There is a reason the saying “When one of us wins, we all win,” has withstood the test of time. In most cases it’s true, and Salt River Project’s (SRP) Business Demand Response Program was designed with this adage in mind. This initiative endeavors to simultaneously prevent power outages during the busiest time of year and lower operating costs for Arizona businesses. The result of organizations enrolling? A win-win (for everyone!), and no one knows this more than Grace Klawitter, strategic business account manager for SRP.
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No cost with customizable options
A major plus of the SRP Business Demand Response Program — besides being cost-free — is its eligibility versatility. Commercial, institutional, industrial, educational, and municipal organizations are all eligible to sign up.
“The program essentially coordinates with these large customers across the Valley to curtail their load during the summer months when we have exceptionally high load on our grid,” Klawitter says.
Klawitter explains that notifications go out to all enrolled in the Business Demand Response Program from SRP’s partner Enel. Correspondence comes through via email, phone or SMS, depending on company preferences.
Once companies receive word it’s a good time to reduce their energy use, they can do so by eliminating areas such as nonessential lighting, modifying manufacturing processes, adjusting HVAC equipment and more.
Another benefit of the program; it’s not a one-size-fits-all option.
“We have different options like partial enrollment, full summer enrollment, or even testing the program out for one or two months,” Klawitter says, adding, “We continue to evolve programs to fit our customers’ needs.”
Valuable energy usage insights
To ensure business consumers are getting the most out of the Business Demand Response Program, SRP and Enel X collaborate to deliver helpful and insightful tools.
“Depending on the program that [customers] are involved in, they get free, real-time energy use analytics,” Klawitter notes. “This allows them to dive in hour by hour to understand how machines or processes are working and how this equates to what energy is being used.”
Sustainability and savings
Ultimately, this knowledge empowers businesses to make smarter decisions and further work toward their sustainability goals.
“Customers that may feel like there are not a lot of avenues for them to engage in sustainability initiatives, find that this [program] is fantastic because everybody uses electricity — the greenest energy is the energy you don’t use,” Klawitter explains. Additionally, each participating business is assigned a dedicated, strategic energy manager (SEM).
“They are such a fantastic resource and can really help, especially if you have any sort of doubts or obstacles that you might see your facility facing,” Klawitter says.
To learn more about how the SRP Business Demand Response Program works and benefits business customers, visit SRP.net/BDR.
