Tendril Expands Reach on the Way to National Smart Grid Adoption

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the weather heats up and energy usage skyrockets in many regions of the country, leading energy management technology provider Tendril is in a unique position to gauge the ability of utilities and their customers to effectively and efficiently manage energy use. Through the 20 Smart Grid pilot programs they have secured this year alone, Tendril will provide products and services to utilities and their customers in 14 states throughout the country. These utility partners represent 35 million homes nationwide.

“In my time involved with this market, we have never had a vendor deliver such a robust product to Baltimore Gas & Electric’s specifications and quality standards on such a short timeline as Tendril”

“By working with a diverse group of utilities in every region of the country, we are now in the position to gather information and direct consumer feedback to help further determine the unique needs of utilities and their customers,” said Tendril CEO Adrian Tuck. “We are working closely with each utility partner to identify their challenges and provide solutions to meet their objectives now and well into the future.”

Tendril provides utilities with a flexible and extensible infrastructure to run a variety of pricing and energy efficiency programs. The open, secure and scalable Tendril platform enables utilities to receive real-time, or near real-time, measurable information and feedback to evaluate the impact of these programs on customers.

"In my time involved with this market, we have never had a vendor deliver such a robust product to Baltimore Gas & Electric’s specifications and quality standards on such a short timeline as Tendril,” said John Fernandes, of Baltimore Gas & Electric.

Various configurations of Tendril’s flexible solution — interfacing with both Automated Meter Reading (AMR) equipment and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology — will be used by utilities and their customers in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.

Representative programs include:

Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL), Indiana – IPL is using Tendril’s solution to leverage its existing AMR meter infrastructure to engage select customers in a time of use pricing program. In addition to understanding the impact of variable pricing on consumption behavior, IPL is also evaluating consumer response to near real-time information.
Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE), Maryland – In the third year of its Smart Energy Pricing Pilot, BGE is providing Tendril’s solution to a select group of AMI-enabled program participants to inform them of upcoming Demand Response events and provide direct feedback and rebates for voluntarily reducing their energy consumption.
NSTAR, Massachusetts – Tendril is working with NSTAR to provide Demand Response and Direct Load Control capabilities by utilizing the existing AMR infrastructure to offer near real-time energy management and dynamic pricing to pilot participants.
Consolidated Edison (Con Ed), New York – As part of its Residential Smart Appliance Program, Tendril is helping Con Ed leverage its existing AMR infrastructure to establish Demand Response and Direct Load Control programs to manage residential energy demand. The Tendril solution promotes energy efficiency by enabling these inner-city dwellers, which traditionally have not been able to participate in energy saving programs, with the tools for near real-time energy information and management.
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd), Illinois – ComEd is providing pilot participants with the Tendril Insight in-home display, which will allow customers to read current household energy use in both kilowatts and dollars-per-hour in real-time, provide estimated pricing for the entire billing cycle, and receive real-time messaging from the utility. Tendril’s solution is unique in that it will be accessible by all utility customers of various demographics, since the device communicates directly over the AMI network without needing to access the Internet.

About Tendril

Tendril is a leading energy management technology provider that brings unprecedented insight and control to the Smart Grid. The Tendril platform provides an open, secure and scalable end-to-end solution that creates a two-way dialogue between energy providers and their customers. The solution includes both utility and in-home products and applications, and integrates seamlessly with existing back office applications and network infrastructure. Tendril is venture backed by VantagePoint Venture Partners, Good Energies, RRE Ventures, Vista Ventures, GE and Appian Ventures. For more information, visit tendrilinc.com.