All about Idaho Power’s A/C Cool Credit
1. What is the “A/C Cool Credit” program all about?
A/C Cool Credit is an air conditioner cycling program that results in a shift of energy during the highest-use summer days, helping to ensure reliable power for everyone. It also helps keep costs down by lessening demand for power when electricity demand is at its highest and is most expensive to produce or purchase. Your participation in A/C Cool Credit helps to ensure reliable energy and the wise use of our natural resources.
A Cool Switch device is installed near your A/C unit. On a few summer days when electricity is at its peak, the Cool Switch will cycle your A/C about 50 percent of the time. For instance, off for 15 minutes, then on for 15 minutes. This intermittent cycling is safe for your A/C and helps to make sure your home stays comfortable.
2. Who is eligible?
Residential customers who live within the company’s service area where the equipment required to support A/C cycling has been installed and is operational and who use central air conditioning may apply. Renters may participate by filling out a landlord approval form, available by calling 1-866-865-COOL (2665). Customers with evaporative (swamp) coolers or window air conditioners are not eligible for the program.
3. How can I sign up?
By returning a completed application card you are indicating a desire to participate and have a switch installed at your home. Simply use the online enrollment form or you may also sign up by calling the A/C Cool Credit program at 1-866-865-COOL (2665).
4. Why should I enroll in the program?
Idaho Power expects peak demand to continue rising annually for the next 25 years, much of it due to increased air conditioning use. You can help slow the demand for power during peak hours by participating in programs like this.
In addition, participants will receive a $7 credit on their monthly Idaho Power bill in July, August, and September.
5. What do you mean you’ll “cycle” my air conditioner?
When you enroll in the A/C Cool Credit Program, a Cool Switch device will be installed near your air conditioner. The Cool Switch has the ability to override the thermostat’s control of the A/C’s compressor. Your air conditioner naturally cycles on and off as needed to maintain a set temperature in your home as determined by the setting on your thermostat. When Idaho Power sends a signal to this switch, the air conditioner may cycle off for longer periods of time than normally cycled by the thermostat. This means that the A/C will still operate during these cycling periods, but not as often. This intermittent cycling is safe for your A/C and helps to make sure your home stays comfortable.
6. You’ve mentioned receiving a Cool Switch. Exactly what equipment will be installed?
The Cool Switch is a light gray, weatherized plastic box measuring roughly 7” x 4” x 3.5”. The switch is affixed to either the exterior of your house or directly to the outside of your air conditioning unit. Caution is taken to ensure neither the house nor the air conditioner is damaged during installation or removal. A certified field technician will install, test and verify that the switch is operating safely with the air conditioner’s compressor. It is not necessary to enter the house to install the equipment, therefore you do not have be home to have the unit installed. Customers who are not present when the installation takes place will be notified the device was installed. If you have more than one air conditioning unit, a switch will be installed for each unit.
7. How long will air conditioners be turned off?
Idaho Power will only cycle air conditioner compressors for about three hours on select weekdays, generally between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Cycling will not occur on weekends or holidays. A typical cycling interval will be 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off, so the total amount on any given day your air conditioner would be cycled off is one and a half hours. In addition, the system fan will continue to operate regardless of whether the compressor is on or off during a cycling event. On rare occasions we may cycle at 20-minute intervals, and Idaho Power reserves the right to cycle air conditioners for longer periods in the unlikely event of a system emergency.
Enrollment
1. When will the program run?
The A/C Cool Credit program is conducted during the summer months of June, July and August, with bill credits appearing on the July, August and September statements. Ongoing participation in future summer seasons is assumed as long as you live at your current residence, unless you decide to terminate enrollment.
2. Will this program reduce my energy consumption?
Probably not. The program is designed to shift demand to non-peak hours to better utilize capacity, much like encouraging workers to commute at off-peak times to lessen the total number of vehicles using the highway system at the same time. During the test program most participants used their A/C units later in the evening and consumed the energy not used during cycling.
3. How does the bill credit work?
After your switch is installed we will update our billing records to add a $7 credit to your account on your July, August and September statements. Customers on Budget Pay will not see the credit on these statements but it will be applied to their level pay calculation. Switches must be installed by the 15th of June, July or August in order to receive a credit on the following month’s bill.
4. Can I choose not to participate in the program on any given day?
Yes, if you wish to opt out of the program on a particular day, you may do so by notifying us a day in advance before 4 p.m. You may exercise this option once a month in June, July and August.
5. How will I know if my air conditioner is being cycled?
A red light on the switch will indicate whether the unit’s compressor is currently off due to cycling.
Switches and Cycles
1. Will cycling hurt my air conditioner?
The air conditioner will continue to operate through signals received from the switch, just as it was designed to do. The frequency of cycling is within standards developed by the industry.
2. Will this program make my house hot?
Your comfort is extremely important to the success of this program. Participants in the program in 2003 and 2004 experienced an overall average increase in home temperature of less than two degrees. Nearly 90 percent of homes experienced less than a four-degree temperature increase over a four-hour cycling period.
3. Can I quit the program?
Yes, you may quit the program at any time, but the credit will only apply to those months you actually participated.
4. What access does Idaho Power need for this program?
We will need access to your air conditioner in order to install the switch and connect measurement equipment to the A/C unit. For that reason, we want to be sure you don’t have any locked gates, pets or vegetation that might make it difficult for contractors and employees to monitor equipment.
5. Why is Idaho Power sponsoring this program?
Idaho power is committed to exploring a variety of programs to meet the growing need for electricity, especially during critical summer peak periods. Programs like this help reduce the amount of electricity that must be generated now and in the future.
6. How can I get additional information?
If you still have questions after reviewing this material, please give Idaho Power a call via their special A/C Cool Credit program line at 1-866-865-COOL (2665).
Information courtesy of www.idahopower.com
Chase Craig
Continue Reading
