The U.S. General Services Administration's Energy Division has successfully carried out its first auction of demand response, with support from energy management firm World Energy Solutions Inc. and technology company Science Applications International Corporation.
The GSA auctioned 24 MW of demand response - 8MW annually over three years. Two sets of auctions were run, one for GSA Region 5 facilities located in the Commonwealth Edison service territory of PJM and one for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities located in the energy company Consolidated Edison service territory in New York State.
Some 79 bids from 10 approved demand response providers were received in one hour of bidding. The new contracts awarded as a result of these auctions should generate revenues of at least $1.5 million for the GSA and VA, according to World Energy Solution.
In November 2011, Marriott International and Constellation Energy announced an agreement to develop over 23 MW of load response capability across more than 250 of the hotel’s properties in the Mid-Atlantic region, New York, New England, Texas and California. The partnership will allow Marriott to monitor its power use in real time, bid directly into the demand response market and improve energy efficiency, the company said.
In other GSA news, water management company Phigenics has announced that it has been awarded a $1 million dollar contract with the GSA's Federal Acquisition Service for energy management planning and strategies and water conservation. The contract affords federal facilities access to Phigenics' broad range of smart water management services that can be used to remediate problems associated with waterborne pathogens, such as Legionella.
