Aggregator Open Energi has struck a deal with controls firm Prefect Controls that it says will unlock 8MW of demand-side response capability from water tanks and electric heating across student campuses.
The deal is the first time Open Energi has delivered load shifting via a third party. The firm said such arrangements were necessary to scale the market.
Following a small-scale trial, Oxford Brookes has signed a ten year contract agreeing to use its hot water tanks and panel heaters to provide flexibility and enable load shifting in return for payment. The university could deliver over 700kW of demand response with other universities that use Prefect Controls’ equipment set to follow suit.
While Prefect Controls’ energy management system currently controls around 8MW of load across university campuses, Open Energi believes there is some 378MW of electrically heated student accommodation across the UK.
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