Worcester Smart Grid System Adds Home Energy Management Technology

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

CHEIVA Homeview picture frame

National Grid and CEIVA Energy have announced that CEIVA’s home energy management system (HEMS) will be launching as a part of Worcester’s Smart Energy Solutions Program.

HEMS will allow for the nearly 15,000 National Grid customers in Worcester to utilize smart technology in order to reduce energy costs.

“National Grid is leading the way in bringing together a range of technologies to enhance the customer experience,” said CEIVA Energy CEO Dean Schiller. “Our work together demonstrates that a compelling customer engagement platform that makes energy management easy is critical to helping utilities achieve goals.”

CEIVA’s home energy management system will be provided to all National Grid customers at no additional charge.

Benefits of the System

National Grid and CHEIVA Energy will roll out four technologies within HEMS, including CHEIVA Homeview, CHEIVA Entryway, CHEIVA HANS-on, and CEIVA-integrated Carrier ComfortChoice.

These four programs allow a range of functions for customers; all aimed at helping people better monitor and reduce their energy usage. These programs allow for customers to use smart phones and apps to access detailed accounts of their energy usage. Additionally, if a customer has any smart appliances, they can be controlled through the app.

“Through our Smart Energy Solutions Program, we are providing our customers with choice, control and convenience in managing their energy use,” said William Jones, director, Smart Energy Solutions Program. “We are pleased to have CEIVA on board to help deliver technology solutions that benefit program participants.”

Still Opposed

While being able to better monitor and reduce energy usage seems to be a good thing at face value, many throughout Worcester and nationwide are still opposed to the smart grid system for a variety of reasons.

HaltMAsmartmeters – an opposition group to the smart grid system – feels that the smart grid system has become more of study of whether or not a smart grid system is a study of whether or not this system would be a worthwhile investment, rather than to study smart meters.

HaltMAsmartmeters also notes that Attorney General Martha Coakley has stated that the technologies in question are unlikely to be cost efficient when scaled up.

“The smart meter pilot, which is supposed to be co-created with the community, was not fully, fairly, and publicly evaluated before proceeding,” said Patricia Burke of HaltMAsmartmeters. “It’s not too late to make the process transparent, effective, relevant, and fair to MA ratepayers. Monitoring health and environmental impacts for a program that is supposed to address the health and environmental impacts of the fossil fuel model would be a good place to start, rather than looking at an inanimate picture frame.”