AGL Demand Response

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The AGL Demand Response project is one of 10 pilot projects awarded funding under ARENA and AEMO’s flagship $35.7 million Demand Response Initiative, along with support from the NSW Government.The AGL Demand Response project began December 2017 and involves the deployment of 18 MW of demand response reserves, increasing to 19 MW and 20 MW in years two and three respectively. Seventeen megawatts will come from commercial and industrial participants, while the remaining 3 MW will come from AGL’s NSW residential customers. The reserves will be delivered when called upon by AEMO under the Short Notice Reliability and Emergency Reserve Trader (RERT).Key resultsMore than 8,000 customers participated in AGL’s residential behavioural demand response program, a small-scale trial of residential controlled load demand response focussing on air conditioners and electric vehicle charging, and up to 20MW of commercial and industrial demand response for AEMO’s Reliability and Emergency Reserve Trader program.The trial successfully demonstrated the use of demand response as an effective source of reserve capacity in the National Electricity Market.Key findings from each of the trial streams included:Residential Behavioural Demand ResponseThe behavioural program demonstrated a net reduction in demand of up to 3.9MW.Residential Controlled Load Demand ResponseComplexity, high costs and erratic outcomes from controlling already installed air conditioners using the mechanism specified in Australian Standard AS4755 make this approach unviable.Electric vehicle charging has the potential to be a substantial controllable load that can be shaped and managed without adversely affecting vehicle amenity.Commercial and Industrial Demand Response20MW of demand response was successfully dispatched into AEMO’s RERT program.

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