Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is working with Piclo, the independent marketplace for buying and selling smart grid flexibility services, in seeking flexibility providers in the Western Isles and Skye to alleviate potential constraints on the electricity network.
The network operator has identified areas in the Western Isles and Skye which will benefit from smarter solutions - better known as flexible services - to manage electricity demand during maintenance work or fault conditions.
These areas are now live on Piclo, and businesses, aggregators and communities across the Western Isles and Skye now have the opportunity to receive payments for providing flexibility services. SSEN and Piclo are calling on interested parties to register at picloflex.com and be an active part in delivering a smarter, flexible and more cost-effective network.
Stewart Reid, Head of Future Networks at SSEN, said:
"This first procurement exercise in the Western Isles and Skye is a significant step in delivering proactive flexibility and is one of the biggest to date in Scotland. It will play a vitally important role in supporting the UK deliver its low-carbon ambitions.
"We are committed to considering flexible options where it is more cost effective than traditional network reinforcement, unlocking new opportunities for local flexibility providers and helping keep costs down for customers.
"We are not dictating a specific solution and I hope to see services range from embedded generation, energy storage, demand side-management and demand side response."
SSEN is committed to openly testing the market to see what flexibility services are available from smart technologies such as renewable energy generation, demand side response and energy efficiency measures, and compare the cost of using them against building new energy infrastructure. By making these areas visible on Piclo, SSEN hopes to improve the customer journey and engage its customers in the transition to a smarter, flexible electricity network.