One HP customer has 30, 000 servers on a grid to provide intraday value at risk (VaR).

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It works to smooth power demand on the grid and effectively lowers electricity costs to the customer.

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It works to smooth power demand on the grid and effectively lowers electricity costs to the customer, says Schmitz, who was formerly Chief Operating Officer of UltraLife (ULBI), a worldwide designer and manufacrturer of power and communictions systems.

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But having a partner like GE, with a global salesforce and a huge customer base, is likely to prove a huge boost for the smart grid companies backed by GE.

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National Grid said it would also be eligible to receive incentive-based earnings by delivering customer savings and enhanced system reliability.

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For example, a customer consuming 50 MW who also generates 50 MW behind the retail delivery point places no demand on the grid .

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