Entergy Selects Technology for Home Area Networking Pilot

Entergy New Orleans, Inc. has selected an Advanced Metering Infrastructure system, electric AMI meters, in-home displays and programmable thermostats to support a Home Area Networking pilot program partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The pilot program is designed to encourage energy conservation by providing information to consumers about their electricity usage and their associated costs.

“Our ultimate goal is to provide our customers with tools and information to help them reduce their overall consumption. This pilot program will help us understand which program elements are the most useful to customers in lowering their energy bill,” said Keith McInerney, Entergy’s Director of Smart Grid Deployment. “Additionally, this tower-based AMI technology will enable us to include qualifying customers throughout the New Orleans service territory to participate in the pilot, rather than just offer it to a geographical cluster of customers.”

For the next 24 months, starting in June, Entergy New Orleans will track and analyze the consumption behaviors of four specific customer control groups made up of qualified customers within the city of New Orleans. Customers in the first group will receive a smart meter; the second group will receive a smart meter and an in-home display that will deliver messages about electricity usage and associated costs; the third group will receive a smart meter and programmable thermostat and will also be offered a rebate if they participate in a program to limit their air conditioning for short periods of time during summer peak periods; and the fourth group will have access to an Internet portal that will display near real-time information about electricity usage and associated costs.

The AMI system will be provided by Sensus.