Receive incentives for decreasing energy use at the right times. Unitil is committed to reducing peak electric demand on our New England electric grid system, and we ask for your help by joining our ConnectedSolutions demand response program. By reducing electric use on request during periods of high energy demand (referred to as "peak events") we can reduce emissions, infrastructure costs and utility prices. We can notify you to lower energy use at these critical times — earning you incentives. You can also save money on lowering your ISO-NE installed capacity tag (ICAP).
Incentives are paid based on the customer’s annual average performance over the season (summer and/or winter counted separately).
| ConnectedSolutions Option | |
|---|---|
| Option | Targeted Commercial/Industrial Load Curtailment |
| Description | Reduce your energy usage for a few hours of high energy demand each summer |
| Incentive | Minimum of $18/kW-Summer Load Curtailment |
| Number of events per year | Up to 8 events |
| Season for events | June, July, August and September |
| Duration of events | 3 hours |
Interested? Contact our approved Curtailment Service Providers (CSP) to enroll today. Call 1-844-276-9371 or send an email (CPOWER).
- Download Program Materials for ConnectedSolutions for Commercial/Industrial Customers (PDF)
- Download Application For ConnectedSolutions For Commercial/Industrial Customers (PDF)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is demand response?
Demand response is when participating customers reduce their electricity usage to help lower the demand for electricity at critical times – during peak periods when energy use is at its highest. The program helps reduce peak-day generator emissions, delay installation of costly utility equipment, and can help reduce the purchase of expensive peak-day energy. Participating customers are eligible for incentives.
What is an ICAP and roughly how much does my company pay per kW annually?
Any customer with an interval meter is assigned an Installed Capacity Tag (ICAP) based on its demand during the ISO-NE annual system peak hour. This is called the customer's coincident demand measured in kW and the charges are applied monthly during the next calendar year.
Will participating in this program help with lowering my company’s monthly demand charge paid to Unitil?
Maybe. If your Unitil monthly peak coincided with a ConnectedSolutions program called event, depending on the hours, you could lower your Unitil demand charge.
How often will I be asked to reduce my electric use?
See the chart above. It depends on which option you sign up for.
Are there any risks involved?
The incentives Unitil pays are based on your performance on Peak Energy Events. Unitil will not charge you a penalty if you cannot perform during a Peak Energy Event. However, the incentive Unitil pays will be less.
Can you give an example of how my Company’s incentive will be calculated if we participated in the Targeted Dispatch for the Summer?
The incentive per summer average kW saved would be calculated as the average performance over the summer. Non-performance is calculated as a zero towards the average. Assume there are five events with the following curtailment.
| Example Events & Associated kWs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Event 1 | Event 2 | Event 3 | Event 4 | Event 5 |
| kW | 200 | 250 | 0 | 200 | 280 |
The average would be 186 kW. Multiply this by $50kW equals $9,300. The zero for Event 3 is counted towards the average, however, there is no penalty for not curtailing during a called event.
Would the incentive for the Targeted Storage Dispatch option incentive be calculated in the same manner?
Yes.
How are participating customers notified of a peak energy event?
Notification is given the day before a peak energy event takes place. Your curtailment service provider will notify you based on your preference, email, voicemail, and/or text message.
What are load aggregators, curtailment service providers, and demand response service providers?
Load aggregators, Curtailment Service Providers, and demand response service providers are all names for the same thing — organizations that advise and assist customers in participating in demand response programs.
How can I apply for the ConnectedSolutions program?
Contact the Curtailment Service Provider listed above to learn about your potential to participate in demand response.
