This report outlines the key learnings that Zen will take away for future DR programme participation, as well as inform the industry of opportunities for future programme and policy design.
Report extract
Zen Ecosystems (Zen) managed multiple DR events during the recent summer 2018/2019 months, for the purpose executing on its DR Pilot Program objectives. Unlike the previous year’s program where Zen recruited over 1,400 program participants through our RACV partner campaign, along with smaller behavioural DR cohorts, commercial building HVAC and refrigeration loads the participant scope was significantly smaller and the curtailed loads included in our program were limited to cooling loads. Specifically, centralised cooling system in small commercial building and wall mounted split system (heat pump) systems in the residential sector.
The DR testing event was conducted and measured through the AEMO RERT mechanism. Throughout the testing event, Zen encountered a number of familiar challenges with those experienced in the previous summer that may have influenced the results of the programme.
Continued challenges included lack of access to participant data; difficulty in ascertaining accurate baseline methodologies; unexpected participant behaviour; and results being affected by testing times and testing conditions.
There are key learnings that Zen will take away to improve our future DR programme participation and which ARENA and other authorities can reflect on and consider as part of future policy design and opportunities to improve results.