The Problem

There are a number of motivations for an PowerShaper Flex style system.

The electricity grid has multiple levels:

• Top level transmission network - high voltage grid

• Next level distribution network - lower voltage grid

Each level of grid has a certain fixed capacity. This is fixed by a number of factors, including the maximum thermal capacity of the equipment (wires, etc will start to degrade if capacity is out of range).

Distribution grid operators must manage the demand of electricty to fit inside the capacity.

Electricity users have a demand profile over the day / week / year. This can be predicted.

From time to time, the distribution grid operators will require reduced (or increased) capacity usage. These events will be known about in advance, and could be for routine maintenance of electirical generation or transmission equipment.

To keep the capacity of the grid within range, the distribution grid operators can request large power users to reduce their usage.

The aim of PowerShaper Flex is to collect a lot of smaller users together to act in a similar way to a large power user. The distribution grid operators could then request the PowerShaper Flex system to reduce usage in a similar way.