SMART METER/DR
Northbrook, IL, June 11, 2009 – Kenny Construction Company today announced it has signed a contract to implement a Demand Response Pilot Program with the Building Owners and Managers Association Chicago (BOMA/Chicago). The project includes installation of “Smart Meters” as part of Chicago’s transition to a “Smart Grid,” and Kenny Construction is the first company to implement this technology in Chicago. This revolutionary pilot program will ultimately serve as the model for a city-wide implementation of Smart Meters.
“Smart Metering” is the customer portion of the Smart Grid, an effort to utilize computerized intelligence to improve the efficiency and reliability of electricity delivery infrastructure. Special electric meters, called Advanced Metering Infrastructure, (AMI) will constantly monitor electricity usage and communicate over the Internet to allow real-time management of a building’s electric load. Building owners, delivery service providers, and electricity suppliers will develop a strategy for reducing electricity during peak demand periods. Full implementation of the Smart Grid will increase operational efficiency and reliability, reduce energy costs, improve the environment, and improve customer service.
“We are extremely excited to be working with BOMA/Chicago on a project that has the potential to completely change the way Chicago receives and manages its electricity,” said Philip Kenny, Executive Vice President of Kenny Construction. “The pilot program is scheduled to last through the end of the year and we are anxious to begin seeing the benefits of Smart Metering.”
Kenny Construction will act as project manager on this pilot program by: overseeing and coordinating the meter installations; acting as intermediary between the buildings, Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd), and BOMA/Chicago; providing and installing any equipment not provided by ComEd; commissioning the systems and assembling and delivering system documentation; training building personnel, and assisting in the development of demand response strategies.
ComEd will upgrade the building load meters for all participating buildings, allowing continuous measurement of building electric load. Metropolitan Energy, a PJM Certified Curtailment Provider, will assist BOMA/Chicago in bringing demand response opportunities to its members.
BOMA/Chicago’s member buildings make up 81 percent of downtown Chicago’s total rentable building area, and the pilot demonstration will involve approximately 60 buildings. The work will be performed by Kenny Construction’s Energy Solutions Group.