Demand Side Response

BEIS Innovative Domestic DSR Competition

Energise Barnsley led a consortium through a 3 year domestic demand side response innovation project. Our project partners were Passiv UK, Oxford Brookes University, Berneslai Homes and Northern Powergrid.

Domestic demand side response is the ability to control electricity demand or export from homes in order to respond to the local grid requirements. As the local grid changes, the ability of homes to be flexible in their power needs (mostly avoid using electricity at peak times) will be a factor in making sure the national grid balances (between generation & consumption).

Energise Barnsley wants to make sure that social housing tenants are not left behind in the local flexible grid ‘just transition’ and will be able to participate and be rewarded for their ‘flexibility.’ ‘Consumers,’ as well as ‘prosumers’ should benefit from a digitalised, decarbonised and decentralised grid.

By 2027/2028 two neighbouring homes might have the exact same energy demand, heating and hot water system, solar PV, number of occupants and energy behavioural patterns, but only one home has an in home smart energy system with smart battery & smart meter, providing the ability to benefit from lower tariffs, due to its’ ability to control and shift load (demand) at peak times.

In the last decade low carbon technologies (solar, heat pumps and batteries) were installed independently of one another and driven by government subsidy. In this decade all these technologies can be horizontally integrated within the home, and give tenants additional control of the devices, whilst benefitting from lower electricity bills and supporting the local grid.

The project website can be found here https://www.project-breathe.org/

Oxford Brookes University provided a review of the project: Evaluation of residential demand response trials with smart heat pumps and batteries and their effect at the substation feeder