Twenty cities will fly to the rescue of the electricity grid during peaks

The approaching winter brings back the spectre of an electric blackout. Last year, the government had to resolve to revive the Saint-Avold coal-fired power plant (Moselle) while sounding "the general mobilization" in favor of sobriety. While the coming winters are expected to be tense, this last-minute DIY will have to give way to more sustainable solutions. It is in this context that the State and the network operator, RTE, supported in December 2022 the launch of a call for projects (Eff'actee) to encourage local authorities to carry out demand response.

This paid postponement of electricity consumption could be a powerful tool for RTE, making it possible to organise the temporary reduction in demand when overheating is looming. "At present, the erasure mainly concerns large industrialists, paid to shut down their machines," explains Adam Soussana, pilot of Eff'actee within the FNCCR (National Federation of conceding and governed communities).

Residential and tertiary buildings draw the majority of power during rush hour

Adam Soussana, Eff'actee pilot within the FNCCR

But while industry accounts for just over 10% of electricity consumption, "residential and tertiary buildings draw the majority of power during rush hour," he says. In fact, building heating alone accounts for 40% of the winter peak and it is very easy to postpone it without compromising the comfort of users, unlike machine shutdowns that impact the operation of businesses.

In May, Eff'actee selected some twenty pioneering communities, including the metropolis of Lyon, the city of Lille and the agglomeration community of La Rochelle. The largest consumers were privileged to begin with: "those who have a large administrative building, a large city hall or a large school group," says Adam Soussana.

EUR 60,000 per MW

By the end of the year, the €1.5 million programme will fund audits to identify the erasure potential of more than 700 public buildings. It will also help local authorities to get in touch with demand response aggregators, whose job is to equip buildings with automatons and then manage them in accordance with RTE's needs. The technicality is not an obstacle because very often the PLCs in question take the form of a connected thermostat, on which the aggregator can take control when the network is tense. In passing, communities will also be able to save energy by better programming their heating or ventilation.

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Selected communities will be able to begin fading in early 2024. On average, "RTE offers an annual remuneration of € 60,000 per megawatt erasable on days of high tension," says Adam Soussana. In theory, a building with a 36 kVA meter could therefore generate 500 to 600 euros in revenue per year. Eventually, the FNCCR estimates that communities could wipe out 5 to 6 gigawatts of power, the equivalent of as many nuclear power plants.

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