Our world is more and more reliant on electrical energy. One unlucky aspect impact is that everybody desires to make use of energy concurrently on days of utmost climate. As peak electrical energy demand soars on the most popular (and coldest) days of the yr, the businesses that run the electrical grid can reply in one in all two methods: quickly ramp up fossil gas mills to fulfill demand or guarantee that demand doesn’t get too excessive within the first place.
Provided that the world wants fewer greenhouse gasses within the environment, the second choice is the higher answer. The easiest way to handle demand is to get a big variety of individuals to keep away from utilizing a number of grid energy at peak occasions, however asking properly doesn’t normally work that nicely.
That’s why Nationwide Grid affords the ConnectedSolutions program, below which clients with sensible home equipment like thermostats, house photo voltaic batteries, and electrical automobiles can receives a commission for permitting the utility to regulate their gadgets in periods of very excessive demand.
That’s proper; you may get paid for serving to Nationwide Grid do the proper factor for its clients and the setting. Right here’s the whole lot you should know in regards to the ConnectedSolutions program, together with whether or not or not you must benefit from it.
Key takeaways
- The ConnectedSolutions program provides Nationwide Grid clients in Massachusetts and elements of New York the chance to save cash on their utility payments by lowering their grid utilization throughout “peak time occasions”.
- Residential and small enterprise clients in Massachusetts can join this system’s sensible thermostat, small-scale battery, and/or electrical car incentives. New York clients can solely join the thermostat incentive.
- A peak time occasion can occur on any day when demand on the grid may be very excessive, and Nationwide Grid says it should name an occasion as much as 60 occasions in the course of the yr for every buyer group.
- Earlier than and through a peak time occasion, Nationwide Grid will management its clients’ sensible house home equipment for as much as 3 hours to scale back pressure on the grid.
- Relying on the variety of sensible gadgets enrolled in this system, clients can earn a minimal of $20 per yr within the thermostat program and as much as a whole bunch or 1000’s of {dollars} within the battery program.
- Eversource additionally affords a ConnectedSolutions program to clients in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
What’s the ConnectedSolutions program?
ConnectedSolutions is a program designed to supply funds to house owners of sensible home equipment who permit Nationwide Grid to remotely management these gadgets in the course of the occasions of highest demand on the grid. This system is offered to Nationwide Grid clients in Massachusetts and New York.
The gadgets allowed to take part in this system embody smart thermostats, home solar batteries, and electric vehicle chargers.
Why is National Grid offering this?
Wholesale energy markets work on the concept of supply and demand just like the rest of our economy. When power is in very high demand (such as during a heatwave when everyone wants to use air conditioning at once), real-time energy prices can get very expensive.
In addition to the problem of cost, getting power quickly also affects the environment. The fastest way for National Grid to get more power on a short time horizon is to pay operators of so-called “peaker” power plants that burn gas and can start up quickly. These plants are much less efficient than different energy crops and add a number of greenhouse gasoline to the environment.
A a lot better answer is to discover a strategy to cut back spikes in vitality demand by managing the variety of clients drawing energy on the similar time. One answer is named “demand response,” which suggests addressing demand on the grid by having some clients cut back their wants. One other answer is a “digital energy plant,” a distributed community of batteries that may be activated at a second’s discover to answer spikes in demand.
ConnectedSolutions is each a digital energy plant and a requirement response program. As a substitute of paying very excessive costs to operators of soiled fossil gas energy crops, Nationwide Grid pays its clients to scale back their vitality use or serve energy to the grid from their batteries. However they don’t do it by asking individuals to show down their air conditioners. As a substitute, with a buyer’s permission, the utility can take management of internet-connected thermostats, batteries, and EV chargers for a brief interval.
This answer reduces demand on the grid, saves everybody cash, decreases greenhouse gasoline emissions, and prevents energy outages brought on by insufficient vitality provide. The purchasers enrolled within the ConnectedSolutions program quit a bit of little bit of management for a short while with the intention to assist everybody.
It’s a remarkably straightforward and efficient strategy to be altruistic, however it will probably additionally web you some money. Right here’s extra on the way it works:
How this system works
Prospects of Nationwide Grid can join the ConnectedSolutions program that corresponds with the realm by which they take service and the expertise they wish to enroll. Pure gasoline clients in New York Metropolis and Lengthy Island and electrical clients in Upstate NY can solely join the thermostat program. These in Massachusetts can benefit from all three packages listed beneath.
ConnectedSolutions for batteries
The ConnectedSolutions battery program affords householders one of the best ways to receives a commission for doing their half in lowering grid congestion. Not like thermostats, which management intermittently used home equipment, batteries might be set to discharge a portion of their vitality in a gradual stream, offering much-needed certainty to grid operators.
Additionally, in contrast to thermostats, battery house owners will barely discover any change when Nationwide Grid prompts their battery—the battery simply discharges a few of its capability to your private home or the grid (or each), and also you receives a commission. Every summer time season will see between 30 and 60 occasions on the most popular days. The occasions will happen between 2 PM and seven PM on weekdays, throughout which Nationwide Grid will activate buyer batteries for as much as 3 hours.
