Scott Seu, VP for Energy Resources, Hawaiian Electric

Honolulu, HI, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- February 6, 2012 - Hawaiian Electric Co. is to run a two-year pilot with Honeywell to demonstrate how demand response technology can help integrate more intermittent renewable energy to the electric grid.

Hawaiian Electric will conduct a test of the “fast demand response” (Fast DR) technology, which gives the utility and facilities the tools to reduce demand within 10 minutes of notification of a pending imbalance between supply and demand. Companies receive an incentive to participate and when Fast DR events are triggered they receive an additional per-kWh incentive credit. This can translate into thousands of dollars in annual savings.

The pilot will validate the technical design and tariffs for a full scale demand response program to support Hawaii's renewable energy goals. It will also contribute to a broader state-wide effort to increase energy independence, security and sustainability.
 
“Increasing renewable energy requires new and more advanced methods of managing reliability, especially given the variable nature of wind and solar,” commented Scott Seu, Hawaiian Electric vice president for energy resources. “This project will lay the groundwork for new programs to advance a clean energy future for Hawaii.”
 
Currently, Hawaiian Electric relies on fossil fuel generation to manage the inherent intermittency associated with certain types of renewable energy and other interruptions in grid stability. Fast DR has the potential to reduce the use of fossil fuels to balance the increased integration of renewable energy in Hawaii.

The pilot also will help Hawaiian Electric create direct connections to loads at commercial and industrial facilities.

For the first phase, Honeywell will work with Hawaiian Electric to enroll and connect customers to a regional operating center. If demand outpaces supply, Hawaiian Electric will trigger a notice for customers to reduce demand within 10 minutes, providing more than 6 MW of semi-automated load control when the program is fully subscribed.
 
A second phase will feature the use of automated demand response (Auto DR) tools, including Honeywell’s Akuacom and Tridium technologies.

The Hawaiian Electric companies, working with the state of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of Energy, have committed to reach a 70 percent clean energy goal by 2030, with at least 40 percent of electricity sold by Hawaiian Electric coming from renewable sources and 30 percent from energy efficiency.