IOU to collaborate with a Tantalus-led consortium of partners on grid modernization through the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority’s Innovative Energy Solutions Program
BURNABY, BC (British Columbia) – April 2, 2024 – Tantalus Systems (TSX: GRID) (“Tantalus” or the “Company”), a technology company dedicated to helping utilities modernize their distribution grids by harnessing the power of data, is pleased to announce that The United Illuminating Company (UI) will deploy a pilot program that includes the TRUSense Gateway as part of the first round of the Innovative Energy Solutions (IES) Program designed and led by the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). The pilot will be deployed across a distribution circuit in Bridgeport, Connecticut that delivers power to approximately 1,500 residential homes. Through the deployment, UI will be targeting to control up to 7 kilowatts of power per participating home while also delivering benefits to their customers.
The IES Program represents an ambitious effort to help utilities across Connecticut accelerate grid modernization and decarbonization efforts by delivering benefits to all ratepayers across the state. The program is providing a sandbox structure to focus on innovative electric grid pilots that, subject to demonstrated success, are invited to deploy at scale. The first cycle of the IES Program is centered on demand-side flexibility to shift or reduce electricity demand or consumption from a device’s normal electricity profile, supporting advanced forecasting, providing automation, incorporating strategies to manage peak demand and integrating thermal storage.
“With the creativity and innovation of companies like Tantalus, we in Connecticut can build a more sustainable, efficient energy system to benefit all electricity users, which is more important than ever as we pursue beneficial electrification in the fight against climate change,” said Frank Reynolds, President & CEO at UI. “Today, UI is proud to announce our partnership with a consortium of organizations led by Tantalus to make an industry-leading energy management platform available to our customers, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on both energy usage and costs.”
In collaborating with UI to pursue the IES Program, Tantalus formed a consortium of industry-leading technology providers, academic institutions and research centers, including GE Appliances, Savant, the University of Connecticut’s Eversource Energy Center (UConn), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Threshold. The comprehensive project will center around Tantalus’ TRUSense Gateway, GE Appliances’ electric water heater and Savant’s smart circuit breaker companion modules and smart thermostats that will be deployed behind the meter of homes on dedicated feeders and circuits within UI’s distribution grid.
UConn’s Eversource Energy Center will provide grid visibility analytics that leverage data from the deployment while NREL will seek to optimize the use of distributed energy resources. Under the program, water heaters from GE Appliances will be used as thermal storage devices by pre-heating water in advance of peak load profiles, extreme weather events or emergency situations to protect grid assets. Other loads tied to specific Savant smart circuit breaker companion modules will also be targeted for load management. The behind-the-meter command and control will be delivered to UI through the TRUSense Gateway and TRUSync™ Grid Data Management software, leveraging existing meter sockets and legacy automated electric meters.
“We’re proud to have been selected as part of the initial cycle of the competitive IES Program in its mission to help investor-owned utilities in the state of Connecticut accelerate their grid modernization efforts. This project will provide United Illuminating with a unique path to leverage existing grid assets and integrate new consumer appliances to improve reliability, resiliency and affordability for the communities they serve,” said Peter Londa, President & CEO of Tantalus. “Having the opportunity to facilitate a consortium of leading companies and partner alongside United Illuminating to deliver the necessary command and control of targeted appliances located behind the meter provides our team with an excellent opportunity to demonstrate a new approach for demand-side flexibility programs through our TRUSense Gateway. By leveraging this program, our consortium of partners looks forward to helping utilities discover new ways to harness the power of data.”
To learn more about the TRUSense Gateway solution, please check our website at https://tantalus.com/trusense-gateway/ or contact us at TantalusInfo@tantalus.com.
About United Illuminating
The United Illuminating Company (UI) is a subsidiary of Avangrid, Inc. Established in 1899, UI operates approximately 3,600 miles of electric distribution lines and 138 miles of transmission lines. It serves approximately 341,000 customers in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas of Connecticut. UI received the Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Recovery Award in 2019 and 2021. For more information, visit www.uinet.com.
About Tantalus Systems Holding Inc. (TSX: GRID)
Tantalus is a technology company dedicated to helping utilities modernize their distribution grids by harnessing the power of data across all their devices and systems deployed throughout the entire distribution grid. We offer a grid modernization platform across multiple levels: intelligent connected devices, communications networks, data management, enterprise applications and analytics. Our solutions provide utilities with the flexibility they need to get the most value from existing infrastructure investments while leveraging advanced capabilities to plan for future requirements. Learn more at http://www.tantalus.com/
Forward-Looking Information:
This news release includes information, statements, beliefs and opinions which are forward-looking, and which reflect current estimates, expectations and projections about future events, including, but not limited to, the success of the IES Program, the performance and integration of the technology and services being provided by Tantalus, GE Appliances, Savant, UConn, NREL and Threshold, including the TRUSense Gateway and TRUSync Grid Data Management software, in connection with the consortium’s project for the IES Program, the ability of the consortium’s project to meet the near and long-term needs of UI (including improving reliability, resiliency and affordability, the possibility that the consortium’s project demonstrates success and is selected for deployment at scale and the ability of Tantalus’ solutions to assist customers in addressing such issues (including providing benefits in terms of energy usage and costs), and other statements that contain words such as “believe,” “expect,” “project,” “should,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “will,” “intend,” “positioned,” “risk,” “plan,” “may,” “estimate” or, in each case, their negative and words of similar meaning. By its nature, forward-looking information involves a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome of the plans and events described herein. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which is based on the information available as of the date of this news release and Tantalus disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information contained in this new release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law. The forward-looking information included in this news release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement.
Contact Tantalus:
Jacquie Hudson
Marketing Communications Manager
613-552-4244 | jhudson@tantalus.com
Website: www.tantalus.com
LinkedIn: LinkedIn/company/tantalus
Twitter: @TantalusCorp
