Solar Lattice

Concept

Demand response

ID
concept:demand-response
IRI
https://solarlattice.org/kb/concept/demand-response
Status
active
Also known as
DR program, DR
Category
Market
Concept kind
market

Demand response, often shortened to DR, covers utility and market programs that pay or reward customers for changing how much power they draw from the grid when the grid needs it. Some DR programs are built into tariffs, such as peak pricing events. Others are separate programs like capacity or demand bidding, and in California many of those are being phased out. Newer programs let commercial customers join the wholesale market with distributed energy resources, which handle grid interaction automatically so nobody has to shut equipment down by hand. Utilities also contract with providers of distributed energy resources to build virtual power plants. In these, battery storage at customer sites earns DR revenue on top of bill savings. Running residential DR at scale means tracking customer enrollment, home area network devices, participation rates and tariff limits, so utilities use dedicated management software. In Australia, AS/NZS 4777.2 defines inverter demand response modes. Depending on the mode, a utility command can disconnect the inverter or bring grid import or export to zero.

<!-- review notes

Claims

related_to

c1 drafted · lead Distributed energy resource

Scope: regions California proposed

New California DR programs depend on DERs, which automate grid interaction so no manual shutdown is needed.

c2 drafted · lead Virtual power plant

Scope: regions California proposed

Utilities sign contracts with DER providers to form VPPs that earn DR revenue.

review note: support check: partial - Utilities contract with DER providers to create VPPs delivering DR earnings, but 'sign contracts' and VPPs earning DR revenue is only shown via the Stem example.

c3 drafted · lead Battery energy storage system

Distributed storage at customer facilities delivers bill savings plus DR earnings, for example under SCE's LCR agreement with Stem.

c4 drafted · lead Demand response modes (DRM)

Scope: regions Australia proposed

AS/NZS 4777.2 may require inverter DRM0/1/5 functions. DRM0 disconnects from the grid, DRM1 brings grid import to zero and DRM5 brings export to zero, each on a utility command.

c5 drafted · lead Utility rate structures

Scope: regions California proposed

Tariff-based DR programs such as SCE CPP and PG&E PDP are being shifted to different times and rate structures.

Referenced by

Data