Uplight Case Studies Balancing Customer Comfort with Load Shift: Rate-Optimized Thermostat Control at Alabama Power

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	Balancing Customer Comfort with Load Shift: Rate-Optimized Thermostat Control at Alabama Power Uplight

Balancing Customer Comfort with Load Shift: Rate-Optimized Thermostat Control at Alabama Power

Uplight

Technology Category	Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics Networks & Connectivity - WiFi
Applicable Industries	Utilities
Applicable Functions	Business Operation Facility Management
Use Cases	Building Energy Management Energy Management System Remote Control
Services	System Integration Software Design & Engineering Services
Challenge	APC aimed to increase load flexibility and encourage customers to shift energy usage from peak hours to economy pricing hours during summer and winter months. The challenge was to achieve this without compromising customer comfort, which is crucial for maintaining customer participation in the program. The existing Time of Use (TOU) demand response (DR) program needed enhancements to optimize load shift while ensuring customers remained comfortable and satisfied. Read More
About Customer	Alabama Power Company (APC), a subsidiary of the Southern Company, serves 1.5 million electric customers across Alabama. In 2021, APC launched the Alabama Power Smart Advantage ProgramTM to help residential customers enrolled in the Time Advantage Rate maximize their benefits from the time of use (TOU) tariff. The program provides smart thermostats to deliver personalized schedules to each participant during the summer and winter months. APC's goal is to increase load flexibility and encourage customers to shift energy usage from peak hours to economy pricing hours, all while keeping them comfortable and helping them save money. Read More
Solution	APC expanded their TOU demand response program in 2021, providing customers with free Emerson Sensi thermostats and a $50 gift card upon enrollment. The program, powered by Uplight’s Orchestrated Energy, delivers rate-optimized schedules updated throughout the day. The system learns each customer's comfort bands to keep homes within this range, especially during pre-heating or pre-cooling. Customers can opt-out or override the set temperature at any time. The program began in winter 2021, achieving significant peak load shifts by pre-heating homes and shifting HVAC usage out of peak hours. Enhancements made during the summer further refined Uplight’s comfort algorithm, reducing set-point overrides and increasing customer satisfaction. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics

Networks & Connectivity - WiFi

Applicable Industries

Utilities

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Facility Management

Use Cases

Building Energy Management

Energy Management System

Remote Control

Services

System Integration

Software Design & Engineering Services

Challenge

APC aimed to increase load flexibility and encourage customers to shift energy usage from peak hours to economy pricing hours during summer and winter months. The challenge was to achieve this without compromising customer comfort, which is crucial for maintaining customer participation in the program. The existing Time of Use (TOU) demand response (DR) program needed enhancements to optimize load shift while ensuring customers remained comfortable and satisfied.

About Customer

Alabama Power Company (APC), a subsidiary of the Southern Company, serves 1.5 million electric customers across Alabama. In 2021, APC launched the Alabama Power Smart Advantage ProgramTM to help residential customers enrolled in the Time Advantage Rate maximize their benefits from the time of use (TOU) tariff. The program provides smart thermostats to deliver personalized schedules to each participant during the summer and winter months. APC's goal is to increase load flexibility and encourage customers to shift energy usage from peak hours to economy pricing hours, all while keeping them comfortable and helping them save money.

Solution

APC expanded their TOU demand response program in 2021, providing customers with free Emerson Sensi thermostats and a $50 gift card upon enrollment. The program, powered by Uplight’s Orchestrated Energy, delivers rate-optimized schedules updated throughout the day. The system learns each customer's comfort bands to keep homes within this range, especially during pre-heating or pre-cooling. Customers can opt-out or override the set temperature at any time. The program began in winter 2021, achieving significant peak load shifts by pre-heating homes and shifting HVAC usage out of peak hours. Enhancements made during the summer further refined Uplight’s comfort algorithm, reducing set-point overrides and increasing customer satisfaction.

Impact #1	Smart Advantage customers achieved an average of 11% peak load shift during winter program hours by pre-heating homes and shifting HVAC usage out of peak hours.
Impact #2	During the 2021 summer, customers achieved between 9% to 14% peak load shift on average across the six-hour peak window, compared to 1-2% in standard TOU programs.
Impact #3	Enhancements to the program over the summer refined Uplight’s comfort algorithm, resulting in a 17.5% decrease in set-point overrides.

Impact #1

Smart Advantage customers achieved an average of 11% peak load shift during winter program hours by pre-heating homes and shifting HVAC usage out of peak hours.

Impact #2

During the 2021 summer, customers achieved between 9% to 14% peak load shift on average across the six-hour peak window, compared to 1-2% in standard TOU programs.

Impact #3

Enhancements to the program over the summer refined Uplight’s comfort algorithm, resulting in a 17.5% decrease in set-point overrides.

Benefit #1	Smart Advantage customers achieved between 9% to 14% peak load shift during the 2021 summer.
Benefit #2	Set-point overrides decreased by 17.5% over the summer period.

Benefit #1

Smart Advantage customers achieved between 9% to 14% peak load shift during the 2021 summer.

Benefit #2

Set-point overrides decreased by 17.5% over the summer period.

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Overview

Balancing Customer Comfort with Load Shift: Rate-Optimized Thermostat Control at Alabama Power

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit