Jackson Associates has announced results from the first utility-detailed nationwide study of smart grid savings. This study is the first to apply individual utility customer end-use hourly electric loads to evaluate smart grid costs and benefits. Data for more than 800,000 residential and commercial utility customers in the 200 largest U.S. utilities were applied in the study.

Before this analysis, studies, including a recently released FERC analysis, have relied on assumptions about elasticities and electricity pricing to estimate changes in broad customer-class aggregate hourly loads. Instead, this new study applies load control and pricing program impacts directly to individual customer end-use loads such as air conditioning, water heating and so on to determine utility-level impacts.

Study conclusions include: 

• Total savings potential, after cost, is $48 billion for the 200  largest US utilities 
• Individual utility savings range from negative savings to $3.2 billion 
• One out of 10 utilities may lose money with comprehensive smart grid  deployments 
• Benefit/cost ratios of comprehensive smart grid systems depend on a  complicated mix of factors (such as dwelling unit age and size) and  vary widely across utilities 
• Targeted, strategic technology deployments significantly increase  benefit/cost ratios 
• Customer end-use hourly load information should be used to ensure  economic benefits exceed costs  The study is described in more detail at: www.maisy.com/smartgrd.htm

This study also breaks new ground in providing the first "bottom-up" analysis of utility smart grid systems by applying the MAISY Utility Customer Hourly Loads Databases. These databases have a long history in evaluating energy technology impacts including studies of fuel cells, combined heat and power (CHP), cool storage, wind, flywheel and other technologies. MAISY clients include utilities, states, DOE research laboratories and energy technology companies including United Technologies, Carrier, Toyota, Ingersoll Rand, Aisin, Bloom, Ice Energy, IdaTech and others.

Utilities, states and other organizations can immediately apply MAISY Utility Customer Hourly Loads Databases to begin assessing costs and benefits of detailed smart grid programs and deployment strategies. Jackson Associates provides smart grid analysis for clients on a project basis.