Demand response is on its way to becoming a huge market in the power industry, according to a New York Times article.
Traditionally, demand response systems allowed power companies to reduce the power usage of its customers during times of peak demand to avoid blackouts across the grid. This can include downcycling commercial or residential air conditioners, dimming lights at industrial sites and other power saving measures.
As more renewable energy enters the grid–driven by state or federal regulations–demand response will be critical for maintaining power when supply from wind turbines or solar power plants dips.
"The value of demand response is going to become bigger and bigger as we get more variable loads on the system," said David Brewster, president and co-founder of the Boston-based demand-response company EnerNOC Inc.
Companies like EnerNOC, CPower and Energy Cutailment Specialists have a solid foothold in the market, which is expected to grow from $1.3 billion in 2008 to $8 billion by 2014.
Read the full report at the link below.
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