The declared goal of the Salzburg SME DR study was to analyse potentials for load shifting in small to medium enterprises in the Salzburg region. The study was charged with answering which measures in the demand response category could benefit the realisation of smart grid solutions and which kind of framework conditions would be required.

The focus was on SMEs, municipal buildings as well as local utility service providers and encompassed technical and economic potential and mobilising those potentials through interaction measures. The main research questions of the project were the following:

•    Which potentials for demand response can be expected in SMEs?
•    How open are the contact persons and decision makers for the topic of load shifting?
•    Which approach to the decision makers and which incentives work to promote the implementation of load shifting?
•    What are the barriers for implementing load shifting?
•    What would a central load management have to look like?
•    Which conclusions can be drawn from the survey for an ICT strategy?
•    What are the next steps to take with interested end-users to realise their potential?

 

 

Summing up all the potential for flexible loads in the 21 interviewed enterprises, the result was that 2-2.5 MW could be shifted for 15 minutes. At least one third of this load is available at least once a day for 15 minutes as positive or negative flexibility. The study showed a slightly higher potential for negative flexibility than positive flexibility which differs strongly from the findings from working with residential end-users.

As observed in previous studies thermal storage systems (esp. cooling) were particularly interesting for load shifting. Also, the high applicability of demand response systems in supermarkets was confirmed in the study.

Many enterprises were willing to consider an adaptation of the production shifts, especially if it concerned sporadic functions (e.g. waste press) or functions that were naturally flexible (e.g. laundry). Although these adaptations would have to be scheduled in advance and would therefore constitute to a lasting change in the load profile rather than enable spontaneous demand-oriented load-shifting.

 

The understanding and acceptance for the topic ‘demand response’ was definitely increased and changed from some scepticism to a willingness to cooperate. Overall, the participants were open minded and interested in a further collaboration.