The Cliffs Cottage at Furman

Duke Energy embodies the leadership needed at a national level in addressing the need for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. One of the country’s largest utilities, it serves approximately four million electric customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana and operates generating plants totaling 28,000 megawatts of regulated capacity – well over half fueled by coal.

Duke Energy has a strong legacy of leadership and has worked at the policy level to bring about solutions to global climate change. In fact, the company has set a goal of reducing its CO2 emissions in half (50 million tons) by 2030, while maintaining a high degree of reliability and competitive prices for its customers.

However, achieving significant carbon reductions over the next two decades will require more than incremental change. New technologies such as carbon sequestration which “capture” and store the carbon produced from coal-fired generation in underground formations are being developed to help build a bridge to a low-carbon future.

Energy efficiency acts as a near-term bridge that represents the least expensive and most environmentally benign source of energy for its customers – effectively pushing the need for new power plants well into the future. In 2007, Duke Energy worked with a number of stakeholders and industry peers to develop a new, more aggressive approach to energy efficiency. The approach is endorsed by the Alliance to Save Energy, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the Energy Future Coalition as “an innovative and promising new direction for the company and its customers.” This new tack means more options and choices for Duke Energy’s customers to reduce energy usage and monthly bills.

Energy efficiency will also be delivered to Duke Energy customers through a new “smart” electrical distribution that will be deployed within the next five years. Advanced digital technology will replace analog technology, enabling near instantaneous communication between Duke Energy customers and the company’s distribution system. With this new technology, it will be possible for customers to partner with their utility to use energy more efficiently without giving up productivity, comfort and convenience. Customers can partner with their utility to manage major uses of energy like air conditioning, heat and refrigeration in a more productive manner, effectively reducing monthly bills. This 21st century distribution system will automatically detect abrupt changes in electric flow, as monitored by the smart grid and alert Duke Energy responders to outage locations more quickly for service restoration.

“The Cliffs Cottage at Furman, through its use of energy efficiency, green design and the use of natural materials and products, embodies many of the attributes of a low-carbon future. Furman University and Duke Energy Carolinas make ideal partners in the effort to showcase energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.”

~ David Mohler, vice president and chief technology officer at Duke Energy