Demand Side Response (DSR) is breathing new life into the UK’s energy system. It offers lucrative incentives to businesses that can reduce – or increase – their demand when called upon. Now National Grid, in this sponsored post, urges more large energy users to tap into its potential by participating in DSR programmes.
The system operator is aiming to drive growth in this area and, by doing so, encourage more businesses to become flexible in their electricity consumption in return for payment. The benefits of the initiative are compelling. For example, DSR:
- Provides the flexibility to ensure a more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly future electricity system
- Offers financial incentives to businesses who are able to reduce or increase their demand when called upon
- Reduces environmental impact by limiting the need for additional generation or other network reinforcement
- Is a smart way for businesses to save on total energy costs, while reducing their carbon footprint
Collaboration with customers forms an important part of National Grid’s approach to DSR. This year, it launched the Power Responsive campaign, which gets the energy industry working with businesses to eliminate barriers to DSR participation.
Through Power Responsive, National Grid has used customers’ feedback from a series of webinars, not only to simplify existing services, but to design two new products that are well suited to businesses with big energy demands:
- Demand Turn Up
This offers a route to market for businesses that have the flexibility to turn up their demand. The aim is to have detailed requirements developed by December in order to sign contracts by March 2016 for a May 2016 delivery.
- Enhanced Frequency Response
This is a new, superfast way of balancing the grid. Businesses will need to provide full frequency response within one second (or less) of a frequency deviation. This is considerably faster than existing frequency response services.
If you’re part of a business with big power demands, then you could earn revenue by participating in DSR. Service opportunities are available direct with the system operator, or via third party intermediaries. To find out more contact commercial.operation@nationalgrid.com or visit the website https://www2.nationalgrid.com/uk/services/balancing-services/
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