Small changes to consumption make a big difference

Industrial and commercial electricity consumers can now earn substantial revenue by helping to keep the national electricity system stable, while carrying on with normal business.

Many processes – such as air conditioning, pumping, chilling and heating – have some kind of natural inertia or energy storage. By working only with these processes and respecting their normal operating limits, Flexitricity can reduce load for short periods when the national electricity system is under stress. The processes then ‘catch up’ consumption during a period of lower stress, and thus lower carbon, in the national electricity system.

Because Flexitricity aggregates these loads using its smart grid, even relatively small units – down to individual pumps or compressors – can participate.

Interacting with a client’s critical processes requires great care in order to preserve reliability, customer service and operational ‘up-time’. 

Flexitricity’s rules for load  management ensure that core business is not disrupted. 

These are:                                                                                   

• Isolate the flexible elements – Flexitricity’s smart grid never works with electricity loads that can't be interrupted without disruption.
• Stay within limits – every process has business-critical limits which it must not breach. These may be temperatures, tank or stock levels, or any other critical parameters.  If these limits are approached, the equipment automatically takes itself out of the smart grid.
• Provide an opt-out – site operators need to retain ultimate control over site equipment. Every site participating in Flexitricity’s smart grid has a manual ‘inhibit’ control.
• Automate end-to-end – unless clients require direct day-to-day involvement, operational staff don't have to do anything once a site is connected to the Flexitricity smart grid.
• Monitor – whenever your load is available to be turned down by National Grid, Flexitricity operators are monitoring it.