Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has partnered with EnerNOC to participate in EirGrid’s new frequency system services scheme (DS3) and went live in the programme on May 15, 2018. DAA is providing more than 3MW of very fast responding flexible capacity within the DS3 (Tertiary Operating Reserve 1, or TOR1) scheme.
EnerNOC has also enabled DAA to enrol more than 8MW of flexible capacity into the new Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM) for Ireland and Northern Ireland, due to launch on October 1, 2018.
Background
• Ireland is progressing toward its 2020 goal of generating 40 per cent of its power from renewable sources;
• On April 9, 2018, the Irish electricity system set a record of 65 per cent variable non-synchronous renewable energy on the grid at any time—the first power system in the world to reach this level;
• However, as electricity systems transition from using fossil-fuel sources of power generation to renewables, there is less power stability on the grid. Grid operators can more easily control the output from traditional power stations, but output from wind and solar depends on weather conditions which are much less predictable;
• In order to ensure the balance between supply and demand, grid operators need to call on other sources of flexibility, such as demand-side response schemes where major energy users are paid to reduce demand on the grid during peak times;
• EirGrid’s DS3 scheme is a new ancillary services programme that will provide incentive payments to large energy users that can enact fast-acting distributed energy assets when system frequency drops to a certain rate;
• Prior to the May 2018 launch of the DS3 programme, EnerNOC was the first and only provider of fast responding aggregated grid services in Ireland as part of an EirGrid pilot project;
• EnerNOC’s DS3 portfolio contains more than 20MW and includes a diverse set of businesses from construction, healthcare, transportation, food processing, and agriculture.
Ian Clarke, energy manager, DAA, said: “Participating in EirGrid’s latest grid balancing schemes aligns perfectly with our asset management and energy objectives. We are delighted to become part of the EnerNOC network of businesses that are enabling Ireland’s grid resilience while furthering our own operational resilience.
“EnerNOC provides us with the expertise, technology, and support we need to successfully participate in these latest grid balancing schemes. Our enrolment, testing, and early participation has been simple and seamless.”
Peter Connolly, regional manager, Ireland, EnerNOC, said: “We are thrilled to add Dublin Airport Authority to our demand-side response network of industrial and commercial customers.
"Their participation in both EirGrid’s DS3 services and the future capacity market created by the upcoming integration of the Single Electricity Market (SEM) ensures the continued stability and security of Ireland’s electricity supply.
“We look forward to the continued partnership that demand response participation affords us, further enabling DAA to be a good citizen of the grid and community.”