SCECO-WEST has developed and introduced a novel DSM scheme that combines technology and voluntary customer support to improve the utility's load factor, reduce system peak demand and defer investment in new generating plants. Flexible, friendly hardware and software facilitates control programs designed to reduce the peak demand by 30 MW or 2 kW per customer. (The after diversity maximum demand of domestic customers currently exceeds 6 kW.) This pilot project, implemented in August 1999, is seen as the start of a system that, in future, can be expanded to meet different objectives as the utility continues to manage the rapidly increasing demand for electrical energy in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. However, SCECO-WEST will require a strong media campaign every summer to maintain customer enthusiasm and support for the project.
Abdul Moeen Al-Shaikh joined SCECO-WEST in 1984 after receiving the BSEE degree. During the past 16 years, he has gained experience in the maintenance, construction and operation of power distribution systems. Al-Shaikh is the distribution engineering director responsible for all technical decisions in the planning, engineering, construction, material purchasing, isolated power station projects, technical studies, load management and automatic meter reading (AMR) departments.
M. Zaheer has earned the BSEE, MSEE and MA (administrative sciences) degrees. Zaheer spent 18 years in managerial positions while working on transmission and distribution for WAPDA (Pakistan) before joining SCECO-WEST in 1994. Zaheer is now section head in the distribution engineering department where he is responsible for overhead line and load management projects, technical studies and AMR.
