Demand response from the non-domestic sector: early UK experiences and future opportunities Philipp Grünewald, Jacopo Torriti University of Reading, School of Construction Management and Engineering, Whiteknights, PO Box 219, Reading RG6 6AY, UK Abstract Demand response is believed by some to become a major contributor towards system bal- ancing in future electricity networks. Shifting or reducing demand at critical moments can reduce the need for generation capacity, help with the integration of renewables, support more efficient system operation and thereby potentially lead to cost and carbon reductions for the entire energy system. In this paper we review the nature of the response resource of consumers from dif- ferent non-domestic sectors in the UK, based on extensive half hourly demand profiles and observed demand responses. We further explore the potential to increase the demand response capacity through changes in the regulatory and market environment. The analysis suggests that present demand response measures tend to stimulate stand- by generation capacity in preference to load shifting and we propose that extended response times may favour load based demand response, especially in sectors with significant thermal loads. Keywords: Demand response, demand aggregators, non-domestic demand 1. Introduction The transition towards low carbon electricity systems brings about new challenges of system integration. Variable sources of generation, such as wind and photovoltaics, are set to displace output from thermal plants, which presently contribute towards load following and peak demand provision. Demand response has been suggested as a potentially valuable resource in future elec- tricity systems and could constitute an alternative to potentially more costly means of integrating low carbon technologies, such as backup generation, network expansion and physical electricity storage (Barton et al., 2013). URL: pg1008@ic.ac.uk (Philipp Grünewald) Preprint submitted to Elsevier 16th July 2013