The energy management system, which includes both Avante’s Smartboxx Energy Manager and Calico’s Energy Intelligence Suite technologies, has been designed to give both local electrical utilities and their customers a tool for understanding and managing energy usage.
Under this pilot project, each of the participating home will have installed the Avante Smartboxx energy management gateway, which uses cellular technology to coordinate demand response and energy conservation commands with end use devices such as the Avante Zigbee Smart Plug.
The Smartboxx also features the Avante HVAC Relay, which will enable the user to control a home’s existing thermostat and adjust the HVAC system, changing temperatures as required.
In addition, the project will include the installation of EIS OpCenter, the command-and-control center of the Calico platform, allowing energy providers to reduce electricity use through demand response, rate and price programs, baseline management and energy efficiency.
Further, the project will deploy Calico’s home energy management interface, EIS HomeSMART, a web-based portal which provides residential customers with an intuitive and affordable method for energy efficiency, demand response, and home automation.
The pilot project is expected to inform local electrical utilities (often called Local Distribution Companies – LDCs) about their options as they prepare to meet new LDC specific conservation targets starting in 2011, as directed by Ontario’s Green Energy and Economy Act.
