TransGrid has claimed the top award in the Best Demand Response category of the Energy Efficiency Council Awards.
TransGrid and EnerNOC – a leading demand response provider and energy intelligence software company – combined forces to deliver
a demand management project involving more than 80 sites across metropolitan Sydney.
This collaboration was responsible for identifying a reduction of about 600kW per site and subsequently, the possible reduction of peak demand for the summer of 2012/13 by a total of 48MW, which represents almost 150 per cent of targeted savings.
TransGrid has spent almost $6.5 million on demand management research since 2009 and more than $20 million on demand response projects. The program dates back to 2006 when the company identified a need to reduce pressure on the electricity network and defer the need to expand network capacity.
“Our strong partnership with EnerNOC made it possible for TransGrid to leverage existing relationships with Sydney’s large energy users, to trigger changes in power use when peaks were forecasted,” TransGrid managing director Peter McIntyre said.
TransGrid has a stated aim of leading the way for Australian transmission companies in demand response as part of its wider asset investment strategy.
Traditionally, electricity networks have leveraged peaking power plants to increase power generation to meet demand. Demand response works from the other side of the equation – instead of adding more generation to the system, it encourages users to shift consumption outside peak periods.
TransGrid facilitates demand response capacity because it allows the deferring of new build projects and reduces the strain on the network.
TransGrid plans, develops and manages the NSW high voltage electricity network transmitting power between generators, bulk distributor corporations, some direct customers and other states to ensure a safe, reliable, efficient and secure supply to all business and domestic consumers in NSW and parts of the ACT. This includes 94 substations, more than 12,800km of transmission lines, 36,000 transmission-line structures and 102 radio sites.
