http://www.e3g.org/library/electricity- ... to-succeedAn active demand side of the electricity market – including demand reduction measures and measures to enable flexible consumption - can bring down costs and avoid the need for investment in new power stations and grid infrastructure.
However despite recognition of its value in successive UK government policy documents, the demand side of the electricity market is still not living up to its potential. In a new E3G briefing note, Simon Skillings argues that deeply-ingrained biases are working against demand side resources and in favour of supply side measures, and institutional reform is needed for a demand-side market that truly succeeds.
Electricity demand-side measures: Why we’re (still) failing
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biffvernon
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Electricity demand-side measures: Why we’re (still) failing
Any idea what happened to "Dynamic Demand", Biff? The last news on their site is 5 years old. 
This one made me chuckle:
Solar panels on 500,000 UK buildings ‘facing wrong way’
This one made me chuckle:
Solar panels on 500,000 UK buildings ‘facing wrong way’
Damn your FIT payments, we've got the load shape to consider!“What we are saying [is] that if you have the solar panels facing east-west then you can even out the power during the day,” Gottshalg told BBC Radio 4. “So in Germany they are advising people to go east-west so they are smoothing out the supply of power from all these solar panels.”
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adam2
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Demand side control despite the theoretical advantages, fails to find much real world support.
In theory, demand side control could reduce or postpone the need to build more power stations, and could increase renewable inputs to the grid.
Care should be taken not confuse very short term (a few seconds to a few minutes) demand side control with longer term measures over hours or days.
Very short term demand side control needs to react automatically in seconds without any human intervention. This can be done by radio signal or grid frequency signal to selected loads that can be turned off for a few minutes without adverse effects. Examples include heating, cooling, and water pumping installations.
This is likely to be needed in case of sudden breakdown of generating plant. At present the National grid keep in readiness part loaded plant that can quickly take full load, this adds to costs and losses.
Very quick acting demand side control would reduce the amount of part loaded plant that must be kept in reserve.
Only very short term relief is provided by short term demand side control, just enough to start quick starting diesel and OCGT plant or increase imports.
Longer term demand side control is typically required when demand would otherwise exceed supply for longer periods.
It is generally done by price signals to large consumers in order to give a strong financial case for reducing demand at times of potential shortage.
The reduction in grid power used at such times is usually achieved by running existing standby diesels, or by shifting energy intensive processes to a different time of day. Note that little energy is actually saved, use is simply transferred to alternatives such as diesel fuel, or to a different time of day.
In theory, demand side control could reduce or postpone the need to build more power stations, and could increase renewable inputs to the grid.
Care should be taken not confuse very short term (a few seconds to a few minutes) demand side control with longer term measures over hours or days.
Very short term demand side control needs to react automatically in seconds without any human intervention. This can be done by radio signal or grid frequency signal to selected loads that can be turned off for a few minutes without adverse effects. Examples include heating, cooling, and water pumping installations.
This is likely to be needed in case of sudden breakdown of generating plant. At present the National grid keep in readiness part loaded plant that can quickly take full load, this adds to costs and losses.
Very quick acting demand side control would reduce the amount of part loaded plant that must be kept in reserve.
Only very short term relief is provided by short term demand side control, just enough to start quick starting diesel and OCGT plant or increase imports.
Longer term demand side control is typically required when demand would otherwise exceed supply for longer periods.
It is generally done by price signals to large consumers in order to give a strong financial case for reducing demand at times of potential shortage.
The reduction in grid power used at such times is usually achieved by running existing standby diesels, or by shifting energy intensive processes to a different time of day. Note that little energy is actually saved, use is simply transferred to alternatives such as diesel fuel, or to a different time of day.
"Installers and owners of emergency diesels must assume that they will have to run for a week or more"