January 28, 2005—White-Rodgers programmable thermostat recently became the primary thermostat used in peak load management programs by Comverge Inc. White-Rodgers is a division of Emerson Climate Technologies. Developed jointly by the two companies, the White-Rodgers programmable digital thermostat has an integrated wireless communications module. In the event of a severe peak load period, the utility is able to remotely contact the thermostat and direct it to cycle the building air conditioners. This enables the utility to avoid peak operating charges and potential brownouts with virtually no disruption to human comfort. According to the partnership, Comverge’s peak load management programs manage HVAC operation based on the requirements dictated by the utility programs. As a result, Comverge clients are capable of implementing intelligent energy load management solutions based on their specific needs without causing customer discomfort. The thermostat is scheduled to be available for use in the peak load management programs in early May 2005. For more information, contact Emerson Technologies.
