United Church of Christ Shifts to a Lower Rate

Are you or your customers in a high rate bracket and you don't know how to get below the required kW demand? This is the problem Scott Cummings and The United Church of Christ were facing. The United Church of Christ is located in Simi Valley, California. In 2005 they were put into a more expensive rate bracket, forcing them to pay higher electric bills. Each year they tried to stay below 20kW but were unsuccessful. In 2009 Scott enlisted the help of Brayden Automation to resolve this problem. Based on their electric load needs, Bill Brayden, President of Brayden Automation, suggested an Energy Sentry 9312 demand management system to solve the problem.

The Simi Valley Church is currently using the 9312 to control their heating and air conditioning (HVAC). Scott described using the 9312 in October of 2009:

"I just wanted you to know that the kW controller is working great. We have been using it for over a month now. I just reset the high peak demand and it was at 18.0, which is exactly what I set it at. We had one event at the church where all of the lights inside and out were on, we were using the kitchen equipment, and it was 90 degrees outside. All of the AC units ran, but the controller made them take turns, and we had no complaints. Without the controller, we definitely would have been over the 20kW limit. I couldn't be happier. The utility company has now put us back down to the lower GS-1 rate."

"The demand controller has definitely made my life easier. It takes care of the demand limiting automatically so that we don't have to attempt to watch the consumption ourselves..."

—Scott Cummings
United Church of Christ
Simi Valley, CA

With the 9312, the Simi Valley Church will save approximately $2,500 per year based on the utility company's estimate. This is a significant percentage based on their average utility bills.

Beyond the cost savings, Scott values the peace of mind that comes with using the 9312. "The demand controller has definitely made my life easier. It takes care of the demand limiting automatically so that we don't have to attempt to watch the consumption ourselves, which did not work well."

One of the aspects of the 9312 that Scott likes is that it is very simple to use, and works well. "The Brayden unit did exactly what we wanted, without paying for more functions that we did not need."

When working with Brayden Automation, the customer receives individualized service and products to meet their needs. Because Brayden Automation is a smaller company, we have more flexibility to achieve what larger companies can't. Scott noticed this as well. "I guess I was surprised that bigger tech companies don't offer a controller that is this simple to use to control kW demand. And to find it at such a reasonable price was a nice surprise."

We're happy to add the Simi Valley Church to our long list of satisfied clients.