FARMINGTON, CT — Carrier Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. headquartered here, has announced the launch of its ComfortChoiceSM demand-side energy management pilot program with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), a regulated distribution utility providing electric and natural gas service in San Diego and southern Orange counties.

Through the pilot program, scheduled to begin in November, SDG&E will install 5,000 Carrier ComfortChoice energy management systems in area households to increase energy efficiency. The pilot program is expected to run through the end of 2004.

ComfortChoice, jointly marketed by Carrier and Silicon Energy, is an Internet-based demand-side manage-ment solution that uses two-way wireless communication. It features a Carrier seven-day Internet-communicating programmable thermostat. Using a Web interface developed by Silicon Energy, an energy provider (such as SDG&E) accesses a program to curtail demand either through temperature offsets or by cycling the system on and off.

For example, to reduce demand during a power watch or energy emergency, an energy provider might increase thermostat settings anywhere from 2¿ to 6¿F in participating homes and businesses. By raising the temperature settings during these periods, the connected hvac equipment runs less frequently, saving energy and cutting back on energy costs for the user.

If desired, customers can override the energy curtailment either by adjusting their thermostat locally, or by using an Internet interface developed by Carrier, accessible via any standard Web browser. In addition, customers can use the Web interface to obtain equipment status or change system settings.

Publication date: 11/19/2001