Automatic Demand Response

Reduce electricity use during peak demand periods — automatically — without interrupting your end users’ business.

Automatic demand response is a way for buildings and homes to temporarily lower electricity use — without human intervention — when the electricity grid is nearing capacity. Using Echelon’s technology, it’s easy to add a demand response solution to a building or turn an existing LonWorks based building automation network into an advanced, automatic demand response solution.

A Smarter Way to Reduce Energy Use

A demand response program can be performed manually, with employees physically turning off lights and equipment, lowering thermostats, and so on. Although this system reduces demand on the grid, it's costly and time-consuming. An automatic demand response program, powered by our LonWorks technology, offers a smarter, easier-to-implement solution.

How It Works

Echelon’s i.LON® Internet Server lets facility managers monitor and control building subsystems such as HVAC, lighting, security, and elevators, either locally or remotely. When regional grid operators or utilities anticipate blackouts or brownouts due to high electricity demand, they notify participating customers, via Web services, of the scheduled time and duration of the demand response event. At the appointed time, the i.LON Internet Server automatically triggers events that either curtail consumption (such as dimming lights, adjusting HVAC set points, or shutting down non-critical equipment), transfer to back-up generation, or both. Customers receive incentives for their cooperation.

Benefits

By effectively addressing supply and demand issues, automatic demand response programs relieve power grid stress and help prevent blackouts and brownouts. Everyone wins — utilities, property owners/integrators, and end users — by increasing grid reliability while helping to keep energy prices low. In addition, by making demand response automatic and smart, tenants and homeowners often don't even realize they're in a demand response mode. And that's the ultimate energy management solution: one that saves energy without decreasing comfort or convenience.

Start Saving Today

Learn how to turn your LonWorks based building automation network into an energy-saving system. Contact Echelon sales.