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City electric customers will have the opportunity to opt into a new program that will save energy via smart technology.
City Manager Lance Willard told city council earlier this month that the smart thermostat program offered through Efficiency Smart will enable customers to have their compatible thermostats automatically adjusted during the city's energy savings days.
A smart thermostat is one that is connected to wireless Internet and can be adjusted up or down via a smart phone application.
Willard said that customers can participate if they already have a smart thermostat in their homes, or by purchasing one at stores like Best Buy or other places where they are sold.
Only customers who opt into the program will be affected by thermostat changes during the energy savings days.
Each year the city participates in energy savings days through Efficiency Smart in order to save money on electricity. The savings are then passed on to electric customers via their bills.
The energy savings days are held about five times a year on the hottest days forecasted during the summer.
City residents are asked to participate in the energy savings days by either not using their air conditioning or turning their air conditioning up higher during scheduled hours and days, and not using other electrical appliances as well during those times.
The idea is to conserve energy by taking a large amount of power offline during that time.
As for the new thermostat program, Willard explained that those who are enrolled voluntarily will have their smart thermostats taken over by American Municipal Power (AMP) for a period of time during the energy savings days.
(American Municipal Power is the company that supplies the city's electricity.)
He said that, for example, if an energy savings day is scheduled for 2-6 p.m. on June 15 when it is 90 degrees then AMP will take over the smart thermostats three hours prior to pre-cool each participating house before shutting off the air conditioner during the scheduled time.
Willard said that even if someone enrolls in the program and decides it is too hot to have their air conditioner off during an energy savings day, they will be able to override the smart system.
"A lot of people in town have been interested in things like this ... so we would like to get enrolled in it pretty soon, because it will give us a discount on the first year," Willard said.
He added that eventually the city will be charged for each thermostat that is enrolled in the program but he believes that cost will pay off in one energy savings day.
He estimates that of the 3,400 city electric customers less than 20 percent, or 50 to 200 people, will likely enroll.
Residents who do choose to enroll will not be charged to participate in the program and will instead be given a gift card for their participation.
"I believe in 10 years most everybody in the U.S. will be encouraged to do this to help the grid out," Willard said.
Council approved emergency legislation allowing the city to offer the program, although it wasn't without some hesitation expressed by at least one member of council.
Councilman Dan Bekar wondered about the safety of allowing an outside entity to adjust thermostats wirelessly as they see fit.
He expressed concern about potential hacking into the system, especially in the event of a bad winter.
"All of a sudden someone else has control of our technology," he said.
Willard responded that while hacking is always a concern, it would actually be more beneficial to be involved in the Efficiency Smart program since it would be monitored by AMP.
"There is a whole section of this on the safety and the Internet capabilities of this that is going to have to pass a certain test. AMP and our tech people are going to be working through that on this project," Willard said.
He added that anyone who has a smart thermostat anywhere with or without being enrolled in the program is capable of being hacked.
"Technology is a very scary thing...at least with this program if your scenarios happened everybody at AMP would know it's happening whereas if they are not in that program and somebody gets hacked they could have an impact on your house," Willard said to Bekar.