Expected $5,755 annual energy bill savings with only a single demand response event called.
Profile
- Vertical: Office
- Generators: 1
Quick Facts
- Immediate Cost Savings
- Revenue Opportunity
- Seamless Enrollment and Installment
- Minimal Time Commitment from Five Star Leadership
“GridPoint did a great job of providing education upfront, and the savings benefit over the generator’s lifetime was very clear. It was all a seamless process, with almost no time required on my part. We’re glad to be able to act as a partner and help our community of businesses.”
– Troy Holt, Chief Operating Officer, Five Star Call Centers
Client Profile: Five Star Call Centers is a leading call center outsourcer for customer care. They offer a full spectrum of care options, including voice, chat, email, interactive voice response (IVR), social media monitoring, and more.
Client Situation: Power supply is critical to Five Star Call Centers. They’ve built a solid reputation for providing consistent, reliable, and friendly customer care, and a loss of power could wreak havoc on their business. To prevent service disruptions, the company has an uninterruptible power supply on-site, as well as a backup generator.
The generator was necessary, but almost never used, and there were monthly expenses to maintain it. GridPoint recognized the opportunity to help Five Star turn an idle resource into a revenue-producing, grid-interactive asset.
GridPoint’s Solution: GridPoint is the only provider that upgrades, installs, and permits a grid-interactive generator solution for automated demand response. Five Star Call Centers’ generator was enrolled in a demand response program, at no upfront cost to them. Their leadership team could lean on GridPoint as the trusted energy efficiency consultants, so they could stay focused on their daily operations.
GridPoint’s Process: GridPoint provided in-depth education on the savings opportunity, the installment and enrollment process, and the demand response operations. We then worked with an environmental consultant for permitting and to determine if emissions testing and upgrades were necessary. The last step was enrolling the site in the Xcel Energy demand response program.
How Automated Demand Response Works: In the rare case that Xcel Energy needed Five Star’s generator due to an emergency situation or weather event, Five Star would be notified, but there would be no action needed on their part. Instead, Xcel Energy would also notify GridPoint. GridPoint’s automated demand response solution will signal to the generator the day and time that the generator needs to turn on, reducing the demand on the grid during that period of time. This automated response can prevent rolling blackouts or power outages, providing better service to the community as a whole.
Benefits: The solution provides both bottom line and topline benefits. Five Star Call Centers saw an immediate benefit through on-bill cost savings. There is additional potential revenue through the utility demand response program. Beyond costs, the technology provides valuable insights into the operational status of the generator, through a cloud-based software application and reporting suite.
There were benefits for Xcel Energy as well. By partnering with its customers to lessen peak demand, Xcel Energy has successfully reduced the need for supplemental power plants and high peak energy purchases. Joe Anderson, key account manager for Xcel Energy, states, “As our energy needs change and demand on the grid fluctuates, it’s important that we have a reliable way to meet these demands. This is where our peak and energy control programs come in. By having consumers voluntarily reduce their electricity usage during peak times, we can help them save money and offset the need for additional power plants. In this case, it’s a win-win for all involved.”