Voluntary Electric Curtailment
This summer, Mount Holyoke College will participate with the operator of New England's electric grid to voluntarily curtail our power use when notified of a system emergency or power peak. Most likely this will occur during an extended heat wave, once or twice this year.
To enroll in this program we must first perform a test on Wednesday June 18 between 11AM and 2PM. Actual events will likely last until 6PM but no later.
The purpose of this voluntary response is to minimize the peak load and forestall more drastic measures such as brown-outs and rolling blackouts. Participation will not only benefit us financially, but it will help us do our part as good community citizens. Our region will benefit from reduced congestion on the electric grid, and our environment will benefit from decreased emissions. The dirtiest power plants are often reserved for peak operation.
During the test on 6/18, and later during an actual event, you will receive an email saying that we are experiencing a peak electrical demand period or system emergency, and ISO New England has instructed us to reduce our electrical load wherever possible.
Please help Mount Holyoke College comply with this request by:
Turning off all non-essential electrical appliances (corridor and empty office lights, unused copiers and computers, coffee makers, window air conditioners, etc.)
If you control a thermostat for air conditioning, please consider raising the temperature (or moving the control to the "warm" side if you have an Automated Logic sensor).
Selecting the "low cool" setting on window A/C units, closing the outdoor air damper, or shutting them down entirely.
Closing windows in all areas with air conditioning.
Avoiding elevator use by taking the stairs.
Shutting off window A/C units, copiers, and all lights when you leave for the day.
Please review these procedures with your department so that you are ready to respond when called.
Facilities Management will raise temperature setpoints in non-critical areas, "duty cycle" non-critical systems by switching them on and off hourly, and shut others down completely. We will resume normal operation after the event.
We thank you for your assistance and appreciate your cooperation in helping us to reduce energy consumption and ensure the reliability of our electrical system. In the meantime please contact Todd Holland, our Energy Manager, if you have any questions about the program or how to respond.
Todd R. Holland, PE
Energy Manager
tholland@mtholyoke.edu
413-658-5557
John S. Bryant
Director, Facilities Planning and Management
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