CalFinder recently interviewed Suzanne Lauer, Director of Public Relations for GridPoint, which offers utilities innovative renewable energy solutions.
In Part I of our interview, Lauer discusses GridPoint’s “whole picture” approach to energy efficiency and answers the primary questions consumers have about solar options: how much does the system cost and when can I expect a return on my investment?
Q: GridPoint seems to incorporate a "whole picture approach to energy efficiency" with a balance of producing clean power, utilizing a hybrid of energy systems, and managing energy distribution. How do utilities companies get involved? How does the average consumer find out about this technology?
A: GridPoint provides an intelligent energy management solution that aligns the interests of consumers, electric utilities, and the environment to enable the Smart Grid.
For homes and businesses, GridPoint enhances the capabilities and value of residential solar systems by adding battery backup power, real-time monitoring, and online energy management capabilities, in an all-in-one sleek, energy management appliance. Consumers can learn more by visiting www.gridpoint.com/consumer.
GridPoint’s innovative SmartGrid platform helps utilities efficiently balance demand and supply, promote environmental stewardship and fuel the adoption of renewable energy sources. In addition, GridPoint appliances provide builders with the opportunity to differentiate their homes, meet the growing demand for solar and wind energy technologies, and create a new revenue stream.
Q: How much does it cost homeowners to install the GridPoint Connect or Protect Series? How much can they expect to save in energy use and costs each month using these systems? About how much time does it take for the system to pay for itself?
A: The award-winning GridPoint Connect™ and GridPoint Protect™ are the first intelligent energy management appliances to easily integrate renewable energy sources with remote monitoring capabilities while providing clean, instant, and reliable battery backup power. The appliances retail for $10,000 to $12,000 and must be installed by a qualified dealer from GridPoint’s nationwide network.
Customers also gain access to GridPoint Central™, the first online energy management tool to provide consumers with unparalleled visibility and control over their energy consumption and costs. The portal is as easy-to-use as online banking. With a few clicks, homeowners can create a personal energy profile to automatically optimize energy usage based on consumption patterns and utility rate schedules.
Through circuit-level management, consumers can learn how much energy is consumed by each appliance and thus turn loads off based on usage (i.e. turning off the water heater when the home is unoccupied) or on economics (i.e. turning off high energy consuming appliances during peak periods when electricity rates are high).
Consumers can access easy-to-understand environmental data based on their renewable energy production efforts (e.g., your avoided carbon dioxide emissions is equivalent to removing 100 cars from the road for a day). Customers can also view cost-savings information related to their participation in utility-sponsored demand response programs, enabling utilities to turn off non-essential loads to efficiently manage peak demand periods.
Savings vary depending on home size, energy consumption and use of renewable energy. GridPoint Connect qualifies for federal tax credits, allowing homeowners to claim up to 30 percent of the cost of the solar system, in addition to state and local incentives.