Revenue Opportunities

Thanks to a ruling yesterday by Ofgem, large energy consumers will have another year to potentially save thousands on transmission costs via Triad management.

Ben Spry explains how managing and maximising Triad season is one way to help control business energy costs, but understanding what they are, when the season runs to and from and how to navigate it, may not seem like the most simple of the tasks.

As the UK tries to navigate its way to net zero – and adapts to the loss of large-scale coal and older gas plant – finding new ways to generate the energy we need, while also supporting more intermittent supply, is going to be challenging.

With the recent confirmation from Ofgem that the Triad methodology for calculating Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges will cease from April 2021 (see last week’s blog), many large consumers are reviewing revenue opportunities for demand side response (DSR) participation.

Of course, significant savings from Triad avoidance – that is turning down grid demand during periods of peak demand – can still be made throughout this winter season and next.

Bristol Water’s Energy Management Team has been able to generate revenue at its Barrow site by taking simple measures and adopting new practices, thanks to a new innovation delivered by our Energy HQ Team.

Balancing UK energy supply and demand is a complex business. More so now we’re shifting to an increasingly diverse and decentralised generation portfolio.

But along with challenges, this brings opportunities – especially for organisations able to utilise energy-related assets to participate in much-needed grid balancing services.

For example, we’re working with West Sussex County Council, who procure energy through the LASER Energy Frameworks, to maximise returns from co-located 4MW battery and 7MW solar PV assets. These have been installed on a former landfill site near Chichester to support the council’s energy strategy.

Uncertainty often breeds stagnation. Businesses, in particular, are reluctant to invest or try new things if the future looks changeable.

Certainly, when it comes to embracing demand side response (DSR), we talk to many organisations who are interested in the opportunities that increasing flexibility around energy use can provide – but are cautious about making any commitment.

However, once we carry a bespoke analysis to pin down how current and future opportunities could translate into savings to the bottom line, they often want to get going immediately.