needed most. We do this by enabling customers to better manage their energy use, so this is a great fit for the objectives of a Grid Edge Award. We are honored to receive this recognition,” said Steve Hambric, vice president of distributed energy management, Itron. “We hope that this project shows how successful non-wires alternatives projects can be, helping spread the solutions nationwide.”
The Grid Edge Innovation Awards identify companies that embody grid edge industry transformation. Winners include pioneers, established technology vendors, utilities, energy providers and others who showcase innovative products, market-disrupting business models and an overall forward-looking vision. Awardees are nominated and voted on by energy industry stakeholders, including the team of analysts at GTM Research.
“For these awards, we identified companies that not only involve innovative applications of grid technologies, but also offer solutions to the technical, business and regulatory challenges of distributed energy integration,” said Ben Kellison, director of Grid Research at GTM Research. “Central Hudson and Itron not only implemented a demand response program that has reach 40 percent customer participation in three short years, but Central Hudson pioneered a shared savings business model for this non-wires alternative project that is now spreading to other regulated utilities.”
Itron will receive the award at Grid Edge Innovation Summit, taking place June 20-21 in San Francisco, California. See the full list of winners and learn more here.
View original press release from Itron.