Load Management

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• MVEC determines Energy Wise management times according to system-wide usage and wholesale power market energy prices.
• This load is impacted by temperature, humidity, time of day, and other conditions.
• MVEC reduces its wholesale power costs by reducing the total amount of energy our members use at any one point during the calendar month. The savings come by reducing the demand and cost we pay to our wholesale power providers.
• Energy Wise programs lower our power bills, so we can pass on the savings to our members. Here’s how Energy Wise participants contribute to power savings:

All Energy Wise programs for heating, cooling and electric water heating (except WiFi thermostats) require a Demand Response Unit on your home to receive signals to start and end a load management time period. This graphic shows what the three lights on the unit mean.

Below outlines load management control strategies for various Energy Wise programs. Great River Energy is one of MVEC’s Generation and Transmission suppliers.

Cycled air conditioning
Available to central air conditioning (AC) loads and/or hard-wired room air conditioners that are connected to an approved load control device. During control periods, the air conditioner is cycled on and off. The cycling control strategy assures that the air conditioning load will be off for approximately 15 minutes out of every 30 minutes during the control period. This assures only a partial reduction in diversified demand. The cycling strategy can be applied to central air conditioning or air source heat pumps. MVEC may interrupt these loads for up to 8 hours per day. MVEC reserves the right to extend the daily control period, but will only do so under extreme conditions or under the direction of MVEC’s power suppliers.

Interruptible water heating
An interruptible water heating system has sufficient storage capacity to supply the user’s hot water needs over an extended period during which the electric supply is interrupted. The recommended minimum storage capacity recommended to qualify is 80 gallons. Qualified interruptible water heaters must have an approved load control device that allows for up to10 hours of interruption per day during all months when needed.

Dual fuel
Dual fuel heating systems are a combination of electric and non-electric or electric and Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) space heating. Conventional electricity is the primary heating system and oil, gas, LP, or ETS is the secondary or backup system. While wood backup is allowed, it is discouraged by MVEC because of the non-automatic nature and resultant secondary peaks created by such a combination when switched back to the primary electric system. With the exception of ETS backed systems, the secondary system must be capable of heating the entire home for an extended period of time. MVEC may interrupt these loads as much as 12 hours per day and 400 hours per heating season (Sep-May), depending on the needs of MVEC power suppliers. If you do not have an adequate backup or secondary heating source, you are not eligible to participate in the program.

ETS water heating
An Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) water heating system has sufficient storage capacity to supply the user’s hot water needs over an extended period each day when the electric supply is interrupted by MVEC. 80 gallons is the minimum storage capacity recommended to qualify the water heating system as an ETS storage system. Eligible ETS water heating systems must have an approved load control device that limits electric usage to MVEC’s nighttime recharge period. This recharge period generally occurs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day. Recharge may be 8 continuous hours or in increments totaling 8 hours per day. MVEC has the option of allowing up to two hours of additional recharge time each day during the mid-morning or afternoon hours, subject to seasonal control strategies. Other special provisions may apply to dairy barn and senior citizen applications.

ETS space heating
An Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) heating system is capable of providing 100 percent of a home’s heating requirements by storing heat produced from electricity during MVEC’s nighttime recharge period. This recharge period generally occurs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day. MVEC has the option of allowing up to two hours of additional recharge time each day during the mid-morning or afternoon hours, subject to seasonal control strategies. Any number of mediums can be used to store heat during off-peak periods; the most common are water and ceramic. There are three commercially available storage heating configurations: central, room or dispersed, and slab. Proper sizing of an ETS space heating system requires that a professional heat loss analysis be conducted.

Sometimes simple, no-cost actions can help you reduce energy consumption and save on your energy bills. Learn more