About 70 juniors from the Ballston Spa school district's Clean Tech program took a trip last week to National Grid's Sustainability Hub in Worcester, Mass.
The center, which has a storefront in downtown Worcester and resembles an energy-efficient home on the inside, is the focal point for National Grid's $44 million, two-year smart grid pilot program, which serves 15,000 customers in Worcester using smart meters and a new pricing plan.
National Grid is planning to submit a proposal to the New York Public Service Commission next month that would be similar to the Worcester program. The project will also likely result in a local sustainability hub facility. In Worcester, it's on the Clark University campus and staffed by students from Clark and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Clean Tech was developed by the Ballston Spa district and is held mornings at Hudson Valley Community College's TEC-SMART campus in Malta. Students come from all over the region to participate. NYSERDA, the state's energy agency, is also a partner.
Colleen Gardner, who runs the Sustainability Hub for National Grid, said that customers walk in all the time to learn about the pilot program and sign up for its various benefits. She said most customers are only used to speaking by phone with their utility, so the center changes that relationship.
States like New York are changing the regulatory structure to transform utilities into service and product providers for both energy and environmental products and services. So Worcester's smart grid center showcases everything from kitchen countertops made of recycled glass to energy-efficient washers and dryers and solar panel systems.
"It's a place for customers to learn about the technology; it's really an educational hub," Gardner said. "We want to give them one-stop shopping."
One of the most interesting pieces of equipment inside the model household is a digital picture frame that National Grid has been giving to pilot program participants. The digital frame also serves as the information portal for participants, who can track their energy usage and get special bulletins from National Grid, including weather warnings.
"We want to be constantly communicating with them," Gardner said.
Details of National Grid's proposal for Clifton Park are still being worked out. But it will be similar to Worcester's program, which offers so-called "time of use" pricing that encourages people to avoid using their appliances during peak usage periods of the day when wholesale electric prices are highest. The program provides equipment and smart phone apps that allow participants to program their appliances.
"National Grid continues to look at ways we can upgrade our system to give customers more control of their energy use and cost," said William Flaherty, National Grid regional executive for the Capital Region. "It is great to give local students a look at how we are doing this throughout our service territory."
©2015 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
