SmartGrid Charlottesville

New SmartGrid Project

The newest project is the Charlottesville Home Energy Makeover Contest. Two Charlottesville area homes will each receive $10,000 in home energy efficiency improvements. Eight runners up will receive a free professional home energy audit worth up to $500. The enrollment deadline is August 20, 2010.

SmartGrid Projects and Information

Charlottesville is the first city in Virginia and one of the first in the nation where homes and businesses are equipped with "smart meters." These smart meters will make the delivery of electricity more efficient and less costly and will lay the groundwork for a "smart grid."

On June 16, 2009, Dominion Virginia Power executives joined Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and local officials to announce the company is launching an approximately $20 million program - SmartGrid Charlottesville - to install about 46,500 "smart meters" in the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

Dominion will utilize its electrical distribution, communications and information technology infrastructure to promote energy conservation and environmental responsibility, improve customer service and improve utility operations in this smart grid effort.

Pending regulatory approval where required, the highlights ultimately are expected to include:

A demonstration project providing periodic reports that show customers how their energy usage compares with other customers.
Tests of battery storage systems that could promote renewable electricity generation such as solar.
A solar panel demonstration project.
Automatic reporting of outages, allowing for quicker restoration of service.
Increased customer convenience through remote turn on and turn off of service, and remote meter readings.
A demonstration program for light-emitting diode (LED) street lights.