BPA Endorses EZConserve's Energy-Saving Software

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BPA Endorses EZConserve's Energy-Saving Software

The Regional Technical Forum grants the Surveyor software a "deemed

savings" designation, opening the door to Bonneville Power

Administration incentives

OREGON, PORTLAND, Aug. 6 -/E-Wire/-- Compact florescent light bulbs, water heater blankets, and variable-speed motors may be dramatically different technologies, but they all have one thing in common: They've each been the benefactors of a program that directs a portion of the revenue from Bonneville Power Administration's wholesaling of electricity services into cost-effective energy conservation programs targeted towards Pacific Northwest power users. In an unprecedented first, a software product has now received a "deemed savings" designation from BPA's "conservation and renewable resources rate discount," or C&RD; program, setting the stage for a process that could send credits or incentives back to power users who have deployed an energy-saving software tool on their PCs.

The Surveyor Network Energy Manager, developed by EZConserve of Portland, Oregon, is a software tool that allows organizations to monitor, manage, and reduce the energy being consumed by their PC networks. By synchronizing power management settings across all PCs and ensuring that some minimal level of conservation is in place, Surveyor reduces per-PC energy consumption with almost no impact on PC users or network infrastructures.

Surveyor's path to becoming a "recognized" energy efficiency measure included review by the Regional Technical Forum, the advisory committee who evaluates conservation measures for inclusion in the C&RD; incentive program, and then approval by BPA itself, the federal agency producing half the northwest's energy. The C&RD; program provides a process through which regional electric utilities buying a portion of their power from BPA can receive a credit for energy conservation projects embarked upon by their customers. If the project is on the C&RD; approved list, the utility can in turn pass along all or part of these incentives to customers who implement the project.

"Deemed savings" is a BPA-approved amount of electrical energy savings that can be expected from the implementation of a conservation measure. For Surveyor, the RTF estimated that each PC-monitor combination using the software would reduce its energy consumption by an average of 200 kilowatt-hours per year. Using these calculations, an organization with 5000 networked PCs would cut 1 million kilowatt-hours of energy usage each year by deploying Surveyor. At the region's average energy rate this reduction would result in over $700,000 in cost savings each year, or nearly $3 million in energy savings over Surveyor's expected four-year product life.

C&RD; projects have in the past ranged from solar panels to the installation of energy efficient heat pumps and motors, but have never before included a software product aimed at reducing a PC network's energy consumption. Ken Anderson, a venture developer for the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, proposed Surveyor for inclusion on the C&RD; list at the Regional Technical Forum's July 8 meeting. According to Anderson, the fact that the RTF

had never before granted deemed savings for use of a software product didn't keep anyone from recognizing the conservation value offered by Surveyor. "The debate didn't center much on whether software products deserved to be included in the C&RD; list. Regardless of the form a technology may take, if conservation benefits can be calculated they should be pursued. In Surveyor's case, the math made sense and the savings potential was supported by outside research and study."

EZConserve CEO and President James Tatham sees BPA's recognition of Surveyor as additional momentum for a company that is already exceeding expectations. "This endorsement is really the icing on a cake we've been building for the last year, moving steadily from an energy-saving 'concept' to a customer-proven, industry-validated tool."

Surveyor is currently in pilot programs with Oregon State University, Portland Public Schools, Metro (the regional government that serves residents in three counties and 24 cities in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area), the City of San Jose, and other customers. The RTF will review the kilowatt-hour savings that result from these programs by the end of March next year, and if necessary adjust the deemed savings number. Utility companies can read about the Surveyor measure or apply for credits online, through the "Conservation & Renewables Discount Program Tracking and Reporting System" accessible at http://www.rtf.nwppc.org.

About EZConserve EZConserve develops conservation technology products that manage and reduce resource consumption in companies and organizations of all sizes. EZConserve products are derived from best practices research, innovative technology, and extensive experience in integrating new solutions into business environments. EZConserve has been funded in part by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, a non-profit group of electric utilities, state governments, public interest groups and industry representatives in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington that works to make affordable energy-efficient products and services available in the marketplace. Visit EZConserve's web site at www.ezconserve.com, or the Alliance's web site at www.nwalliance.org, for more information.

Michael Thelander ,(503) 452-5623,

[REDACTED-EMAIL],

http://www.ezconserve.com

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