The Number of Commercial and Industrial Demand Response Sites is Expected to Surpass 1 Million by 2023

A new report from Navigant Research examines the demand response (DR) market for the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector, including global market forecasts for capacity, sites, and revenue through 2023. In recent years, DR in the commercial and industrial sector has matured and is now treated in some electricity markets as a resource equivalent to generation.  The changing resource mix in electric grids globally is creating more opportunities for DR to play a pivotal role in balancing loads and ensuring a reliable supply of electricity, particularly during peak demand episodes. According to a new report from Navigant Research, the number of worldwide commercial and industrial DR sites is expected to grow from 92,000 in 2014 to more than 1 million in 2023. “Although the uncertainty surrounding the pending federal court case regarding the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s rules on DR compensation has cast a cloud over the sector, there are plenty of other drivers that can lead to continued expansion in the future,” says Brett Feldman, senior research analyst with Navigant Research.  “Currently, almost all of the C&I DR activity is taking place in the United States, but this leadership position is expected to erode over the next 10 years, as all world regions move from pilot programs to building out full-scale markets.” As DR has taken on a more prominent role, regulators and other market participants are calling for tighter requirements to ensure reliable operations and efficient markets.  Market rule changes that attempt to standardize rules between DR and generation may place more requirements and risk on DR, according to the report.  As DR is relied upon more, it is likely to fall under greater regulatory supervision. The report, “Demand Response for Commercial & Industrial Markets,” examines the C&I DR market in five major geographic regions.  The study provides an analysis of the major market drivers and barriers, as well as global market players and dynamics, associated with C&I DR.  Global market forecasts for C&I DR capacity, sites, and revenue, broken out by segment and region, extend through 2023.  The report also examines the key technologies related to C&I DR, as well as the competitive landscape.  An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the Navigant Research website.