– SMS has begun laboratory testing of Interoperable Demand Side Response solutions as part of the UK Government’s Flexibility Innovation Programme
– SMS and its partners Engage Consulting and NMi were awarded a lab testing contract by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
– The Flexibility Innovation Programme aims to establish new ways of achieving domestic flexibility through developing new IDSR applications to maximize flexibility participation from homes and businesses.
Smart Energy Solutions (SMS) has started laboratory testing of Interoperable Demand Side Response (IDSR) solutions within the UK Government’s Flexibility Innovation Programme. SMS, Engage Consulting Limited, and Netherlands Measurement Institute (NMi) were awarded a lab testing contract in 2024 by the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, funded by the Government’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio. The goal is to develop new IDSR applications for domestic flexibility, particularly focusing on smart energy appliances like electric vehicle chargers and batteries.
As an approved provider of demand side flexibility, SMS has developed a new version of its FlexiGrid aggregation platform for testing ESAs against new IDSR applications. They are also expanding their smart metering test facilities in Bolton for this purpose. The IDSR Program aims to show how ESA manufacturers can design to a common standard for demand response to maximize flexibility participation from homes and businesses.
The installation of ESAs in British homes will help balance the intermittency of renewable generation and reduce reliance on fossil fuels for grid power. The National Grid ESO is encouraging this shift to flexibility through its Demand Flexibility Service, which saw over 1.6 million homes and businesses provide almost 500MW of new flexibility to the system. This scheme pays individuals to use less electricity during peak times, incentivizing the use of ESAs for automatic participation, potentially saving more energy and money. By 2030, an estimated 30GW of low-carbon flexible assets are expected to be deployed on the grid, representing a three-fold increase in current levels.