Become a Demand Site Unit and receive payments for your availability to supress electrical demand
A Demand Side Unit (DSU) is a site or collection of sites which provide demand reduction into the Single Electricity Market (SEM).
If the grid has not enough generation capacity to meet demand, the Transmission System Operators (TSOs) would be forced to initiate rolling power cuts. To avoid this situation, the TSOs have provided a scheme whereby the demand can be reduced to meet the available generation capacity. Schemes are now available in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Demand Reduction will be the last line of defence for the TSO and therefore the DSU will rarely be ‘called’. When it is ‘called’, participants will temporarily switch off non-essential power or simply reduce demand by switching on their standby power generators.
In exchange for making your site(s) available for demand reduction you receive capacity payments even if you are never ‘called’. You simply have to be available to reduce demand when ‘called’.
If your average electrical demand is >200KW, Fathom would like to discuss this service with you. We provide access to licenced Demand Side Unit Operators who enable industrial customers to participate in the Electricity Market and benefit from capacity income – meeting the an entry requirement of 4MW, and without the high cost of running a 24/7 manned control room and trading facility.
Presently you may only be called < 5times/yr. However, if you declare your demand reduction as being available you must be available to reduce demand with 45 mins notice. Flexibility can be built in and if you need to declare your availability out of the market, for a period, then simply advise your DSU Operator.
Normally a demand reduction ‘call’ will be between 30 – 120 minutes and is typically most likely (but not necessarily) to occur between 1700 – 1900 Hrs (Nov – Feb), when the Grid is under pressure to meet the winter peak demand.
Almost all industrial sites use the services of a licensed Demand Side Unit Operator and Fathom Energy & Environment Ltd represents your interests in selecting a suitable DSU Operator to get you the right deal.
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