Demand Response, or DR, is a program that pays facilities to temporarily reduce power consumption in times when the power supply may not meet demand. Everyone benefits from a Demand Response plan; your company gets paid and learns how to adjust and use less, the grid avoids blackouts/brownouts during times of extreme stress, the need to build new power plants is reduced, and inefficient peaker units do not have to be activated during emergencies.

Enrollment begins with our team closely reviewing your current energy usage patterns to uncover areas where you can save. We will do most of the legwork — formulating a customized Reduction Action Plan (RAP) and coordinating the needed support for putting it in place. From there, we will notify you of the energy-saving methods that you will initiate when an activation takes place. The process is seamless and requires very little time and energy on your end. 

Once an activation is initiated, we will contact you and advise you to initiate your Reduction Action Plan (RAP). When the Demand Response season is over, you get a check based on your level of performance.

Our team specifically targets non-disruptive modes of energy reduction, so you can remain productive no matter how much energy you curtail. This could mean shutting off lighting in non-essential areas, implementing an approach called “precooling” where a company reduces its thermostat setting to 66 degrees two hours before an actual activation or reduction starts, or shifting production lines to times of lower energy usage.

We are highly versed in finding ways to save energy. Even if you have already gone through the process of reducing energy consumption internally, we can almost always find additional methods that will reduce your usage during peak demand. The key is using less and having a resource to make sure it happens strategically and efficiently. Our team does just that through an easy-to-implement approach for each customer, known as a Reduction Action Plan. Our Certified Energy Managers become familiar with your consumption and load profile through a questionnaire, a series of conference calls or webinars, and onsite visits if necessary. Details like square footage, hours of operation, and use of heavy equipment help us determine opportunities where you can save and reduce energy.

Access to our online dashboard provides you with insights and added control of your energy management. You’ll be able to track usage and watch how you’re saving during an energy-saving activation in real time, so you’ll be able to track areas where your energy usage is being curtailed.

NRG’s Demand Response program is a good fit for many different businesses, including those that have repeatable and interruptible processes, can adjust operations with advance notification, have control systems in place, or have distributed generation onsite that is rated for Demand Response participation. Across the board, the biggest common denominator among our participants is a high energy load with the capacity to curtail some of it when required. While any business can sign up for a Demand Response program, those who save the most are the businesses that are engaged with their energy strategy and monitor their usage regularly. Even if you haven’t done that in the past, it isn’t too late to start now.