Did You Know?

Did you know that Solid State Instruments is only one division of Brayden Automation Corporation? In addition to making superior pulse isolation relays and pulse metering equipment, we also provide a wide variety of demand control products under the Energy Sentry name. In fact, we’ve been in the demand control business since 1978, helping commercial, industrial and residential customers lower their electric bills by using energy more efficiently.

What is Demand Control?

Demand is defined as the rate of electric use. This can also be interpreted as the “speed” at which your building is using electricity. Utility companies’ bill electric use based on a combination of the amount of energy consumed (kWh) and the rate at which it was consumed (kW). KW is how demand is measured, and most utilities bill for the “Peak Demand” which is the highest demand in any one demand interval (usually 15 minutes) during the billing month. The peak sets your demand rate, so the goal is to redistribute energy use to lower the peak, thus lowering electric bills.

Demand control isn't about controlling the amount of electricity used, but instead how efficiently it’s used. By managing large non-critical electric loads like air conditioning or a water heater, the electric use is kept below a predefined kW threshold (max peak). This ensures that energy use remains stable and a more efficient building and lower electric bills is the end result.

Why should you care about Demand Control?

Because it could possibly save you 10%-40% on your electric bills! Depending on the Utility’s Demand Rates and how low the demand limit is set, you can save up to 40% on your electric bills. The majority of our customers receive a full return on investment within 1-2 years of using an Energy Sentry and after that the savings are a bonus. If you’re going to end up spending the money, why not spend a small amount now and save BIG for years to come?

Next Step

Whether you are a utility looking to provide a solution for your customers, or an end user customer searching for ways to save money on your electric bills, we are here to help! Brayden Automation is now offering FREE load factor calculations to help determine if demand control is a right for you. Gather your last 12 months of electric bills and we will calculate potential savings that can be achieved by using an Energy Sentry. Contact us today for a FREE load factor calculation!