More than 372 businesses across the Tennessee Valley Authority service area reduced their peak electricity use during what was the hottest summer on record in Chattanooga and one of the hottest ever in Memphis and Nashville, TVA announced today.
TVA and its distributors, working with energy management contractor EnerNOC, cut the peak power demand by 183 megawatts on July 29 and reduced energy use by 170 megawatts on Aug. 3. The two dates were among the summer’s hottest days when air conditioning use spiked demand for electricity. Such reductions are enough each day to serve about 100,000 homes.
Bob Balzar, TVA vice president for energy efficiency and demand response, said the EnerNOC `program “helped keep costs down for all power users in the TVA region.” TVA has expanded its EnerNOC contract to provide 560 megawatts of peak reduction in the next year.
This summer has been one of the region’s hottest in decades. Aug. 4 was the warmest overall day in the TVA service region in 50 years, based on overnight lows and afternoon highs in Chattanooga, Huntsville, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville. The heat index of 111 degrees that afternoon in Nashville is a record.
Reducing peaks through demand response can lower customers’ energy costs and help TVA avoid buying or producing its most expensive power.
“Our peak reduction performance during this summer’s heat wave is a good example of how demand response is becoming a very reliable resource that utilities can count on during times of peak demand,” Balzar said.