Better Box

by Demand Better

Most people think about electricity over time (kWh). “How much did I consume (or produce) in a day/month/year, etc.?” This is measured in killowat-hours (kWh). But your utility is far more concerned about how much electricity you use in an instant, and this is called “demand” (kW). In fact, if the grid were to go down, it would be due to a demand spike, not how much electricity people consume over time. Because of this, your utility offers its cheapest rates on kWh electricity - both kWh and total rate - to those who manage their demand (kW). These are called Demand plans. Currently, you only get billed for how much electricity you use over time (kWh). But if you switch to a Demand plan and help your utility in the way it wants/needs to be helped, you'll instead get billed for: how much you use over time (kWh) at a rate less than half of what you’re currently paying PLUS a new, precise charge for how much you use in an instant (kW), instead of a built in charge assuming your demand is constantly as high as it could possibly be at all times (as your current kWh based plan assumes). If you take a Demand plan and manage how much you use in an instant, that will keep your bill low, such that when you add usage over time (kWh) to usage in an instant (kW) you should be paying - on average - 45% less than before.

That’s where the Better Box - the only Demand Automation Computer (DAC) on the market - comes in. It manages your demand (kW)/usage in an instant just like a conductor conducts a symphony telling everyone - in this case, appliances - when to turn on in a way you don't notice is happening. The result is significant savings. 

Take the example of a home with four AC units (non variable speed). In the moment of turning on, each AC generates a roughly 4kW demand spike before dropping down to about half of that, 2kW, for its subsequent run time. If the first AC turned on and the second AC was timed to turn on after the first AC concluded igniting, and if that cycle was repeated until all four AC units had run their scheduled cycles to achieve your desired temperature(s), the resultant demand spike would never exceed 6kW. If, however, all four AC units turned on at the same time it would instead generate a 16kW demand spike (four units x 4kW per unit). The Better Box ensures, in this example, your bill factors a 6kW spike, not a 16 kW spike and, in this way, manages your demand and saves you money.

Along these lines, the demand (kW) reading you currently see on your bill (should it be itemized) is UNMANAGED demand. This number will, resultantly, be exponentially higher than the demand (kW) reading you'll see once your demand is MANAGED (so be sure to factor this in when scrutinizing your current bill). But, the "45% question" is, "how are you going to manage your demand and take advantage of your utilities cheapest rates on electricity (both kWh and total rate)?" The Better Box by Demand Better, that’s how.

And unlike other demand management solutions, the Better Box's "how" is "Automation,"