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Summer heat prompts Ontario's first activation of peaksaver program |
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With Ontario's first significant summer heat upon us, peaksaver, a residential and small business electricity demand reduction program that temporarily powers down central air conditioning systems was activated for the first time provincewide in early July.
It's estimated that the program, designed and administered by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) and co-ordinated by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), saved in excess of 40 megawatts during a day in which temperatures reached as high as 32 degrees and the humidex went as high as 38 in some parts of the province. The 40 MW of peak reduction is equivalent to the peak electricity requirements of about 10,000 homes. peaksaver will be activated throughout the summer as needed to mitigate peak demand.
"We are committed to ensuring that Ontario has the power it needs
during times of peak electricity demand," said George Smitherman,
Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. "That's why
more than 3,700 megawatts of clean, new supply has come on line since
2003, and it is why conservation and demand management are central to
this government's energy plan. The OPA's peaksaver program is an
important part of that focus, and a simple, easy way for Ontarians to
help cut overall demand on hot days. I'd like to thank every Ontarian
who is already a peaksaver participant and encourage those who are
still thinking about it to sign up today."
With peaksaver,
participating homeowners and small businesses volunteer to have a
device (thermostat or switch) installed to allow a wireless signal to
temporarily cycle air conditioning on and off with minimal impact on
comfort levels; they receive $25 to have the device installed and the
overall system saves money as a result. The program is offered by 47
local electricity distribution companies (LDCs) across the province.
More than 80,000 homes and businesses have signed up so far.
"peaksaver is
part of a portfolio of conservation programs funded by the OPA to
enable Ontario to better manage its demand for electricity during the
summer and all year round," said Paul Shervill, OPA Vice President,
Conservation and Sector Development. "We expect peaksaver to contribute
significantly to our demand management efforts and it will be
complemented by our Demand Response 3 (DR 3) program, which targets
large industrial loads, later this summer."
Residents who participated in targeted activations of
peaksaver last summer reported that they hardly noticed when a
cycle-down had taken place. During the four-hour period when an
activation has occurred there is only a very small rise in temperature
because air conditioners are only turned down, not off entirely. Over
the course of a summer, it's anticipated that peaksaver will be
activated about 10 times. With some participating LDCs, peaksaver can
also be applied to reduce the power consumed by electric water heaters
in homes with central air conditioning.
By the end of this year, the OPA expects to be offering 26
conservation programs in total. As part of the OPA's Integrated Power
System Plan (IPSP), it has been proposed that Ontario invest $10.2
billion in conservation over 20 years.
The OPA is responsible for ensuring a reliable, sustainable supply of
electricity for Ontario. Its four key areas of focus are: planning the
power system for the long term, leading and co-ordinating conservation
initiatives across the province, ensuring development of needed
generation resources and supporting the continued commercial evolution
of the electricity sector.
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