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PSC approves energy-allocation system for 850 Festival Street apartments in Rockville
Summary
The Maryland Public Service Commission approved an energy-allocation system for a 452-unit apartment building at 850 Festival Street in Rockville after staff recommended the system met regulatory criteria and the applicant described how usage would be measured and allocated to individual units.
On March 12, 2025, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved an application to use an energy-allocation system for a 452-unit apartment building at 850 Festival Street in Rockville.
The approval came after staff told commissioners the system and the applicant’s responses to data requests met the criteria in state rules that govern allocation systems. Michael Spiegelman, speaking on behalf of staff, said the owner had supplied the information required under COMAR and that staff had no concerns about the system itself.
The system, proposed by Twinbrook Quarter LLC and installed by Skoll Automation and Vortecom Mechanical Group, measures run time and compressor activity on indoor units paired with shared outdoor HVAC equipment, then allocates a portion of the outdoor unit’s measured electricity consumption to each dwelling unit by calculation. Andrew Clark, representing Twinbrook Quarter LLC, told commissioners the control module “measures run time of each indoor unit, and measures whether it’s just in fan mode or if the compressor is running” and that the field-verified kilowatt-hour consumption of the outdoor unit is apportioned to individual apartments through that calculation. Clark also said the system is in use elsewhere for similar buildings.
Commissioner Bharti asked how the system assigns usage to each tenant and whether a unit left vacant or set to low use would receive a reduced allocation; Clark replied that if an indoor unit records zero usage (for example, when a resident is on vacation) the calculation allocates 0% of the outdoor unit’s consumption to that dwelling.
Staff noted the application showed the building’s construction was complete and that the proposed system complied with the relevant provisions of the Public Utility Article and COMAR 20.26. Based on that record, the commission voted to approve the application.
Chair Hoover and Commissioner Barve both voted in favor; the motion carried.
