Duke Energy 2006 Annual Report Download - page 22

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Changing habits with a smarter grid
DAVID MOHLER (LEFT) IS VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER AT DUKE ENERGY;
TED SCHULTZ IS VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY. THEIR TEAMS ARE COMMITTED TO DEPLOYING THE BEST
PRACTICES AND TECHNOLOGIES TO HELP OUR CUSTOMERS USE ENERGY MORE WISELY.
20
We believe we can change energy habits, includ-
ing our own, by deploying new energy-saving tech-
nologies. One promising technology available now
is advanced metering — the replacement of the
simple billing meter with one capable of two-way
communication over our distribution grid. The day
when all of our customers will be able to log in to
our Web site and see their hourly energy use is not
far off.
With our customers’ permission, these new meters
would give us the ability to control high-energy-use
appliances and equipment during peak demand
times, without inconveniencing customers or busi-
ness owners, who would also share in the savings.
Smart meters will also enhance our ability to
measure and verify the impacts of our energy effi-
ciency programs. This is critical for energy efficiency
to become a reliable system resource for meeting
customer demand for electricity. Remote metering
over our network would also let us predict trouble,
pinpoint outages and restore power faster. This
solution should be more economical than paying
for a new power plant, and most of the smart grid’s
cost would be offset by the operational and power
procurement savings.
Advanced metering is just one of the energy and
cost-saving technologies we are exploring to change
minds and habits.