Gusty weather could give a major boost to UK businesses with the launch of a new system which claws back wasted wind energy.
Demand response provider Flexitricity has created Footroom, an automated service which helps manufacturers and other industries increase demand and production when wind farm output is at its greatest.
Footroom is used when renewable sources are producing more than the system can cope with.
The service works by sending a signal to connected businesses, notifying them of an approaching increase in wind and the opportunity to increase demand.
Those who do not respond receive a payment in addition to the extra electricity.
Dr Alastair Martin, Flextricity’s chief strategy officer, said: “Footroom, or demand turn-up, offers tremendous potential to the UK – not only does it put the country at the very forefront of developing and implementing the Grid of tomorrow, but it opens up a world of possibilities for business and for renewables developers.
“Currently, when the wind is at its strongest, the Grid turns large power stations down or off. But it can’t turn down all of them, so sometimes it has to turn off some of the wind farms. This wastes a free resource.
“With Footroom, businesses can boost productivity for minimal extra cost and are incentivised to do so. In turn, the Grid can increase the amount of electricity distributed to homes from clean, renewable energy sources.”
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