The California grid could get some help when demand is high this summer thanks to a new partnership between distributed energy resource (DER) aggregator Leap and home energy management solution (HEMS) provider Lumin.
Under a new program called Lumin Response, customers in Calif with the installed Lumin technology can opt in to the California ISO demand response program and have their smart energy technologies automatically reduced when the local grid is stressed.
Launching for select customers in California in July, Lumin Response is the integration of Lumin’s home energy management platform and smart circuit control technology with Leap’s distributed energy resource aggregation platform. Lumin’s technology reduce a home’s power usage by automatically turning off appliances when electricity prices are highest. Participants provide a set of preferences for when and how long their appliances can be turned off and then receive an in-app message or email notifying them of a demand response event. Lumin said it will automate the entire process.
“Smart energy devices can make an important contribution to grid stability during periods of peak demand,” said Jason Michaels, Chief Commercial Officer at Leap.
Lumin’s technology connects the most energy-consuming circuits and various smart devices, including smart thermostats, connected appliances such as refrigerators, smart controllable plugs, and electric vehicle chargers. By interconnecting these devices on its platform, Lumin creates an ecosystem where energy consumption is synchronized and remotely accessible, and controllable, with the energy supply available to a household.
Leap’s software platform brings flexibility, in the form of demand reduction, to the grid via aggregation of DER. The company said it has dispatched over 10,000 MWh of clean energy to electric grids, offsetting the equivalent of 3,500 hours from gas-powered peaker plants.
“This partnership presents the first true example of automated value stacking for individual homes in the demand response space, beyond battery participation in virtual power plants,” said Alex Bazhinov, Founder and CEO of Lumin.
“As many municipalities move to enact standards for energy-saving measures in homes, smart appliances that integrate seamlessly with renewable energy systems will become more important as we continue to see energy strain on the grid,” added Keegan Campanelli, Product Manager at Lumin.
