Demand Management

SmartSTOR is an innovative energy management  service from npower that enables companies to unlock hidden flexibility in existing equipment, and earn income from it by reducing energy consumption at times of high national demand.

Businesses like yours could be sitting on untapped sources of revenue in their standby generators, electricity consuming equipment, combined heat and power (CHP) generators and hydro generators and utilising the SmartSTOR service provides the ideal opportunity for you to access this revenue, which could exceed £100,000 per year on a single, medium-sized industrial site.

npower & Flexitricity

We have developed the SmartSTOR service in conjunction with our partner Flexitricity – a leader in aggregated demand-side management – to bring you the unique benefits of their smart grid. National Grid uses its Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR) arrangement to ‘rent’ capacity from users and pay a usage charge when it is required, such as during demand peaks.  

The UK smart grid

SmartSTOR uses the Flexitricity smart grid to communicate directly with electricity generating and consuming equipment on your sites via secure connections. We can then increase generation and reduce consumption during short periods of stress for National Grid. This service works within your existing electricity purchase arrangements and, in most cases, with equipment already on-site.

Easy for you

• The majority of the revenue comes from availability payments, paid regardless of the number of times you are required, and is therefore predictable.
• The system we use is fully automated, so your staff don’t have to spend time looking after it.
• Continuous monitoring ensures your normal core business operations have priority at all times.
• Your critical standby assets could become more reliable because they are regularly tested by us.

Beneficial for the environment

SmartSTOR uses small generators and flexible electricity loads to reduce both costs and carbon emissions for everyone. By utilising this service, you can demonstrate to your stakeholders that you are using your assets in the most cost-effective and environmentally beneficial way.

SmartSTOR works in conjunction with any triad avoidance practices you may already have and is excluded from volume tolerance calculations, so will not affect your imbalance premiums.