Andover, Mass. – May 16, 2024 – Enel North America, one of the largest demand response providers in the US and Canada, has signed an agreement with Honeywell to provide a turnkey building automation offering to organizations participating in demand response. Through the FlexUp offering, organizations—including commercial & industrial facilities, institutions, and other large energy users—can automate key elements of their electricity usage, maximizing opportunities to earn demand response revenue and reduce energy costs through peak avoidance and energy efficiency.

Demand response is an energy service through which end users are compensated for making targeted energy reductions during periods of peak demand or grid emergencies—supporting the reliability of the overall power grid. Enel participates in demand response programs offered by utilities and grid operators across the US and Canada. The worldwide leader in demand response, Enel is the second-largest demand response provider in North America, with nearly 5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity under management.

“The future of energy is flexible. Our modern power grids need end users who are willing and able to adjust their electricity usage in real time, reducing costs and earning revenue in the process,” said Molly Jerrard, head of demand response at Enel North America. “Enel’s FlexUp offering, powered by Honeywell’s industry-leading automation technology, simplifies the process for organizations to maximize their energy flexibility. In turn, we’re leveraging these flexible loads to support grid reliability for homes, businesses and communities.”

Customers who enroll in FlexUp pay no upfront capital costs for their building management system (BMS), as demand response earnings cover the cost of the system. By upgrading or installing a BMS, organizations can access more demand response programs, improve performance in dispatches, respond to dispatches that may occur outside of normal business hours without the need for manual intervention, and increase revenue from participation. They can also earn revenue from fast-response demand response programs that require near-instantaneous participation, which is almost impossible without automation.

"There is a growing need for energy capacity that can respond on short notice to ensure grid stability," said Hamed Heyhat, President of Honeywell Smart Energy & Thermal Solutions (SETS). "Through our partnership with Enel North America, we are addressing these challenges head-on, offering customers ready-now solutions that simplify the integration process and deliver tangible benefits in terms of efficiency, cost savings, and grid reliability."

Utilities and grid operators are increasingly turning to demand response as a solution to improve reliability without firing fossil generation like gas peaker plants. Similarly, large organizations are enrolling in demand response programs and automating their facilities to support operational resiliency and mitigate energy cost risks. In 2023, Enel’s customers were dispatched for over 600 demand response events in North America and earned about $110 million in revenue.

More information about FlexUp is available at https://www.enelnorthamerica.com/solutions/energy-solutions/building-automation-with-demand-response.

About Enel North America
Enel North America, part of the Enel Group, is a proven energy leader delivering clean and flexible solutions that decarbonize responsibly. The company develops, builds, owns and operates renewable power plants and demand-side solutions, with over 10 gigawatts (GW) of installed wind and solar capacity, over 1 GW of energy storage and nearly 5 GW of demand response in the US and Canada. Enel is the leader in utility-scale energy storage in Texas, the second-largest demand response manager in North America and the fourth-largest owner of clean power in the US. Learn more at enelnorthamerica.com and on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and YouTube.