Helping to manage national energy demand
Contributing to carbon reduction is not just about cutting energy use – sometimes it can also be a matter of timing. The grid experiences spikes in power demand across Britain at varying times, such as when people tune in to their favourite soap or sporting event. If companies, like Tarmac, are able to change how and when they use electricity then capacity can be freed up on the grid.
Tarmac have established a partnership with the UK’s leading Demand Side Response (DSR) Company, Open Energi, to help us install its Dynamic Demand technology on more than 200 bitumen tanks at over 70 of our asphalt plants. The Dynamic Demand system automatically adjusts power consumption to help manage these fluctuations in electricity demand and supply while ensuring that bitumen tanks are kept at the required temperature for production.
In addition to our work with Open Energi, Tarmac is also a founding member of a pioneering project called the Living Grid. Launched by Forum for the Future, the Living Grid aims to build a network of connected assets (such as our bitumen tanks) to help balance the grid on a larger scale. The Forum is working with Open Energi, and Tarmac is part of a leading group, including Sainsbury’s and United Utilities, that are harnessing their flexible demand. As part of the Living Grid, Open Energi donates a portion of its revenues into an innovation fund to help encourage further change in the energy system.
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