Demand response
FINDING THE SWEET SPOT
Dr Alastair Martin , founder and chief strategy officer at Flexitricity , discusses the importance of demand response within the data centre , the benefits of getting it right and the consequences of getting it wrong .
For operators of mission critical sites such as data centres , the number one priority will always be service continuity for their customers . Anyone proposing ways to reduce data centre energy bills should be ready to explain , above all , how their ideas affect the security of the local electricity supply .
When a proposal claims to enhance site supply security , yet involves using uninterruptible power supply ( UPS ) systems to help an external party like National Grid , many data centre managers don ’ t know which way to jump . This explains the mixed progress that demand response has made in this sector .
Demand response means using the capabilities of business energy users to generate revenue by helping to secure electricity transmission and distribution networks . It ’ s an activity for which many data centres are already well equipped . If done right , it doubles as a best-practice asset test and exercise regime , which is important
32 | March 2017