Demand Response Product Offers More Data, Greater Control

Sept. 16, 2008
The Aclara DRU (Demand Response Unit provides more real-time information to utilities about electricity use in the field than previous load control devices.

The Aclara DRU (Demand Response Unit provides more real-time information to utilities about electricity use in the field than previous load control devices.

"With utilities looking to curb electricity demand to control costs and emissions, the Aclara DRU is the ‘now’ generation of demand response and is designed with intelligence that can be upgraded to future home-area networks," said Ed Kobeszka, Aclara product manager for the DRU.

The Aclara DRU features a unique Intelligent Comfort system, which controls load on individual electrical devices and equipment. The Intelligent Comfort system includes an adaptive load-control algorithm that builds a profile characterizing the equipment’s energy use over 24 hours. Using these profiles, utilities create a custom demand-response plan that cycles equipment on a schedule to curb demand and protect against undervoltage and under-frequency conditions.

The Intelligent Comfort system also considers the time of day, seasonal changes, and changes in household occupancy to appropriately adjust the profile associated with the controlled device. In addition,

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