How does Demand affect ECU?
Reducing demand during anticipated Peak Demand periods allows the University to save on the overall cost of electricity. Also, reducing the overall electricity usage saves the University some on monthly charges. In fact, a concerted effort by the University community to reduce electricity consumption during Peak Demand periods coupled with several energy saving renovations has reduced the University’s electrical expense by as much as $50,000 in one month. This amount of savings every month could translate into an annual savings of $600,000. Demand charges are very high during a Peak Demand period. For example, during the normal electrical load periods, ECU pays $.03 per kilowatt-hour of electricity that would power three PCs or ten 100-watt light bulbs. However, during Peak Demand, that same kilowatt-hour powering those same PCs or light bulbs will cost ECU $14.75. Therefore, there can be tremendous savings to ECU if less energy is being used during Peak Demand. One other advantage of
