Silver Spring Networks Moves into Demand Response

 
Silver Spring Networks, a Smart grid technology company is now offering demand-side management solutions with two new software applications—UtilityIQ® Demand Response Manager™ 1.0 and CustomerIQ™ Web Portal 1.5. These applications work in conjunction with Silver Spring's IP v6-based Smart Energy Platform for allowing utilities to interactively engage customers and manage demand.
This integrated system allows real time communication between the Demand Response and in-home devices over the two-way smart grid network, enabling demand response program deployment and more meaningful energy consumption and expenditure information. According to Silver Spring, the UtilityIQ Demand Response Manager 1.0 enables utilities to cut down energy procurement costs and potentially postpones the need of more generation capacity through better load shed predictability and real-time load management. The software comes with project management, program planning, certified in-home devices, and recruitment and installation services for a complete, end-to-end demand response solution for utility clients.

With CustomerIQ Web Portal 1.5 utilities can directly engage customers for reducing support costs and delivering energy efficiency improvements in meeting overall goals of demand reduction. According to the company, CustomerIQ 1.5’s redesigned user interface provides customers better insight into their energy usage and costs—such as compatibility with smart phones and tablets and comparison to similar homes in their neighbourhoods. Silver Spring has designed UtilityIQ Demand Response Manager and CustomerIQ to work directly with its Advanced Metering infrastructure and software which strengthens each solution’s capability. For instance, a price alert issued by the utility is automatically shown in the Demand Response Manager, CustomerIQ, and devices in the home and uses interval readings in Advanced Metering Manager for displaying appropriate billing information to customers.

Recent analysis estimates that the commercial energy management systems market will cross the $6 billion mark by 2014. Constellation Energy has gone into an agreement for acquiring demand response provider CPower, and Siemens recently acquired Texas-based Site Controls.

Silver Spring is the number one company in 2010 Global Cleantech 100 List created by the Cleantech Group. To become a part of the list, companies needed to be for-profit, independent, and not listed in the major stock exchanges. Silver Spring previously got the top honor in the 2010 AlwaysOn GoingGreen Silicon Valley 100 and recognition in Platt’s 2010 Global Energy Awards. As a smart grid solutions company, Silver Spring enables utilities to achieve operational efficiencies, cut down carbon emissions and customer-based energy monitoring  and management.  Some of its customers include American Electric Power, Baltimore Gas & Electric,  CitiPower & Powercor Australia, ComEd, Guelph Hydro Inc., and Florida Power & Light.