Utilidata, Inc. has announced a new project with American Electric Power in Ohio that will help the utility company deliver additional energy savings to customers through Volt/VAR Optimization. As part of AEP Ohio’s efforts to expand its use of smart grid technology, the company will deploy Utilidata’s AdaptiVolt technology on portions of the electric system throughout Ohio, serving nearly 119,000 customers.
“This project builds on our successful gridSMART demonstration project, which began in 2009, and will help our customers gain better control of energy use, save money, and reduce consumption,” said Julie Sloat, AEP Ohio President and Chief Operating Officer. “This technology will provide real-time insights that allow us to improve both the quality and reliability of service for customers. We look forward to expanding this program and deploying the technology on additional circuits this year.”
As part of gridSMART Phase 2, Utilidata will deploy its AdaptiVolt technology on 160 circuits and is expected to save AEP Ohio customers 235,390 MWh annually – the equivalent of $210 million in overall bill savings over 15 years.
Utilidata’s AdaptiVolt technology leverages real-time information from the distribution grid to optimize the delivery of electric power. The technology helps to reduce losses and save energy as electricity travels from substations, through the electric distribution system, and ultimately to homes and businesses.