Are Smart Grids a Smart Investment? A First-of-Its-Kind Hourly Load Study of 800,000...

Are Smart Grids a Smart Investment? A First-of-Its-Kind Hourly Load Study of
800,000 Utility Customers Shows Utility Returns Vary Widely

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Jackson Associates today
announced results from the first utility-detailed nationwide study of smart
grid savings. This study is the first to apply individual utility customer
end-use hourly electric loads to evaluate smart grid costs and benefits. Data
for more than 800,000 residential and commercial utility customers in the 200
largest US utilities were applied in the study.

Before this analysis, studies, including a recently released FERC analysis,
have relied on assumptions about elasticities and electricity pricing to
estimate changes in broad customer-class aggregate hourly loads. Instead,
this new study applies load control and pricing program impacts directly to
individual customer end-use loads such as air conditioning, water heating and
so on to determine utility-level impacts.

Study conclusions include:
-- Total savings potential, after cost, is $48 billion for the 200
largest
US utilities
-- Individual utility savings range from negative savings to $3.2 billion
-- One out of 10 utilities may lose money with comprehensive smart grid
deployments
-- Benefit/cost ratios of comprehensive smart grid systems depend on a
complicated mix of factors (such as dwelling unit age and size) and
vary
widely across utilities
-- Targeted, strategic technology deployments significantly increase
benefit/cost ratios

-- Customer end-use hourly load information should be used to ensure
economic benefits exceed costs

The study is described in more detail at: www.maisy.com/smartgrd.htm

This study also breaks new ground in providing the first "bottom-up" analysis
of utility smart grid systems by applying the MAISY Utility Customer Hourly
Loads Databases. These databases have a long history in evaluating energy
technology impacts including studies of fuel cells, combined heat and power
(CHP), cool storage, wind, flywheel and other technologies. MAISY clients
include utilities, states, DOE research laboratories and energy technology
companies including United Technologies, Carrier, Toyota, Ingersoll Rand,
Aisin, Bloom, Ice Energy, IdaTech and others.

Utilities, states and other organizations can immediately apply MAISY Utility
Customer Hourly Loads Databases to begin assessing costs and benefits of
detailed smart grid programs and deployment strategies. Jackson Associates
provides smart grid analysis for clients on a project basis.

About Jackson Associates. Jackson Associates (JA) has been providing utility
customer databases, energy-efficiency analysis and program development and
energy industry consulting since 1981. Additional information is available at
www.maisy.com/ja.htm

SOURCE Jackson Associates

Jerry Jackson of Jackson Associates, +1-979-204-7821, jjackson@maisy.com