Why You Should Be Tracking Your Electric Demand
For many commercial customers, a slight shift in operational activity can result in a substantial reduction in energy costs each month. Electric demand is the rate at which a facility is using electricity at any given point in time, and utility companies will often charge customers based on the highest demand during any 15-minute period in a billing month. Any unpredictable spike in electricity usage can drastically impact your peak demand charge, and it is important to know what energy operations may be causing peak demand each month.
The InfoWise from Xcel Energy Real-Time Service allows commercial customers to track their energy usage in real-time. Monitoring and investigating energy patterns allows customers to take action, control energy use, and avoid excess usage costs. With Real-Time Service, users can:
- Receive automatic email, text, or phone call alerts when electric (or gas) usage exceeds a set threshold.
- Analyze 1-minute interval data to better understand building performance.
- Track how an adjustment in operational activities can impact demand throughout the day.
With real-time, minute by minute energy usage data, you can be informed of new demand spikes as they occur to determine if corrective action is immediately needed to avoid a new peak within the 15-minute period.
To learn more about the InfoWise from Xcel Energy program or its Real-Time Service and how the program can help you get more insight into your energy operations, contact Jono Cullar at Jono.Cullar@PowerTakeOff.com or 303-353-1132.