The situation
Varennes had already converted its street lighting to LED by 2019, and had the remote dimming capability sitting unused for anything beyond routine energy savings. When Hydro-Québec’s demand-response subsidiary Hilo began running winter peak-demand challenges, asking large consumers to cut load during the coldest hours, the City saw an asset most municipalities do not think to offer: a lighting network it could dim on command.
What was deployed
Starting January 25, 2023, Varennes set its roughly 900 LED streetlights, managed on Dimonoff | SCMS, to dim to 50% of full output every night from sunset to sunrise, with a further reduction from 6 a.m. to sunrise and from sunset to 9 p.m. specifically during Hilo peak-demand events. The City became the first to participate in Hilo’s challenges using its street lighting rather than building or HVAC load, a use of the asset that has nothing to do with the original reason it was converted.
Why it matters for your network
Varennes is the grid-support case: proof that a lighting network built for energy savings and maintenance visibility has a second, unrelated value once it can be dimmed on schedule and on demand. If your utility runs or is considering a demand-response program, a remotely dimmable lighting network is an asset you likely already have and have not yet offered.
Every kilowatt-hour saved or shifted during peak periods counts! Reducing non-essential consumption is the most effective way to ensure grid support.