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December 4, 2009 – Honeywell and Southern California Edison (SCE), are teaming up to help curb energy demand in California. These Associates – the first a diversified technology and manufacturing leader, the second a major California utility – will leverage new technology to provide customers with energy efficiency solutions.
Recently, Honeywell received an $11 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to install smart-grid meters for Southern California Edison's industrial and commercial customers. The meters will enable SCE customers to automatically reduce electricity usage during “critical peak pricing”, saving money and relieving pressure on the grid. The project's potential benefit spell a win-win for all involved.
The automatic eletricity use reduction will enable SCE customers to avoid major utility costs associated with a soon-to-be adopted peak pricing system. In turn, SCE can avoid investing in new power plants to generate the 50-100 additonal hours of annualized power that constitute critical peak demand. The new system will also dramatically decrease blackouts and brownouts, which though temporary, cause devestating economic damage.
For Honeywell, their meters will be associated with a major energy efficiency project, botht today in large commercial buildings, or in the futer in residential buildings. According to Dan Shelfin, chief technology officer at Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions, “With today’s existing technology, we can save 15 - 20 percent of U.S. energy use, and 30 percent is a very realistic goal for the future.”
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