Electricity North West Ltd

What types of flexible services do you need?

We publish an Invitation to Tender (ITT) twice a year in Spring and Autumn. Each ITT details the type of product (response) that is required for each zone. The four types of products we procure are: SUSTAIN, SECURE, DYNAMIC and RESTORE. You can find out more about each product by clicking the link below.

Flexibility products

How will I know when you have a requirement?

We will publish any requirements on our website and on Picloflex. You can sign up to our distribution list to get notified whenever we publish a requirement.

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Do I currently need to be connected to the network?

Not necessarily, within each Invitation to Tender the conditions precedent specifies when your flexible asset will need to be connected to our network. Further information on connecting to our distribution network is available in our Get Connected section. All connection charges will be payable by the connectee in accordance with our Common Connection Charging Methodology.

How is performance measured?

We will confirm your flexible service delivery via your meter, using the variance in load between receipt of our signal and your response to determine whether requirements have been met. You should keep an accurate record of your flexible service delivery as evidence of your performance.

As part of our flexible service requirements we ask providers to provide minute by minute metering, or an agreed equivalent. The level of response will be calculated using the minute by minute metering readings submitted by the provider, verified against half hourly settlement readings for the duration of the contracted performance.  Reponses will be calculated on the number of full minutes of response. We will confirm your flexible service delivery via your meter, using the variance in load between receipt of our signal and your response to determine whether requirements have been met. You should keep an accurate record of your flexible service delivery as evidence of your performance.

How will you communicate with my asset?

For the majority of sites we will communicate with your asset(s) via an API (Application Programming Interface) from the Flexible Power portal. For any Providers who cannot interface with the Flexible power API, an option for utilisation instructions for Dynamic and Restore products may be offered via an Electricity North West owned Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) located within the Company substation supplying the site. Further details on which can be found within the specification of the Invitation to Tender.

How does payment work?

When you place a bid on Piclo, we ask that you state both an availability and utilisation price(subject to flexible service type).

Subject to the delivery of flexible services, payments will be calculated via the Flexible Power portal, and you will be entitled to invoice Electricity North West and will receive payment by bulk electronic clearing (BACS) by the end of the following month (after such invoice is received). More details on payment can be found within the terms & conditions of each Invitation to Tender.

What method of baselining will you use?

We are currently developing a range of baselining methodologies for utilisation in line with the recommendations of the Open Network Project (WS1A 2020 P7). The methodology for baselining will be agreed between the Electricity North West and the Provider post contract award and ahead of any service provision, this shall occur at least 6 months prior to the first utilisation period.