April 12, 2012
The concept of demand response (DR) harkens back to the 1970s, when it was first implemented in the United States as a component of demand-side management (DSM) programs, which were triggered by the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973 and the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Recent years have seen strong and growing demand for DR services across the globe, driven by increasing demand for electricity (which threatens to jeopardize the reliability of the grid), the need for greater energy efficiency and cost savings, and the introduction of new technologies, including advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and smart metering, virtual power plants, microgrids, and renewable resources. While DR has traditionally been offered primarily by utilities and grid operators, recent developments have opened up opportunities for a growing and diverse number of vendors in this marketplace. According to a recent report from Pike Research, large and global players including power product, equipment, and enterprise energy management vendors like ABB, Honeywell, Itron, Johnson Controls, Schneider Electric, and Siemens, energy services companies (ESCOs) like Constellation Energy, and major curtailment service providers (CSPs) like EnerNOC will play an increasing role, and gain increasing market share, in this dynamic sector over the next several years.
They will be competing in a rapidly growing market. Global revenues for demand response services will climb from just less than $1.3 billion in 2011 to more than $6.1 billion by 2016, the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts.
“While the DR market is expanding in terms of revenues, there are now signs that the competitive landscape is starting to contract as a result of a slew of acquisitions that took place in 2011 and will continue over the next few years,” says senior analyst Marianne Hedin. “Sizable vendors are trying to make further inroads into the burgeoning DR market and shore up their portfolios by acquiring smaller players with niche expertise in the DR space.”
While curtailment services are expected to remain the largest component of the overall DR market, systems integration/consulting services and outsourcing will experience strong growth as well. All of the world regions offer good demand response services prospects, but North America is currently the leading region and is projected to represent the biggest market opportunity over the next five years.
Pike Research’s report, “Demand Response”, provides an in-depth examination of current demand response market dynamics, along with analysis of emerging market opportunities, on a global and regional basis. The study includes worldwide forecasts of market size and growth prospects for curtailment services, systems integration and consulting, and outsourcing services for commercial, industrial, and residential markets. Detailed assessments and profiles are included for 21 major demand response vendors. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.
Contact: Richard Martin
+1 303 997 7609