Smart grid innovator announces the launch of a new fast-acting reserve service for National Grid to respond to frequency deviations within transmission and distribution networks.

Edinburgh, UK – 08 May 2012 – A UK company, Flexitricity (www.flexitricity.com) today announced the launch of Flexitricity Frontline, a sub-one second demand response service which unlocks new revenue from existing electricity generating and consuming equipment.

This new reserve service is procured under a new contracting mechanism with National Grid and complements the existing portfolio of demand response and network balancing services offered by Flexitricity. The company also contracts to National Grid’s Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR) procurement mechanism.

“This new service is unique and represents a new category of demand response technology,” said Dr Alastair Martin, chief strategy officer and founder of Flexitricity. “System frequency is controlled in real time by National Grid by balancing electricity demand with generation. If there is a shortfall in generation, such as when a large power station fails, frequency can fall rapidly. Flexitricity Frontline is an automated smart grid system which aggregates frequency responsive capacity for National Grid, reducing loads and starting generation in less than one second.” he continued.

Flexitricity created and operates the first, largest and most advanced smart grid system in the UK.

The company’s technical team has spent over eighteen months developing and testing new hardware and software to support this new fast-response service.

“Sites need to be able to reduce load or increase generation rapidly in response to a digital signal,” commented Ron Ramage, chief executive officer, Flexitricity. “This requires a higher level of engineering expertise than traditional demand response systems and also means that we need to connect with energy assets that can respond fast. We’re now actively securing sites with Diesel Rotary Uninterruptible Power Supplies, refrigeration and cold-storage systems, together with energy storage and other loads which can be turned down, or off, at very short notice.”

As frequency deviation events are relatively rare, Flexitricity is remunerated by National Grid entirely on the availability of Flexitricity Frontline megawatt capacity. Live metering signals to Flexitricity from participating sites validate the amount of response available to National Grid. For each site, where availability has been accepted by National Grid in a settlement period, an availability fee is paid to Flexitricity and shared with participating sites.

Many businesses are sitting on untapped sources of revenue in their on-site generation and electricity consuming equipment. Flexitricity unlocks this revenue for UK businesses, helping to increase asset reliability while reducing CO₂ emissions at a national level. 

Flexitricity exhibits on stand L1 at NEMEX (part of Sustainabilitylive! 2012) which is being held at the NEC Birmingham between 22 and 24 May 2012.