KCP&L’s project will integrate with a wider urban revitalization effort, the Green Impact Zone, providing it with a modern energy infrastructure. Working with the City of Kansas City, Green Impact Zone participants and its solution partners, KCP&L will deploy an end-to-end smart grid that will include advanced generation, distribution and customer technologies and solutions to the demonstration area’s electrical infrastructure.
“We commend KCP&L for undertaking this ambitious project, which has a strong focus on engaging consumers. The utility shares our belief that their participation is a key component of building an intelligent, modern electric grid,” said Peter L. Corsell, CEO, GridPoint.
The project will provide area businesses and residents with enhanced reliability and efficiency through useful information about electricity supply, demand and prices and help them to manage their electricity use and save money. GridPoint’s home energy management solution will engage KCP&L customers in an ongoing conversation, providing tools to automate and easily control the heating, cooling and operation of smart devices within their homes. Customers will receive GridPoint’s consumer portal, which will provide a visually compelling, comprehensive picture of energy usage and real-time data about pricing, enabling them to automatically schedule time-of-day and device-specific commands.
KCP&L will also demonstrate how real-time grid conditions and driver needs can be balanced to intelligently charge plug-in electric vehicles. GridPoint’s smart charging software manages the flow of electricity to both vehicles and charging infrastructure. During periods of high demand, it can be delayed or slowed – minimizing grid stress and ensuring service reliability. When wind or solar power is available, the charging rate can be increased to expand the use of renewable energy in the grid. Smart charging also allows electric cars to be employed in the cost-effective delivery of ancillary services.
In addition, KCP&L will utilize GridPoint’s load management solution — featuring sophisticated prediction algorithms, automated scheduling and advanced measurement and verification tools — to manage peak demand and shape load to ensure system reliability, avoid peak energy prices and defer investments in new power plants.
“GridPoint will allow us to provide visibility and control to our customers and at the same time help us increase the efficiency and reliability of the grid, reduce costs and prepare for the arrival of new technologies such as plug-in vehicles,” said Ed Matthews, Director, Smart Grid, KCP&L.
GridPoint is working with utilities nationwide including Austin Energy, Duke Energy, Sacramento Municipal Utility District and Xcel Energy. The company was recently named to the Global Cleantech 100 and in 2008 was selected by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Great Plains Energy Incorporated (NYSE: GXP) is the holding company of Kansas City Power & Light Company and KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company, two of the leading regulated providers of electricity in the Midwest. Kansas City Power & Light and KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations use KCP&L as a brand name. More information about the companies is available on the Internet at: www.greatplainsenergy.com or www.kcpl.com.
GridPoint, Inc., an established leader in smart grid software and services, enables energy producers and consumers to manage the transformation to a smart grid. The company’s software applications integrate, aggregate and manage distributed sources of load, storage and generation. Utilities use GridPoint’s solutions to efficiently balance supply and demand, improve grid reliability and empower consumers with user-friendly software to manage energy consumption.
Enterprise customers use GridPoint’s intelligent energy management and revenue-grade sub-metering systems to increase their facilities’ efficiency. GridPoint’s innovative portal connects residential and enterprise customers to the smart grid – providing them with energy information and engaging them in a variety of utility programs, including demand response, solar, storage, sub-metering or even smart charging programs for plug-in vehicles. With GridPoint’s interoperable platform, utility and enterprise customers realize the benefits of energy intelligence. The result is a practical path to developing a clean, efficient 21st century grid. On the Net: www.gridpoint.com
