Demand-side options can contribute to sustainable infrastructure. Demand-Side Participation (DSP) programmes can be designed to meet the reliability criteria and deliver the firm capacity required by grid and network operators. This is probably best illustrated through our results from the upper South Island DSP trial last winter but we have gained similar experience in Australia through our work in the 2008/09 summer. Energy Response delivered two blocks of 10MW, in total 20MW out of the 27MW called by the System Operator. Our block ER-1 delivered 96percent reliability and block ER-2 delivered 100percent reliability. We learned that reliability can be achieved in building reserves, diversity and scheduling into the dispatch of our blocks. In the electricity industry we have much to address to improve sustainability. This issue is exasperated by the fact that we need to plan for and accommodate peaks in demand. In Australia the peaks are growing at 3percent per annum. Utilities haven't fully explored demand-side alternatives and have favored supply-side options, which from a sustainability point of view, are untenable. These demand-side alternatives include energy efficiency (EE) programs, DM/DSP programmes, solar power and Distributed Generation (DG) all of which can be extremely "Green". However, each of the demand-oriented alternatives presents very different electrical and physical characteristics to the supply-side alternatives, different costs (usually higher capex and more dispersed) and are highly integrated with consumers. This paper discusses the future for such alternatives. Demand-side solutions are cost effective and have strong support from major energy users and the greater community, who are concerned about sustainability and the environment.
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