How Does the Curtailment Process Work?
During peak load periods Power Companies can access the ComfortChoice system using any standard Web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape. The Power Company operator will log in to a designated URL to access ComfortChoice's curtailment initiation web page. The ComfortChoice system will then use two-way wireless Internet communication to contact EMi systems installed in the homes or businesses of designated Power Company customers or groups. EMi thermostat setpoints will then be adjusted by a Power Company-determined number of degrees, resulting in measurable energy load reduction.
At the initiation of a curtailment, the EMi thermostats respond by adjusting their setpoints accordingly, and displaying a curtailment icon along with the time remaining for the curtailment on their LCD display.
While a curtailment event is in progress, the Power Company operator can monitor the amount of estimated load reduction in real time.
If the customer is uncomfortable during a curtailment, they can manually or remotely override the curtailment. When the customer overrides the curtailment, the override event will be logged into a database for future Power Company usage. The override events can also be used to make real-time adjustments to the estimated load reduction of the curtailment event in progress. This will allow Power Companies to extend or expand curtailment events to achieve the desired load reduction. In extreme power emergencies, Power Companies can designate curtailments to be non-overrideable, in which case customers will not be able to override the new setpoint setting.
Can a Power Company Curtail Individual Thermostats or Must Curtailments Be Performed in Groups?
Power Companies can target aggregate groups for system-wide load relief, or subgroups and individual households for localized load relief.
What Reports Are Available?
Standard reports provided with ComfortChoice include the Event Summary Report, the Program Summary Report, the Network Communications Report, the Customer Participation Report, and the Customer History report.
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