Chicago Public Schools (CPS) partnered with Elara Engineering to participate in a demand response program with the electric grid operator, PJM, where CPS was asked to reduce their load during peak demand times. Under the Emergency Load Response Program (ELRP), a test was conducted on June 17, 2025 to gauge the ability to reduce electrical load during summer cooling conditions. ELRP is a specific type of electricity demand response program that is designed to ensure the integrity and reliability of our electrical grid.
The goal of the test was to reduce the demand from the Peak Load Contribution (PLC), which is an average of the top five coincident peak hours from the previous summer. Ninety-nine schools were enrolled in the program with a goal of reducing the electrical demand to obtain a revenue payment from the demand response program if this goal was met.
Elara collaborated with CPS’ Information Technology Services (ITS) Department and temperature controls contractors to implement automated demand response strategies across school building automation systems (BAS). As a result, with a single BAS command button, facilities could deploy load reduction measures including:
- Increasing discharge air temperatures
- Reducing duct static pressure setpoints
- Increasing zone temperature setpoints
- Increasing chilled water temperature setpoints
- Turning off exhaust fans in non-critical areas.
Additionally, building engineers were actively involved on the day of the test to help reduce demand beyond the capabilities of the BAS buttons. Building engineers were asked to turn off lighting and mechanical equipment in unoccupied areas.
Results:
- Total demand reduction 22.6 MW.
- Increased revenue payment of $723,714 due to exceeding the goal by more than 4X.
Building on this success, CPS’s dedicated and talented ITS and Energy and Sustainability teams continue to partner with Elara to expand participation in demand response programs across additional schools to further enhance grid resilience and unlock new revenue opportunities.
