Open Energy is working with water supplier United Utilities to deliver a flexible approach to energy management.

The water firm generates 21% of its electricity consumption via solar PV, biogas and hydro plant and it plans to install a further 30MW by 2020. Open Energi will add flexibility to the mix, managing electricity demand and generation across eight UU sites to reduce costs and increase self-generated renewable power use. The move is expected to cut electricity costs at United Utilities’ sites by 10%.

Open Energi will use its fully-automated Dynamic Demand 2.0 platform to monitors and manage electricity demand and generation, learn what an optimal strategy looks like and adjusting it second-by-second. United Utilities will consume more when it is generating high levels of electricity,  less during expensive peak periods, and offer demand side response services.

Wastewater Treatment Works at Chorley and Bolton will be the first sites to go live with the technology. Over the next 12 months equipment will be added in to provide 8MW of flexibility to respond to changes in grid frequency, peak-time network costs, wholesale and imbalance prices and local constraints.