Schedule for Friday 3/13 – Sunday 3/15
Energy Wise Water Heating: No control anticipated
Energy Wise Heating: No control anticipated
Generators Groups (All): No control anticipated
MVEC updates control times Monday through Friday and includes a weekend forecast on Fridays, when available. Control times are subject to change due to weather conditions and other variables. All times are approximate.
- MVEC determines Energy Wise management 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.
Energy-saving suggestions:
- Postpone use of washers, dryers, and dishwashers until after 10 p.m.
- Turn off lights and appliances that are not essential to health and safety.
- Minimize using your oven – opt for a restaurant, grilling outdoors, or using your microwave on the hottest days.
- Take shorter showers.
- Replace heat-producing incandescent light bulbs with LEDs.
- Seal air leaks around windows, doors, plumbing, and wiring penetrations to keep warm air out and cool air in.
Load Management Strategies
Cycled Air Conditioning
Members with central air or hard-wired room air conditioners can participate by installing a load control device. During control periods, your AC cycles off for about 15 minutes every half hour. This reduces demand without fully shutting down your system.
- May be controlled up to 8 hours per day.
- Extended control may occur only in extreme situations or at the direction of MVEC’s power suppliers.
Interruptible Water Heating
Interruptible water heaters have enough storage to provide hot water even when electricity is temporarily shut off.
- Must have at least 80 gallons of storage.
- Can be interrupted for up to 10 hours per day when needed.
- Requires an approved load control device.
Dual Fuel Heating
Dual fuel systems use both electric heat and a backup heat source (oil, gas, LP, or Electric Thermal Storage).
- The backup must be able to heat your home for extended periods.
- Wood is allowed but not recommended due to its manual operation.
- Loads may be interrupted up to 12 hours per day and 400 hours per heating season (Sept–May).
- Homes without adequate backup heat do not qualify.
ETS Water Heating
Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) water heaters store heat during off-peak hours to use throughout the day.
- Must have at least 80 gallons of storage.
- Charging typically occurs 10:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m. (up to 8 hours daily).
- MVEC may allow up to 2 extra recharge hours during the day, depending on season.
- Special provisions may apply for dairy barns and senior members.
ETS Space Heating
ETS heating systems store heat overnight to warm your home during the day.
- Typical charge time is 10:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m., with up to 2 extra hours allowed.
- Storage materials include water or ceramic.
- Available in three types: central, room/dispersed, or slab systems.
- Proper system sizing requires a professional heat loss analysis.
How to read your Energy Wise Receiver
All Energy Wise programs for heating, cooling, and electric water heating (except Wi-Fi thermostats) require a Demand Response Unit (DRU) on your home to receive signals to start and end a load management time period. Here’s the meaning of the three lights on the unit:
This is a diagram of a Demand Response Unit. Here is what the three different lights in the blue box mean:
POWER should always have a GREEN light. FAULT should not have a light. If it is a RED light, something is wrong.
DEMAND may have an ORANGE light on when MVEC has issued a load management event to reduce demand during peak usage times.