DSRChat

Is DSR only available for large businesses?

Hi Michael, whilst large businesses seem to have a wider uptake of DSR (in our experience) there is no reason why smaller businesses couldn't also benefit from avoiding using energy over expensive periods / generating revenue for their business

Thanks Dan

Large businesses are often able to have their own internal expertise to manage DSR internally but with the aid of DSR aggregators smaller companies can access the benefits of DSR by using someone who has the knowledge and expertise to access the appropriate markets.

Good morning. Can you tell me if/how DSR can help me reduce costs now the peak charge Triad season has started?

Hi Susannah, good question! You're right we are in triad seasons (November - February). If you consume energy over a Triad period then it can cost £50,000 per MW compared to a more usual £100. DSR can help you avoid using energy over these periods and save you a lot of money!

Thanks Dan. What's the best way to start using DSR to make savings?

I'd strongly advise starting small and then building up. Businesses should work with someone they trust, trial at one / a few sites to prove the benefits both financial and business resilience and then roll out across the portfolio (where appropriate).

Thanks Dan. Is there anywhere you can point me for more info?

https://www.energy-h... - This is our website where you can see an overview of our capability. https://www.energy-h...
This link is to our cost predictor tool which can show you the potential cost savings DSR can deliver for your business

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Thanks very much. I will check it out.

Hi John, welcome to the chat!

Welcome @JohnRayBryant! What common questions do you about #DSR at the Association for Decentralised Energy?

Hi John - I saw earlier this week the release of the voluntary DSR code of conduct - how important do you feel that is to easing any concerns within the business community about DSR in general?

Hi Adam, for SMEs DSR is principally about changing when you use energy. I understand the business comes first and you have other things to worry about than turning equipment off so for us we keep it simple, automate where possible and help you retain control

Thanks, Dan. That's really helped.

Hi Adam, The ADE is a trade organisation that represents the majority of DSR aggregators in the UK and we have published a couple of reports on DSR. One in conjunction with RUK. Maybe it would help for you to take a look (https://www.theade.c...)

Also, do you need to have a battery to participate in dsr?

Hi Kavshi, thanks for the Q. I'm Kyle, an Energy HQ analyst. There's a few different options available. We are able to assist in hiring a generator/battery or if an on site asset isn't appropriate, we are able to assist in load management which can provide some great saving.

Hi Kavshi, there are number of ways in which different companies can access DSR and it doesn't necessarily require on site generation, as long you are able to change your consumption to match a signal. Each site may different and you would need to discuss with a provider..

Thanks Kyle and @JohnRayBryant

Hi Kyle, what's Energy HQ?

Hi Covie, Energy HQ is npower's in-house team that deals with all things DSR related, we have a handy site should you want to know more about the services that entails: www.energy-hq.co.uk.

Thanks Kyle!

Thank you for joining us, Liam!

Morning Liam, I think it's fair to say the only certainty for demand side response moving forwards is change!

Thanks Dan, How has npower found its forays into the DSR market so far, and what kind of response have you had from businesses?

Hi Liam, we have hugely varying responses from businesses. Those who have embraced DSR are very open to improving and expanding their capability. Those yet to begin their DSR journey can find it very difficult to 'sell' the concept internally. However when they do they save!

Interesting, thanks Dan - is npower setting its sights on any particular kind of businesses, i.e. intensive users or data centre owners/operators? If so, what are the considerations for tailoring offerings for those businesses?

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Hi Liam, the opportunity and challenge that we face is our need to service an entire customer portfolio. We look to keep our proposition appropriate for a wide range of customers to ensure any customer on supply with npower can also benefit from DSR

We have many energy intensives we work with who have a really good level of understanding on DSR, it's definitely a key sector for us. Data centres are interesting, the challenge is to ensure you improve energy resilience via with anything you do

Do those kinds of business need a more specific offering then, to demonstrate energy resilience first and foremost? If so, has npower developed that?

100% definitely. Yes we have a resilience proposition but, to be honest, our overall DSR proposition is designed to deliver resilience to sites so the two are intertwined.

Hi Isobel, I'd say that aggregators and suppliers have different skill sets and propositions but actually it is crucial that both work collaboratively to ensure the customer maximises the value they get from the flexibility. We have our own DSR capability but others do partner.

Thank you Dan! #DSRchat

Thanks!

Great question Michael, @JohnRayBryant ... do you have any thoughts on this one?

Hi Covie, quite the opposite, if you're using an asset for DSR you are running it more frequently and should use the benefits DSR provides to improve the maintenance regime of the bit of kit you're using. We will also complete a survey to ensure the asset can run safely.