Integrating Technologies for Demand Response in Blocks of Buildings - A UK Case Study

Flexibility in contemporary energy systems is predominantly delivered by fossil fuels. Low carbon energy services are required to avoid dangerous climate change, however, in the electricity sector, energy flows must be balanced instantaneously, and many renewable resources are either variable, uncertain or both. Demand Response (DR) enables consumers to play a significant role in the delivery of flexibility on the electric grid by reducing or shifting their electricity usage during periods of stress or constraint. The value of DR to blocks of buildings depends on the telemetry and control technologies in existing building management systems and the potential revenue sources. To encourage the growth of DR servicesÕ and reap the potential benefits, it is necessary to characterise the economic and environmental benefits of DR. The EU Horizon 2020 co-funded project ÒDemand Response in Blocks of BuildingsÓ (DR-BOB: www.dr-bob.eu) aims to do just that. This paper describes the technical approach taken by the DR-BOB project at its Teesside University site, focussing on the challenges encountered and the solutions proposed for this city centre campus. It updates previous work (Crosbie et al, 2016) that has described the broader principles and technologies being evaluated at four sites across Europe.