Plainfield, IN, September 1, 2020 — PLMA, the voice of load management practitioners in the energy utility industry, has published a 10-page excerpt from its planned November publication, Thought Leadership Compendium 2020, Vol 1, titled “Why is Electricity Pricing So Difficult? Between a Rock and a Smart Meter.”

Originally presented as a webcast, this highly engaging discussion among three industry experts explores the potential and challenges of time-differentiated and dynamic pricing, where the barriers to these approaches lie, and how to design electricity pricing options that customers actually understand, and want.

Electricity Pricing Highlights
Highlights of this excerpt by Ahmad Faruqui of the Brattle Group, Bill LeBlanc of E Source, and Derek Kirchner of Consumers Energy include:

1. The challenges of modulating system peaks and addressing the belly of the duck curve when the price signals and marginal cost of energy are disconnected from one another;
2. Customer preference for traditional flat rates despite the higher cost these represent to them, and the increased risk they represent to the utility;
3. The opportunity smart meters and associated technologies present and how these can be used to help customers easily and effectively manage their energy use while spending less.

“Customer expectations of service providers in all sectors continue to increase as new and better approaches to pricing, billing, and customer engagement extend throughout the economy. In this context, energy pricing is an area of rich opportunity for utilities to help customers make cost-effective decisions about their energy usage. Signaling customers with timely pricing information can also help reduce utility business risk,” said PLMA Vice Chair, Rich Barone. “PLMA is addressing this important opportunity with the launch of a new Pricing Interest Group to focus on effective pricing strategies and approaches that benefit all energy stakeholders.”

Pricing Interest Group Opportunity
PLMA Interest Groups provide PLMA member practitioners with a collegial environment to learn from and network with peers who share similar interests. Staff of PLMA member organizations are welcome to join any PLMA Interest Group; five are currently offered including Customer Engagement, Connected Devices, Global Load Management, Women in Demand Management, and DER Integration. To get involved as a participant or as a volunteer leader in PLMA’s planned Pricing Interest Group, please contact PLMA’s Executive Director Rich Philip at [email protected].

About PLMA
PLMA is a 501(c)(6) non-profit association founded in 1999 that serves over 165 member organizations as the Voice of Load Management Practitioners. PLMA seeks to advance practical applications of dynamic load management and distributed energy resources by providing a forum where members educate one another and explore innovative approaches to program delivery, pricing constructs, and technology adoption. Learn more at www.peakload.org, our LinkedIn page, and on Twitter @PLMAdr.

Media Contact:
Judy Knight, PLMA
(404) 771-1122
[email protected]

CLICK HERE to download the Compendium excerpt.
CLICK  HERE for the Load Management Dialogue recording.

During August 14 – 21, 2020 the California grid experienced Stage 3 emergency conditions which resulted in rolling blackouts across the state. These events uncover clear risks utilities assume when transitioning their portfolios to include more renewable power, especially in regions subject to extreme weather. Dispatchable capacity available on-demand at scale will be required in the transition to a decarbonized grid. This whitepaper discusses the events in California, how GridPoint leveraged its network of commercial buildings as a grid resource, and how demand response will play a pivotal role in the transition to a dynamic DER-driven grid of the 21st Century.

CLICK HERE to download the report.

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DALLAS, Texas and SAN MARCOS, Calif., – ENTOUCH, an industry leader in smart building technologies, and Encycle Corporation, a technology company focused on helping commercial and industrial customers dramatically improve the efficiency of their HVAC systems using IoT-enabled services, today announced a commercial partnership agreement that integrates Encycle’s patented Swarm Logic® energy management software with ENTOUCH’S building software and technology platform. The integration enables ENTOUCH customers to leverage the Swarm Logic software-as-a-service (SAAS) solution within the ENTOUCH ecosystem.

Working in tandem with the ENTOUCH platform, Encycle’s Swarm Logic software uses Machine Learning to dynamically synchronize HVAC rooftop units (RTUs), enabling them to operate most efficiently in response to changing conditions such as outdoor temperature and building occupancy levels. RTUs become part of an IoT-based closed-loop system that coordinates their activity and distributes energy consumption more logically among the individual RTUs without the need for additional hardware or equipment in most cases. Swarm Logic, a cloud-based system, can result in HVAC energy consumption and demand reductions of 10 to 20 percent.

“We are excited to work with Encyle to bring Swarm Logic to our managed service clients,” said Jon Bolen, ENTOUCH CEO. “Swarm Logic’s machine learning algorithms will optimize our industry leading EMS platform and provide additional energy reductions, cost savings, and enhanced sustainability for our customers, something of particular importance during this exceptionally challenging time for many of our clients,” continued Bolen. ENTOUCH provides smart building solutions and managed services to vertical industries including multi-site restaurant, retail, fitness, healthcare, financial services, and childcare facilities across North America. Starting with its ENTOUCH.one purpose-built hardware products through its best-in-class ENTOUCH.cloud software suite to its industry leading ENTOUCH.360 managed services, ENTOUCH provide multi-site clients with real-time insights and control of their entire asset portfolio. ENTOUCH solves the IoT challenge for facilities executives, providing a single platform to connect their facilities using flexible, scalable architecture and robust open APIs to access the data, analytics, and insights needed to optimize efficiencies and sustain profitability.

CLICK HERE to read the full press release.