Solution
Burns & McDonnell helped to facilitate working sessions involving Evergy’s IT team, Evergy’s business team, and the DERMS vendor in this nontraditional IT project. Our knowledge of the relevant IT systems and business requirements helped us to lead Evergy through the challenges of the software deployment. In addition to the software deployment, Burns & McDonnell assisted with the creation of two demand response programs. The goal of these programs was to reduce energy use during periods of peak load.
The first demand response program provided incentives for commercial and industrial clients, such as large school districts and big corporations, by contacting such large customers — via phone, text or email — and asking them to turn down the lights or reduce energy in another capacity on a very hot day.
The second major demand response program relied on smart thermostats to determine the most efficient energy solutions. These thermostats use technology, such as Google Nest, to cut costs by automatically adjusting the temperature of a home or office to reflect an energy-efficient and cost-saving system.
The technology needed to implement these two demand response programs required massive upgrades to Evergy’s customer care and billing system, meter data management system and geographic information system. To integrate these new processes and corresponding technologies, we worked closely with Evergy and provided the IT and OT knowledge needed to upgrade all three systems.
Backed by extensive experience in the utility industry, we were able to determine the most effective ways to configure the DERMS and load the relevant data for the demand response programs. Our work on the initial DERMS deployment and the first two DR programs will help to prepare Evergy for future DR programs and DERs to be added to the system.
