Technology-Enabled Programs Designed for Agricultural Loads
While load control is not a new tool for many electric utilities, EnerNOC’s approach is. EnerNOC is constantly improving our technology and processes to deliver highly reliable, scalable and cost-effective demand response resources. Regardless of whether you are upgrading an existing load control system or planning an entirely new program, we can help.
Today, EnerNOC is the world leader in demand response for agricultural, commercial, industrial and institutional customers. We have unparalleled experience in aggregating diverse customers into firm resource blocks, so our utility partners can manage demand consistently and reliably.
Our technology enables load to come offline within minutes—and our system’s two-way communication gives operators full visibility into resource performance. Plus, our grower-friendly equipment and tools help improve customer satisfaction.
Through the utilization of advanced technology, demand response is becoming a widely accepted resource that utilities and grid operators can count on to help reliably balance supply and demand. EnerNOC’s technology platform is one of the most advanced in the industry – which you can use to deliver precise and reliable load reductions within minutes of dispatch.
EnerNOC technology—including our EnerNOC Site Server (ESS) hardware, our Network Operations Center and our DemandSMART™ comprehensive demand response application—supports customized utility demand response programs.
EnerNOC’s ESS enables two-way communication, 480 VAC remote monitoring, and load control response in less than one minute—anywhere. Designed for high-voltage applications and ruggedized for outdoor use, the ESS supports all types of agricultural electric service points, including 240 and 480 VAC equipment.
EnerNOC’s 24/7/365 Network Operations Center, or NOC, is one of the backbones of our demand response solutions. Through the NOC, EnerNOC manages all demand response dispatches for our utility partners and actively monitors the status of all sites. Service desk professionals in the NOC are equipped to answer all customer questions, around the clock. EnerNOC has three redundant NOCs, located in Boston, MA, Boise, ID, and San Francisco, CA.
DemandSMART is EnerNOC’s web-based application. Through DemandSMART, utility operators are able to dispatch and restore demand response resources. The tool provides real-time visibility into demand response performance (during dispatches) and resource availability (during non-dispatch periods). In addition, each participating agricultural customer receives access to their own data in DemandSMART, enabling them to have real-time visibility into consumption, monitor load shed results, and remotely start and stop irrigation pumps.
Agriculture is a diverse industry that has been growing at up to 16% annually in some regions for the past decade. In fact, for some electric utilities, irrigation pumping represents over 90% of summer demand. Yet agricultural loads can vary greatly by geography and other factors. For example, the depth of an underlying aquifer impacts the size of pumping loads. The power of EnerNOC’s demand response solution goes beyond our ability to adapt to a wide variety of end-use loads. Our operations team also designs load shedding strategies for each customer that meets their unique operational requirements.
Agricultural operations are not all alike, and some— like a winery or dairy—can include multiple functions like irrigation, processing and cold storage. EnerNOC customizes load control strategies to address the specific needs of each individual customer. Leveraging engineering expertise and advanced hardware, we can now deliver demand response more easily and at a lower cost than ever before.
EnerNOC is the leading provider of full-service, technology-enabled, demand response solutions for electric utilities. We are solely focused on agricultural, commercial, institutional, and industrial customers. EnerNOC manages more demand response capacity than any other firm, and more utilities have chosen EnerNOC as their demand response partner than any other company. EnerNOC is the clear choice for utilities for many reasons, including our dedication to customer service, our “get it done” attitude, and our consistently high customer satisfaction ratings.
The Idaho Power Peak Rewards Program enables Idaho Power to easily reduce peak demand on hot summer afternoons. EnerNOC’s innovative web-to-wireless platform permits Idaho Power to remotely monitor and control thousands of irrigation pumps, ranging in size from 5 to 2,000 horsepower.
“Our Irrigation Peak Rewards program is a win-win benefitting our irrigation customers and our company—the customers receive credits on their bills for participating, and we are able to further meet our commitment to continue providing responsible, reliable, low-cost energy.”
~Quentin Nesbitt, Agriculture Engineer and Manager, Idaho Power
1. For large utilities and power wholesalers, can demand response truly reduce the costs of providing peak power, either through avoiding the construction of new generation resources or by minimizing the need to purchase power?
2. For power distributors, can demand response assist in shaving peak demand without negatively impacting revenues?
The Answer to both: Yes.
“When we saw EnerNOC’s Network Operations Center, we knew they had the infrastructure in place to deliver megawatts as quickly as we needed them.”
Al Grinnell
Manager of Account Management, Tampa Electric
“EnerNOC is a great partner. Their irrigation-pump load control system is truly state-of -the-art. The EnerNOC team is highly experienced and easy to work with. Farmers in our service territory have quickly recognized the benefits of the program and are eager to participate. It’s been a success all around, and we are eager to expand the program.”
Michael Volker
Director of Regulatory & Energy Services, Midwest Energy
