Honeywell and Google Nest smart thermostats to form virtual power plants

When grid reliability is needed, CPower Energy Management will dispatch Honeywell and Google Nest smart thermostats to form virtual power plants that deliver power to PJM Interconnection, the largest grid operator in the US.

The thermostat combination comes in as an announcement from energy solutions provider CPower Energy Management.

CPower Energy has formed a new demand response partnership with Resideo Technologies, which provides automation and distributed energy resource (DER) management systems, as well as Google Nest.

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Connected Savings

The thermostats will be used to meet grid requirements as part of Resideo’s Connected Savings program.

With the approval of consumers, their smart thermostat setting will be slightly altered to reduce energy use for a short time based on grid needs, while retaining their comfort. This lowered use can relieve stress on the local electrical grid while helping to keep rates lower.

The Connected Savings program is slated to begin June 1, 2022, ahead of the US peak summer season and participating consumers will receive incentives for their help.

“As we kick off our partnership with Resideo in the PJM market, we’ll have the opportunity to reward smart energy users while benefiting the local grid,” stated Mathew Sachs, senior vice president, strategy and development, CPower.

“Beyond smart thermostats, Resideo has other residential loads that can be leveraged to create virtual power plants and provide even greater energy resilience.”

Those wishing to participate in the Connected Savings program will have to meet the following criteria:

• Have central air conditioning or a heat pump
• Be responsible for the electric bill as an account owner
• Have a qualifying smart thermostat model with a Wi-Fi connection

Phil Theodore, president of products and solutions at Resideo, stated: “Our goal at Resideo is to make energy-saving program participation as convenient and as expansive as possible to help facilitate decarbonisation of the grid.

“CPower’s respected energy market expertise will provide our customers with a seamless experience that rewards them for relieving demand on the grid and contributing to a more sustainable environment.”

CPower has been helping PJM maintain grid reliability for more than two decades through various demand response and ancillary service programs, which pay organisations for using less energy when the grid is stressed or electricity prices are high.