This December, “Ignitis Latvia” became one of the first in Latvia to introduce a demand-response service for businesses. It optimizes energy consumption based on energy exchange prices, enabling companies to participate in balancing the energy system while saving money and even generating additional income. This is achieved by managing system load and device electricity consumption.
"Electricity is often one of the largest expense categories for businesses. Our goal is to help companies work smarter by offering an automated solution. This allows businesses to adjust their energy consumption to market price fluctuations without impacting product quality or daily operations. Such efficient, smart management of electrical equipment can provide significant support not only to manufacturers but also to shopping centers and service providers, boosting their competitiveness and growth," notes Rūdolfs Martīni, Product Manager at “Ignitis Latvia”.
The effectiveness of this system in reducing energy costs has already been demonstrated in practice across many European countries, including neighboring Estonia. By engaging businesses and reducing the imbalance between demand and supply, this solution also supports the stability of the national power grid.
To enable demand-response service, “Ignitis Latvia” initially conducts an audit of the company’s electrical equipment and network. During this process, the operational range of electrical devices is identified to ensure that their performance does not disrupt regular business operations or quality standards. This approach improves the efficiency of systems like ventilation, water heating, heating systems, compressors, and many other electrical devices.
Once the current situation and potential improvements are identified, the company’s electrical network is equipped with a device running automated software. The system monitors electricity market prices (“Nord Pool Spot”) and signals from the transmission system operator (“Augstsprieguma Tīkls”). The system analyzes equipment energy consumption patterns and adjusts electricity usage based on hourly price fluctuations, while adhering to predefined operational limits.