Smart Grid Projects - DNV Kema

13Demand response equipmentand customer educationNorthWestern Energy (NWE) Smart Grid Demonstration ProjectThe NorthWestern Energy Smart Grid Demonstration Project is a part of the larger PacificNorthwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project. The objective is to test emerging new HomeArea Network technologies on a select group of customers to see how they will be received.Specific types of end uses will be connected and tracked so that the utility can find out whattypes of end uses customers are willing to shut down during demand events, and how muchopportunity there is for shedding residential electric loads. This will also be a first test ofTime of Use rates for NWE customers.Participants will be surveyed at several points during the two year pilot to determine howthey feel about the system, how it is working for them, which features they use, and whichones they don’t. Neighborhood meetings are also being considered to bring participantstogether in such a way that they can discuss their perceptions of the program andexperiences about how they use their system.