by Shane Henson — January 11, 2013—The number of commercial facilities participating in demand response (DR) programs worldwide will rise from fewer than 600,000 in 2012 to more than 1.4 million sites by 2018, according to a report published by Pike Research, a market research and consulting team within Navigant’s Energy Practice that provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets.
As the report, Demand Response for Commercial Buildings, notes, commercial buildings have become increasingly sophisticated in their operations with the adoption of new automation technologies and building management systems. As building owners and operators look for ways to better utilize new tools and equipment in order to achieve greater efficiencies, their interest in DR programs is also growing.
The increasing use of automated DR and open standards-based communications capabilities is enabling utilities, grid operators, and curtailment service providers to not only offer DR to a much broader end user market, but to also offer more sophisticated forms of DR programs, such as dynamic pricing and ancillary services, according to the report. The increasing deployment of smart metering installations, which are expected to pick up in the small and medium business market segment, will make it considerably easier for businesses and institutions to participate in the economic DR market, where they can take advantage of price-responsive DR programs to obtain reduced rate structures.
According to Pike Research, the report provides a detailed examination of the growing worldwide market for demand response in the commercial sector. The market opportunity and technology issues for DR in commercial facilities are explored, and market drivers and inhibitors are examined. The report also includes in-depth analyses of regional trends and profiles of 19 key industry players, along with market forecasts for load curtailment and revenue, segmented by region and by segment, through 2018.
