Energy efficiency coupled with demand-response benefits makes
variable-speed technology a valuable option It’s no secret that
energy consumption is on the rise throughout the world. At the
current growth rate, predictions by the Edison Electric
Institute indicate, the United States alone could see an
increase in usage as high as 31 percent by 2035—and that is in
the face of a global economic crisis. The good news is that the
broadly deployed efforts of industry, utilities, advocacy
groups, and government to improve energy efficiency are proving
effective for reducing overall energy use. However, these
efforts have been less effective at managing peak load—times
when the demand for energy on the electric utility is extremely
high. Peak-load periods are costly, stress the electric grid,
equate to higher energy prices for end users, and can also pose
potential threats for blackouts or brownouts as the grid becomes
overloaded, making it difficult for a utility to deliver energy
reliably and safely. While end user