Demand Side Response Aggregators: how they decide customer suitability

Demand Side Response (DSR) Aggregators play a key intermediary role in facilitating the uptake of DSR services by enabling individual non-domestic end-users to access complex system operator programmes. However, there is limited research on how DSR Aggregators determine the suitability of an end-user site. This research increases the body of knowledge about the Aggregator's role in affecting the adoption of DSR. It was undertaken by examining a UK-based DSR Aggregator's acquisition process and interviewing employees to identifying key assessment tasks and the reasons that sites are deemed unsuitable. Three key findings were identified. Firstly, lack of interest is the primary reason for sites not using DSR. Secondly, the key suitably assessment tasks focus on determining the DSR potential of site assets. Thirdly, turndown DSR is limited by a requirement that sites need a minimum of 200 kWs of DSR potential to be assessed as financially viable.