Your incentive cost relies on the common fee of discharge of your vitality storage system throughout the complete season of park time occasions. The cost is at present set at $275 per kilowatt (kW), so a battery just like the Tesla Powerwall can earn you $1,375 per year if it discharges at an average rate of 5 kW during all annual events.
That $275/kW rate is locked in for five years after battery installation, guaranteeing at least that long for incentive payments. Using our example of a Tesla Powerwall that discharges at an average of 5 kW, the total incentive payments over five years would be $6,875, which is more than half the cost of the battery. At the end of the five-year term, you can re-enroll in the program at the available incentive rate (if any).
Enrollment in the program is tied to the type of inverter used in your installation, and each inverter manufacturer has its own special sign-up page for participants to go through. Here are the links for the manufacturers of approved inverters:
In the case of a forecasted extreme weather event, National Grid will not call a peak time event. Instead, it will allow its customers’ batteries to retain up to their full capacity to respond to any potential power outages. Considering that responding to power outages is one of the main reasons to get a battery, this can give you peace of mind.
ConnectedSolutions for thermostats
The ConnectedSolutions thermostat program allows you to enroll and earn annual payments based on your participation in several annual “peak events.” During these events, National Grid will remotely control your thermostat by adjusting the temperature by a few degrees to reduce your energy consumption.
This might mean you’ll feel a little colder or warmer than you’d prefer on days of the most extreme weather, but keep in mind that you’ll be helping all your neighbors enjoy lower bills and cleaner air, thanks to your participation.
In New York City and Long Island, the program operates during the winter months, and the enrolled thermostats must be connected to your natural gas furnace. The company estimates there will be between 2 and 5 events on the year’s coldest days. The utility will control the thermostat on these winter days, either during the morning or evening hours when most people are home and cranking the heat.
Eligible thermostats for this program come from these companies:
- Sensi (Emerson)
- Honeywell (including Lyric)
- Lux
- Radio Thermostat
- Nest
In Upstate New York and all of Massachusetts, the program operates during the summer months, and the enrolled thermostats must be connected to your air conditioning system. The company estimates that there will be between 10 and 15 events during the summer on the hottest days of the year. The thermostat will be controlled on these days for 3 hours, sometime from 2 PM to 7 PM.
National Grid says it will “pre-cool” your home on event days so that when usage of the grid is at its highest point, it can turn your cooling set point up a few degrees and reduce your need for grid energy during the critical evening peak demand period.
Thermostats that qualify for the Upstate NY and MA program come from these companies:
- Building36
- ecobee
- Emerson
- Honeywell Home (including Lyric)
- Lux
- Nest
- Radio Thermostat
- vivint.SmartHome
No matter where you’re located, you can opt-out of an event by manually setting your thermostat to a different temperature. So don’t worry about being unsafe during a peak event. You can take control if you need to. Just be aware that if you regularly opt out of events, the company retains the right to unenroll you in the program for the next year. You don’t want that because being in the program is how you get paid!
Speaking of getting paid, you get an instant payment just for signing up for the program and another payment each year after the peak time season for your area has ended. Here’s how that works:
| Service area | Season | Incentive payment | Sign up link |
| Massachusetts | Jun-Sep | $25 instant and $20 annually | Sign up |
| Upstate NY | Might-Sep | $30 immediate and $20 yearly | Sign up |
| NYC/Lengthy Island | Nov-Mar | $25 immediate and $25 yearly | Sign up |
Extra data on this system might be discovered at National Grid’s website.
ConnectedSolutions for EV charging
In comparison with the thermostat and battery packages, the ConnectedSolutions EV incentive may be very easy. Nationwide Grid clients can get $50 for enrolling and $20 per yr after that for permitting the utility firm to pause EV charging between 2 PM and seven PM throughout sure summer time days.
There can be as much as 40 of those occasions per yr, and it’s attainable to opt-out of an occasion if you actually need to cost your automobile in the course of the interval of deactivation. Additionally, you continue to get the inducement cost even in the event you by no means have your automobile charging in the course of the occasions.
Automobiles from the next firms are eligible:
Enrollment isn’t at present out there for Nissan and different producers not listed above. You’ll be able to signal as much as get updates about eligibility on the National Grid website.
Backside line: Is the ConnectedSolutions program an excellent deal for you?
In the event you’re desirous about making a bit of extra cash to assist Nationwide Grid defend the setting and pressure on the grid, ConnectedSolutions is a good program. On high of that, this system can assist cut back your electrical energy use and due to this fact decrease your vitality prices.
The thermostat and EV packages provide rewards with principally no threat as a result of you may opt-out of occasions in the event you really must. The battery program is a slam dunk if you wish to tremendously offset a number of the value of the battery whereas retaining the power to cost it up for attainable energy outages resulting from inclement climate. Reminder: whenever you set up a battery, you’re additionally eligible for the federal clean energy tax credit, which earns you 30% of the costs to install the battery.
You may not earn thousands of dollars per year from ConnectedSolutions, but then again, you could. If you’re a National Grid customer considering a battery storage system, speak with a few expert solar and storage installers to get quotes and determine your potential incentives.
