The background to the project is that the risk for capacity shortage in the Swedish electricity supply during extreme temperatures has increased in recent years. The cause of this is an increased use of electricity while a number of power stations have been shut down. In addition, an expanding internationalized market has brought on tighter competition, which is why producers on the electricity market have been holding back investments in new power plants that might only see a few hours of operation each year.
A growing number of analysts emphasize the importance of higher spot prices actually leading to a moderation in demand. Through increased consumer sensitivity to pricing,
the electrical system can be run safely with smaller production reserves. In addition the price development on the market is deemed to become more stable and predictable.
The aim of this Demonstration Project was to show and test methods and business concepts that lead to a reduction in the demand for electricity on a national level during
high spot prices. One important starting point is that the measures be profitable for the parties involved.
The Project consisted of three sub-projects:
- Control of direct electrical heating and water heaters in family homes
- Price as control method, family homes with electrical heating
- Price as a control method, Business