There are fundamental changes to the way we manage and balance energy demands. The goal is to give our power infrastructure more ‘flexibility’; particularly as more renewable energy sources come on line. However, the inflexible nature of renewable energy sources coupled with the challenges of controlling grid stability in real-time presents a major challenge for grid operators.

Businesses are being asked to play a much more active role, using intelligent energy platform technologies to manage how much power they use, and when they use it. This broad suite of solutions is called Demand Side Response (DSR). DSR schemes offer generous, long-term additional income to energy-intensive companies that are willing to participate.

GridBeyond will help your organisation to make the right choices and optimise returns. We take care of the necessary hardware and software installation, as well as the online monitoring and reaction systems, and the day-to-day running of the system. All of this is provided without any capex requirement. We simply take a share of the scheme payout instead.

An aggregator – such as GridBeyond – is an essential partner for any company that wishes to take advantage of the long-term lucrative opportunities. An aggregator will connect the participating company’s principal assets to its platform, which enables the automated control of energy consumption via wireless smart sensors.

A key part of our role is to ensure that our customers are ready and able to turn down their energy use when the grid operators require it.

The answer to the question of which aggregator is best depends on many factors. However, companies should be mindful to only select a ‘National Grid Approved Aggregator’, and preferably one with hundreds of existing sites under its belt. A further vital factor is to choose an aggregator that offers a platform which is future-proof to any new programmes that might come on board.

Response schemes are always likely to change over time and plants participating in the scheme must be technology-ready to access more financially attractive tariffs.

None whatsoever. We work with you to establish parameters for response, define constraints and operational priorities. We make sure you are ready and able to turn down your energy use when the Grid requires it, and check that the response works correctly. You can simply relax and concentrate on day-to-day business.

Yes. Response schemes are always likely to change over time and participating companies must be technology-ready to access more financially attractive tariffs. Not all platforms or aggregators can achieve this. However, our own advanced platform makes switching easy to facilitate. Indeed, 40 sites moved from FCDM (Frequency Control by Demand Management) to FFR overnight when latter scheme was released by the National Grid in July 2015.

In all honesty, there isn’t one. Participating companies have a genuine opportunity to accrue significant financial returns.The Grid operators are prepared to pay such high rewards because they have an obligation to control frequency within the limits specified in the ‘Electricity Supply Regulations’, i.e. ±1% of nominal system frequency (50.00Hz) except in abnormal or exceptional circumstances. They must therefore ensure that sufficient generation and/or demand is held in automatic readiness to manage all credible circumstances that might result in frequency variations.