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Business Experiences Undertaking Electricity Conservation and Demand Management Activities: An Investigation of Medium- and Large-Scale Electricity Customers in Milton, Ontario. Research Overview. Definition: Conservation and Demand Management (CDM): lowering and/or shifting electricity usage
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Business Experiences Undertaking Electricity Conservation and Demand Management Activities: An Investigation of Medium- and Large-Scale Electricity Customers in Milton, Ontario
Research Overview • Definition: • Conservation and Demand Management (CDM): lowering and/or shifting electricity usage • Energy Drill Program: Aggregation of local customers to participate in a province wide demand response program • Research Questions: • What CDM activities were undertaken and what impacts did they have? • Why do organizations undertake electricity CDM activities? • Methodology: • Single case study of General Service > 50 kW electricity customers in Milton Hydro distribution area (Milton, ON) • Same group targeted by Milton Hydro’s Energy Drill Program including Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Customers • Participant Observations, Interviews, Public Information, Electricity Consumption Data Analysis
Participants and Activities Participants • 17 Participant Organizations • 7 Commercial, 4 Institutional, 6 Industrial • 50-1000 kW: 14, > 1000 kW: 3 CDM Activities • Conservation (operation) • E.g. Energy Audits, Awareness, Equipment off at night • Efficiency (design/equipment) • E.g. Upgrade Lights, A/C etc. • Demand Response (time of day lowering and/or shifting) - E.g. Temporarily reduce lighting, A/C and/or other equipment - E.g. Shift usage to off-peak times
Motivations • Competitive • Finances “short answer - it’s all about money”, “can’t justify $1/4 mil. for the environment” • Business Image • Customer Satisfaction • Employee Satisfaction employees are “treehuggers” • Legitimation • Consistent with Policies/Objectives • Community Initiative • Altruism • Consistent with Personal Values “don’t like to waste” • Community Support • Electricity System Reliability • Corporate Social Responsibility “being a good corporate citizen” • Environment “do what we can”
Enablers and Barriers Enablers • Energy Drill Program - Public Marketing, Payment Incentive • Energy Management Capacity • Technological Room To Improve / Equipment Failures • Available, Functional Equivalent and Quality Technology Barriers • Payback Period • Tenants/No Separate Billing • Safety • Multiple Facilities • Original Facility Design - Light Switches • “Just In Time” Operations
CDM Gradient • Financial and Environmental, w/ Champion CDM Impact vs. Motivations, Enablers and Barriers High CDM Low CDM • Financial / Competitive • Environment • Small Financial • Environmental “do what we can”
Conclusion • Almost always an energy conservation opportunity which leads to some financial benefit of varying scales • Significant CDM activities are undertaken based on • Financial + • Energy Management • Internal Champion • Other Competitive Benefits - Image, Customers, Employees • Available, functional and quality technologies • Lack of over-riding barriers
Contact Stephen Mooney, BASc MES Candidate Environment and Resource Studies, Faculty of Environmental Studies University of Waterloo 416-786-6366 smooney@uwaterloo.ca Supervisor: Ian H. Rowlands, BASc, PhD Associate Professor, Environment and Resource Studies Associate Dean, Research, Faculty of Environmental Studies University of Waterloo 519-888-4567, ext. 32574 irowland@fes.uwaterloo.ca
Participants • 17 Participant Organizations • Commercial: 7 • Institutional: 4 • Industrial: 6 • 50-1000 kW: 14 • > 1000 kW: 3 Bill Categories: • Spot (Hourly): 9 • RPP: 8 (Regulated Price Plan)
