General
ResponsePro is a Demand Response program where you contribute to reducing electricity consumption from the grid by changing your normal electricity usage at times of peak demand e.g. turning down a high usage operational process.
As a participant you can be financially rewarded for reducing peak electricity usage, you can unlock revenue streams for existing assets, and you can improve your sustainability credentials as reduced peak electricity usage helps transition to a cleaner energy future.
You are only able to participate in one Demand Response program unless EnergyAustralia has provided prior written consent. This applies to any Demand Response program offered by EnergyAustralia or a third party for the duration of a contract (where applicable).
Yes, you can participate across multiple sites. You will be rewarded for the cumulative usage reduction across all the sites.
If you change retailers for your electricity supply, you will no longer be eligible to participate in the ResponsePro program.
There are no fees for exiting ResponsePro. If you wish to exit provide notice in writing and we will no longer send event notifications to you. It could take up to 92 days for your request to be finalised.
Remember that participation in PowerDown events is your choice, every time. You can choose how you respond to event notifications so you remain fully in control. You do not need to exit the program to avoid an event.
Events
A PowerDown event is a type of Demand Response event where EnergyAustralia will ask you to reduce your energy usage for a specific period of time.
We will send an SMS to the mobile number you have provided when we know of a PowerDown event.
This will be up to 24 hours prior to the event and it will advise when the event will start and end.
We try to give as much notice as possible but the notice may be short. On some occasions the notice could be as little as a few minutes prior to the event.
As always, you can choose whether you participate or not, so if it’s not convenient for you, that’s ok.
We’ll then confirm the event has started with an SMS.
The conclusion of the event will also be notified with an SMS, so you know you can return to normal usage.
PowerDown events are likely to be between 1 and 4 hours in duration.
PowerDown events are most likely to be held between 10am – 10pm on weekdays.
Your safety, and the safety of your personnel, is a paramount consideration for EnergyAustralia. You should not participate in a PowerDown event where any resulting energy reduction will result in discomfort or injury to anyone in the business.
There isn’t a planned number of PowerDown events. This is because events can be triggered by unplanned occurrences like extreme weather. Event participation is always optional for you.
Main ways of reducing your energy usage during a PowerDown event are to manually turn down your operations after you receive the event notification by:
- Reducing on-site energy usage e.g. turn down high usage operations
- Running existing on-site generation e.g. run backup generator to reduce usage at site
- Dispatching on-site energy storage e.g. discharge energy stored in batteries to reduce the amount you draw from the grid
Please remember that safety is never negotiable so if modifying certain operations could be harmful to anyone, you should not do so during an event. Please consider this when deciding whether to participate in an event.
Within a few days of the PowerDown event, we’ll let you know how much energy you saved as well as any rewards you earned.
You will be notified by SMS if a PowerDown event has been cancelled.
If an event is rescheduled, you will receive an SMS with the new time for the event.
Financial Rewards
You will be credited $2/kWh for your usage reduction by comparing your actual usage during the PowerDown event to a baseline of what your usage would have been if the event had not occurred.
The CAISO 10 baseline is used which has been developed by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and widely used in Australia. It provides a baseline of what customers “normal” usage would be at the time of a Demand Response event.
The Baseline is calculated on the basis of 10 Previous Similar Days. These are the 10 Business Days, that did not have a Demand Response Event, immediately prior to the day of the Demand Response event. The Baseline amount is then calculated for each Trading Interval in three steps:
Step 1: Calculate the “deemed baseline consumption” from 10 Previous Similar Days
Calculate the average Customer usage for that Trading Interval over the 10 Previous Similar Days.
Step 2: Calculate an adjustment to reflect conditions on the day of the Demand Response event
The “Morning of Adjustment” (MOA) period is the first 3 hours in the 4-hour period leading up to the Demand Response event. Calculate:
(a) the usage during the MOA period on the day of the Demand Response event; and
(b) the average usage during the MOA period over the 10 Previous Similar Days.
The MOA Offset is the MOA usage on the day of the Demand Response event minus the average MOA usage on the 10 Previous Similar Days. i.e. (a) minus (b). This number may be negative.
The MOA Adjustment is the MOA Offset divided by 6 (which is the number of 30-minute Trading Intervals during the MOA period).
Step 3: Calculate the Baseline consumption for that Trading Interval
The Baseline is the sum of the deemed baseline consumption and the MOA Adjustment.
Example: Demand Response event held 2pm to 4pm on Friday 25 January
Previous Demand Response events: a Demand Response event was held on 24 January
Trading Interval being calculated: 2.00pm to 2.30pm. This calculation would be repeated for the other three Trading Intervals in the Demand Response event (2.30-3pm, 3-3.30pm. 3.30-4pm)
Step 1 Deemed baseline consumption 1. The previous 10 similar days are: 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23 January 2019. The 24th January was not included as there was a Demand Response event on that day. Deemed baseline consumption is 44 kWh |
Step 2 MOA Adjustment 1. The MOA period is 10am to 1pm (the first 3 hrs in the 4 hours before 2pm which is when the Demand Response event started). MOA Adjustment = 24 kWh / 6 = 4 kWh |
Step 3 Baseline Consumption Baseline Consumption for the Trading Interval is the sum of the deemed baseline consumption and the MOA Adjustment Baseline for the 2-2.30pm Trading Interval = 44 + 4 = 48 kWh |
All credits that you earn through the ResponsePro program will be applied to your electricity account on a following bill. They will appear on your bill as a ResponsePro PowerDown payment under the adjustments section on the bill, with the $ credit amount.
In the first instance speak to your Account Manager about questions on the PowerDown payment. Your Account Manager can arrange for the amount to be investigated.