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Introduction to Demand Response for Developers

Demand response pays energy consumers to conserve or shift their electricity usage in response to energy shortages, price increases, high demand, or grid emergencies. Demand response supports a more resilient, stable, and clean electric grid – instead of turning on additional power plants, grid operators pay commercial and industrial energy users to temporarily conserve energy or switch to backup power.

The Voltus API enables your energy control systems to respond automatically to grid conditions. When your participation is required, a new dispatch will be issued. There are three ways to receive dispatches:

  • Poll the REST API for Dispatches
  • Register a Dispatch Webhook
  • Configure an OpenADR 2.0a Virtual End Node (VEN)

If you are an energy consumer​

Our energy experts will work with you to enroll in energy programs and determine appropriate participation strategies to optimize your earnings. If you already use one of our integration partners to manage your facilities, you can start participating in DR immediately after enrollment. Otherwise, you can develop your own demand response software integration with the Voltus API, or explore our on-site installation options.

If you are an integration partner​

You can add automated demand response capabilities to your product by integrating with the Voltus API. You’ll receive dispatches for our shared users through the Voltus API and adjust their energy usage accordingly. You’ll be supported by our team in developing and testing your integration.

For All Developers​

Experiment with example API requests, or if you are already a Voltus user, request an API key from your Account Manager.

During A Dispatch​

As part of the enrollment process, we’ll have preconfigured a delivery strategy for each site. For example, to turn off equipment or change temperature setpoints. A dispatch integration should watch for new dispatches and respond to them by triggering this delivery strategy.

The dispatch object includes some market and program details. These details are for informational purposes only and should not be used to determine a level of delivery. This may change as grid operations become more complex, but currently resources are always expected to execute their preconfigured delivery strategies.

Energy Consumption Data​

Some grid operators require energy consumption data before, during, or after a dispatch. Voltus also uses this data to optimize your performance and earnings. If this data is available, your Account Manager will review the requirements with you pre-enrollment. If eligible, you can save costs on metering installations by sending your energy data to the Voltus API.