Project Overview
Demand response programmes aim to enhance the capacity of the electricity sector to cope with both the rising trend in electricity demand and increasing share of intermittent energy source in supply. The integration of smart grids, smart meters, flexible appliances and decentralized electricity generation and storage provides an opportunity to rethink how electricity is produced, distributed and consumed. Additional flexibility must and can be provided by the demand side. It necessitates an integrated approach to engaging consumers to adjust consumption in response to fluctuating supply, rather than the other way round.
Objectives
In collaboration with the EPFL Energy Center, IRGC explored how and to what extent unlocking the demand response potential can facilitate energy transitions. The project focussed on four themes:
- Quantification of possible gains from demand response activities
- Revision of regulatory frameworks
- Active and sustained consumers engagement
- New business models
Events
- Public conference and invitation-only expert workshop on Challenges and Opportunities of Demand Response in the Context of Energy Transitions, 10-11 September 2015, Lausanne, Switzerland