The Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC) will launch a new residential demand response program this summer using Wi-Fi communicating thermostats and EnergyHub's Mercury demand response software platform.
The initial deployment is planned for 1,000 Wi-Fi thermostats, and participating co-op members will have the choice of professional installation or installing the thermostat themselves. Participating members will also have access to EnergyHub's Web and mobile applications for remote thermostat control and management, as well as efficiency features such as Radius, which can use smartphone locations to automatically put customers’ thermostats in energy-saving “Away” mode.
MVEC will use the demand response management capabilities of EnergyHub’s Mercury platform to decrease its overall power demand during peak periods. MVEC currently has over 15,000 homes and businesses enrolled in load control programs, and the Wi-Fi thermostat program is one of several recent load management initiatives instituted by MVEC to help reduce overall costs for its members.
