Opower Scales Behavioral Demand Response to 1.5 Million Homes

Opower OPWR, the global leader in cloud-based software for the utility industry, today announced that it is expanding its innovative Behavioral Demand Response (BDR) product to 1.5 million homes this summer. Having completed a series of successful deployments over the last two years, Opower will deploy the solution to twice as many utilities in 2015 including ComEd, BGE, Glendale Water & Power, and large IOUs in the Midwest and California. Opower's BDR program is more cost-effective than traditional demand response programs. Using AMI data, proprietary analytics, behavioral science, and highly personalized communication, BDR drives measurable peak reduction at scale without requiring costly devices in the home. The solution enables utilities to meet a diverse set of demand management goals, including affordable demand reduction and dynamic pricing implementation. "This software-based approach has changed the game for demand response," said Opower CEO, Dan Yates. "This solution gives our utility partners a very effective tool for delivering significant results at scale without having to rely on expensive or outdated hardware that only reaches a fraction of their community. We've invested heavily to bring greater innovation and scale to our demand-side management portfolio, and we are pleased with the way that BDR has emerged to deliver significant results for utilities." Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) and ComEd both use the flexible BDR solution to scale their demand response programs. BGE first launched BDR as BGE Smart Energy Rewards® in 2013 to 315,000 customers, and has since expanded the program to more than one million residential customers. As the program has scaled, the savings results have continued to improve. ComEd, one of the new utilities to deploy the product, will make the program available territory-wide to all customers with smart meters. "ComEd is dedicated to bringing value to our customers and our Peak Time Savings program is another way we are delivering on that commitment. Peak Time Savings leverages investments in smart meter technology and gives our customers more control over their energy use," said Val Jensen, senior vice president of Customer Operations, ComEd. "As we continue to deploy smart meters across northern Illinois, resources like Opower's behavioral demand response solution are enabling our customers to take full advantage of the new and innovative technologies that simplify their life and help them save energy and money." Last summer, Glendale Water and Power (GWP) tested the BDR program without a price signal. Using a behavior-only program, GWP achieved a five percent reduction during peak hours with Opower's BDR at approximately one-third the cost of traditional demand response. Glendale also enjoyed 85 percent customer satisfaction with the program. "At Glendale we are committed to providing our customers with information and tools that help them save energy and money," said Steve Zurn, General Manager at GWP. "This innovative program has helped us meet demand management goals, while delivering a positive customer experience."