December 2018
Member Spotlight
In 2018, SECC will be recognizing a member each month, providing an organizational profile and highlighting the member's accomplishments and output in the smart energy space.
About AVANGRID
AVANGRID, Inc. is a leading sustainable energy company with approximately $32 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states. AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving 3.2 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates 7.1 gigawatts of electricity capacity, primarily through wind power, with a presence in 22 states across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 6,500 people.
AVANGRID supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals, received a Climate Development Project climate score of “A-,” the top score received in the utilities sector, and has been recognized for two consecutive years by Ethical Boardroom as the North American utility with the “best corporate governance practices.” For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
Energy Smart Community
The Energy Smart Community (ESC) is a small testbed for innovation that enables AVANGRID to test various smart grid technologies and smart grid-enabled customer programs to support REV-related initiatives and functionality required to become the Distributed System Platform provider for its New York operating companies (NYSEG and RG&E). The ESC is located in Ithaca and Tompkins County, which includes 12,500 electric and 7,700 gas smart meters across a 48-square mile area in upstate NY. The region is home to a particularly knowledgeable and engaged population with issues related to clean and sustainable energy. Cornell University has also been a key partner in helping to effectively engage the community, research what customer needs and leverage data in new ways.
Market Research
A baseline survey was conducted in 2016 before AMI meters were installed to establish the level of awareness and interest in smart meters and enabled functionality. A follow-up survey was completed in August 2018 to measure awareness, acceptance and engagement after the installation of the meters and implementation of various customer programs. The 2018 survey results indicate that the majority of Tompkins County customers are aware of the Energy Smart Community, a promising first step. However, individual program awareness was low, indicating a need for more effective communications and outreach. The results regarding AMI are very encouraging and indicate that ESC customers have a very high level of satisfaction and positive perceptions of smart meters. After the implementation of the ESC, customers expect a higher role in developing renewable energy, collaborating with the community, being innovative, and becoming the utility of future, which NYSEG has seen improvement from the baseline survey.
Stakeholder Engagement and Community Outreach
In a partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County (CCE-TC), NYSEG has been very active in the community, attending local events and presenting to various organizations around the county, along with monthly Community Energy Conversations held at CCE-TC to educate the community about the ESC and its program offerings.
Addressing the unique needs of low and moderate income (LMI) customers, NYSEG launched the NYSEG Smart Partner Program (NYSEG SPP), which trained 15 Energy Navigators from LMI households, who went back to their community to pass along energy efficiency tips to their neighbors. This energy efficiency pilot program complements the successful Energy Navigators program offered through the CCE-TC and Get Your Greenback (getyourgreenback.org). Awareness has increased in Tompkins County as a result of these aggressive outreach efforts.
NYSEG Energy Manager and NYSEG Smart Solutions Marketplace
The smart grid-enabled customer platform includes an Energy Manager and Marketplace. The Energy Manager provides customers access to their AMI data, so they can better understand and manage their energy consumption. They can set savings plans and usage alerts and assess if they can benefit from a new time-of-use rate that is also being piloted in the ESC.
The Marketplace (NYSEGsmartsolutions.com) enables customers to get instant rebates on energy efficiency products, such as LEDs and smart strips, and to directly enroll in the Bring-Your-Own-Thermostat demand response program at the point of a smart thermostat purchase. The company has worked with a vendor that has an AI and machine-learning application to disaggregate load profiles, which provides valuable insight on customers who would benefit from the various demand side management programs. A seamless customer experience and customized offerings are critical for the company to continue to strengthen the relationship it has with its customers, as well as generate value for them.
Green Button Connect
On December 18, 2018, Green Button Connect will be available on two platforms: the NYSEG Energy Manager and the NYSEG Smart Solutions Marketplace. Customers can choose to allow third parties to safely access their data using the Green Button data transfer security standards. Customers control the data shared (e.g. usage, billing), period of availability, and can cancel permissions at any time.
Distributed energy resource developers will have streamlined access to customer data in a customizable XML format. By receiving granular, accurate data quickly, service providers can enhance their services, such as accurately verifying returns on energy efficiency investments and improved solar panel design and quotes.
