AdaptiVolt™ Volt/Var Optimization System Operational at Ripley Power & Light Company

March 10, 2010

Ripley, Tennessee – Ripley Power & Light Company (Ripley Power & Light) today announced the commencement of operations for its AdaptiVolt™ Volt/Var Optimization system.  With the installation of this Smart Grid technology, Ripley Power & Light expects to save its customers 6,000,000 kWh each year while reducing its total average demand by more than 2.0%.  "In addition to the benefits our customers are going to receive, the data that we gather with this project will help electric systems in the Tennessee Valley lower their demand for energy which will help our supplier avoid future generation cost.  Everyone wins with this system," said Mike Allmand, President/CEO of Ripley Power & Light.  According to PCS UtiliData, the manufacturer of the AdaptiVolt™ System, the energy savings achieved as part of this project are enough to power more than 530 average American homes.   

Ripley Power & Light is the first electric utility east of the Mississippi to deploy this state of the art voltage control system, which is being closely studied by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).  “Realizing the full potential of Smart Grid technology requires greater efficiency and resource control for electric distributors, such as Ripley Power & Light,” says Thomas Wilson, President of PCS UtiliData.  According to Wilson, the AdaptiVolt™ Volt/Var Optimization System “gives utilities the power to monitor and adjust voltages at critical points throughout the distribution system, thereby conserving energy and reducing power losses.”  Consequently, this technology will allow Ripley Power & Light to improve the control of voltage levels, reduce distribution system line losses and improve customer end-use efficiency through automated voltage management.

PCS UtiliData, a Smart Grid solutions provider, is the only provider of true live-state, utility-grade Volt/Var Optimization solutions that increase distribution system reliability and efficiency.  As a founding member of the Control Systems Integrator’s Association, PCS UtiliData has been committed to providing world class products and services to a wide range of satisfied clients in the energy and utility automation industry for over 20 years. For more information, visit www.pcsutilidata.com.