Load Management Programs

One of the things we try to do at Redwood Electric Cooperative is answer your questions and provide you with information so you can make decisions regarding your energy usage.  Conservation is no longer the ugly word it was from the 70’s when it meant doing without. In the 21st century, conservation means making efficient use of what we have.

Redwood Electric works closely with Great River Energy and the Department of Commerce to provide you with information and programs that allow you to use energy wisely.  We encourage you to call and speak with the our electrician if you have questions about the load management programs.

If you are building a new house or remodeling an existing one, please call our office. It makes good sense to incorporate today’s electro-technologies during the construction phase of your new home.

GRE Control for Load Management Programs

Load Management and Electric Terms

Kilowatt (KW):  The basic unit of electrical demand, equal to 1000 watts.

Kilowatt-hour:  The basic measure of electrical energy equal to 1000 watt hours, or the amount of electric energy required to operate a 100 watt bulb for 10 hours.

Demand:  The amount of electricity a customer uses at any given moment.  Demand varies from hour to hour, day to day, and season to season.  This usage is expressed in kilowatts and it called demand.

Peak Demand:  The maximum amount of electricity used by a utility customer at any time during the year.  The peak is used to measure the amount of electric transmission.

Off Peak Power:  Power supplied during designated periods of relatively low system demands.

Peak Shaving:  Reducing electrical consumption during peak demand times.

Load Management:  A program where an electric utility seeks to control its customers use of electricity in order to reduce the system's total demand.  Usually a special rate or incentive is provided to the member to participate in a program.

Cycled Air Conditioning:  An energy efficiency program to help Redwood Electric members save energy and money all summer long.  When the demand for electricity is high, participating central air conditioning units are cycled on and off every 15 minutes, to help reduce electric demand throughout the cooperative.

Dual Fuel:  A heating system that combines two fuel sources; electricity as a primary and propane or other fuel as a secondary source.  This is accomplished by either adding an electric heating unit to a gas furnace or adding propane or other source to an electric heating unit.  Participants in a dual fuel program have the electric source turned off at times of high electric usage on the utility system.  Members in the program are offered incentives to participate.