Cypress, Ltd. Teams With PG&E On $10 Million ‘Shift And Save’ Program To Reduce Peak Demand
Consulting Company to Help Ensure Continued Power Grid Reliability and Environmental Leadership
Coto de Caza, CA- CYPRESS, LTD today announced its role in PG&E’s new $10 Million Shift and Save program. Designed to ensure continued power reliability and sustainability by permanently reducing peak demand on the electricity grid, CYPRESS, LTD will be the administrator of the Shift and Save program. Working in collaboration with Ice Energy®, an energy technology company focused on thermal energy storage and advanced cooling and refrigeration products and technologies, CYPRESS, LTD will provide incentives that significantly reduce air conditioning peak electrical demand on commercial and institutional buildings.
Designed in response to the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) findings that permanent load shifting (PLS) technologies deliver benefits to both utilities and energy consumers, the Shift and Save program will help PG&E permanently shift up to 95 percent of the air conditioning load while providing full cooling performance for participating customers. Additionally, the program will help protect PG&E customers against shortages during heat waves and reduced reliance on the construction of new generation plants.
One of PG&E’s many industry-leading programs, the Shift and Save initiative offers both upfront rebates and annual incentives to customers who add the Ice Bear system to existing and new air conditioning equipment. Program participants on PG&E time-of-use rates also benefit from ongoing savings on their energy bill by reducing their electricity use between noon and 6 p.m. on weekdays and during the summer peak period.
PG&E’s selection of CYPRESS, LTD within the Shift and Save initiative adds to a growing number of utilities that contract with CYPRESS, LTD to design and manage their efficiency and energy demand programs. Based in Coto de Caza, CA, CYPRESS, LTD integrates an in-depth understanding of end-use markets and value-chains to support electric, gas, and water utilities in their efforts to motivate customers to adopt efficient behaviors and technologies. Offering a full line of consulting and administrative capabilities from program design through 24/7 customer service, CYPRESS, LTD supports the highest possible participation rates, the greatest cost effectiveness and cost recovery, and efficient resource deployments that results in optimal public perception and enhanced brand image. CYPRESS, LTD will be responsible for administering $6 million of the $10 million allotted to PG&E for the Shift and Save program. They will also provide the marketing, administrative and online ‘dashboard’ to help monitor and measure the program’s success.
Ice Energy products shift the largest component of residential and commercial peak demand — air conditioning — from expensive “on-peak” times of the day to “off-peak” periods, when energy is less expensive and less polluting. Approved as an optional compliance measure for California’s Title 24 building energy efficiency standards, the Ice Bear system provides superior cooling comfort while significantly reducing the cost of energy. The Shift and Save program will be the first time Ice Energy’s Ice Bear hybrid air conditioning technology will be applied on such a broad scale. “We’re looking forward to partnering with PG&E and Ice Energy,” states Tom Smolarek, President of CYPRESS, LTD. “This is a watershed program and we’re pleased to bring our team’s expertise to such an environmentally significant project in California.”