IN Brief:
- ENA, Elexon, NESO, and the OpenADR Alliance have developed a common standard for dispatching flexibility.
- The standard is aligned with OpenADR 3.1 and is expected to be incorporated into Elexon’s delivery plan.
- Interoperable dispatch will support wider use of distributed storage, EV charging, generation, and flexible demand across Britain’s networks.
Energy Networks Association has developed a common standard for dispatching flexibility, working with Elexon, the National Energy System Operator, and the OpenADR Alliance.
The standard is aligned with OpenADR 3.1 and is due to be incorporated into Elexon’s delivery plan as the flexibility market facilitator. It provides a standardised interface for distribution network operators and flexibility service providers, allowing devices and systems to communicate through a shared language when responding to network requirements.
Flexibility allows electricity users, generators, storage systems, and controllable loads to adjust consumption or output in response to system conditions. Assets can reduce demand during periods of high network loading, increase consumption when renewable output is high, or modulate operation where the network needs a more measured response. Batteries, EV charging infrastructure, heat systems, industrial processes, distributed generation, and other controllable electrical assets can all provide flexibility when connected to the right market and control arrangements.
Flexibility markets have grown across distribution networks, but inconsistent dispatch interfaces have added complexity for providers operating across multiple regions and services. A common interface reduces the need for bespoke integrations with each network operator and supports more automated dispatch between network systems and flexibility platforms.
OpenADR provides a communications framework for automated demand response and distributed energy resource coordination. Alignment with OpenADR 3.1 moves Britain’s flexibility arrangements towards a model in which dispatch can be managed more consistently and at greater scale, rather than through fragmented technical arrangements across different network areas.
Britain’s power system is absorbing higher levels of renewable generation and increasing volumes of low-carbon electrical demand. Network operators face more frequent local constraints, particularly where solar, storage, EV charging, and electrified heat are being connected faster than reinforcement can be delivered. Flexibility cannot replace physical grid investment, but it can defer or reduce some reinforcement requirements, improve utilisation of existing assets, and support better management of peak demand.
The operational value of flexibility depends on trust, visibility, and repeatability. Network control rooms need confidence that a contracted response can be dispatched at the required time and verified afterwards. Flexibility providers need standardised processes that allow portfolios to operate across multiple network areas without excessive integration cost. A common dispatch standard gives both sides a more consistent technical foundation.
EV charging and storage are likely to be among the most important asset classes. Large portfolios of chargers and batteries can respond quickly to price and network signals, but their usefulness to the grid depends on coordination. Different interfaces across each network area increase cost and slow participation. Standardised dispatch signals allow distributed assets to be aggregated into more reliable sources of local and system flexibility.
Elexon will continue work on the supporting processes, implementation approach, and governance needed to deliver the interoperable dispatch solution. The standard’s value will depend on adoption by network operators, integration by flexibility platforms, and the ability of service providers to demonstrate dependable automated response under real operating conditions.
