Idaho Power

A Dispatchable Irrigation Load Control Program by M2M Communications and Spartan Energy Control Systems

Idaho Power provides electricity for 487,000 residential, business and agricultural customers in a 24,000 square-mile service area in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. This includes approximately 18,000 irrigation pumps.

The Peak Rewards Program reduces peak electrical loads on hot summer afternoons by partnering with agricultural irrigation customers to reduce the demand on the electrical system.

The M2M Communications Lodestar is an innovative web-to-wireless system that provides utility customers with a customized and secure method to remotely monitor and control energy usage during times of high electricity demand. The system also allows individual farmers to remotely monitor and control their own pumps, saving them time and travel to turn a pump on or off. M2M provides the Lodestar control units, a custom web site, versatile customer notification system, and cellular and satellite airtime to support Idaho Power’s Irrigation Peak Rewards program.

Spartan Energy is a team of highly skilled electricians who specialize in irrigation control systems. They provide all installation, test, and maintenance services for the Lodestar units throughout the large Idaho Power service area.

The Peak Rewards Program leverages:

  • Tested and proven irrigation load control equipment provided by M2M Communications
  • The knowledgeable, experienced field staff of Spartan Energy Control Systems
  • Proven implementation strategies, systems and processes that specifically address agricultural irrigation and electric utility Demand Side Management (DSM) processes
  • A reliable and secure Network Operations Center (NOC) and related DSM control software
  • Proven dispatch procedures for offsetting Idaho Power’s peak demand

By leveraging field tested implementation knowledge and procedures together with proven hardware and software systems, Idaho Power is realizing a cost-effective implementation. The Lodestar team has assumed full responsibility for the implementation and operation of the program including:

  • Control equipment design, manufacture, installation, test, and operational management
  • Field troubleshooting and maintenance
  • Ongoing operation of the secure Network Operations Center (NOC) and web site that provides remote monitoring and control of grower pump and pivot sites

All program information is stored in a customized Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, including:

  • Idaho Power site ID, meter #, and related site information
  • Grower data (name, phone, address, etc)
  • Site location and description
  • Equipment configuration (number of pumps and sizes, number of pivots or other related equipment)
  • kW and/or Horsepower of controlled pumps
  • GPS location, Google Earth farm maps and directions to the pumps
  • Digital pictures of the control panel interior and the site itself

In addition, the team is responsible for the design and maintenance of the secure Network Operations Center (NOC) and web site.

  • Idaho Power Peak Rewards Program private labeled web site
  • 24x7 operation
  • Three methods of grower access for monitoring and control
  • Secure web site for computer users
  • Mobile web site for cell phones
  • In-bound telephone system
  • Automated telephone, text and/or emails for notifications of user selected alarms and equipment status changes
  • Two automated telephone based notifications prior to each dispatch operation

The team continues to facilitate Idaho Power dispatch operations on a day-by-day basis during the load control program season.

  • Work with Idaho Power engineers to pre-design dispatch protocols. Protocols instruct the system how to group and send control commands based upon Idaho Power preferences and on-site equipment requirements. For example, there may be multiple start and stop times for different climatic regions, groupings of farms or different equipment types.
  • Train Idaho Power operators to:
  • Create and test custom voice notification messages
  • Select the correct dispatch protocol
  • Initiate the dispatch operations including two customized voice based notifications to each grower or farm manager prior to each dispatch
  • If necessary, cancel dispatch operations before they begin and notify the growers
  • Report the total kW load shed during and after each dispatch operation with five-minute resolution
  • Monitor equipment command acknowledgments and troubleshoot any non-responding units

This dispatchable irrigation load control program will continue to provide ongoing significant benefits to Idaho Power and all of its customers.

A tested and proven program ensures that the project is implemented correctly and at a fixed cost. The team of M2M Communications and Spartan Energy Control Systems has been the right team to do the job, with field tested and proven irrigation load control equipment, systems and processes.