3 Things to Look for in a Flexibility Service Provider

The financial opportunities brought by flexibility services are becoming a major point of interest for commercial and industrial businesses. But energy is a sensitive topic: companies need to ensure that their operations are running optimally, and industrial plants have to meet production quotas and deadlines. 

Flexibility service providers must guarantee that they can maximise revenue from a company’s flexible equipment without impacting core processes and final output. Here are three things that flexibility service providers should be doing to guarantee you financial gains while keeping your operations smooth and efficient.

Jump to:

• Building trust through small steps
• Local experts who understand your market
• Collaboration for seamless integration

1. Building trust through small steps

Unlocking flexibility requires a careful approach, and starting with small steps is essential. By starting with low-volume participation, industrial companies can become familiar with the process before scaling up. This approach shows the benefits of demand response before fully committing. This gradual integration is vital for businesses with processes sensitive to disruptions, like those crucial for production. An example of this is Boliden, a Swedish copper mining company.

At Boliden Aitik’s plant, Sympower’s experts identified two powerful primary mills viable for demand response. However, due to their sensitivity to disturbances, Sympower conducted a series of tests and identified an ideal setup. This allowed Boliden to see that the impact on their processes would be minimal, while also demonstrating that the financial benefits far outweighed the temporary decrease in production.

2. Local experts who understand your market

Flexibility services must be tailored to the local market dynamics, industry needs, and types of assets you work with—there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Local experts play a crucial role in understanding the unique conditions of your region and adapting accordingly. For example, in October 2022, Greece’s balancing markets went live, replacing the country’s original interruptibility scheme. Due to the change in market practices, many businesses were unfamiliar with demand response and found adapting to the new market challenging.

To overcome this, Sympower tailored its platform specifically for its Greek customers, catering to the needs of the industrial sector. Through this, Sympower realised some industrial assets could not reduce their consumption without compromising the company’s production. To overcome this, our experts developed tools, specifically designed to unlock as much flexibility as possible, without compromising the productivity of the industrial companies.

3. Collaboration for seamless integration

Reducing the consumption levels of assets for flexibility might seem daunting, but collaboration and clear communication are key to addressing concerns and discovering opportunities. It’s important to work hand-in-hand with flexibility service providers who understand your operations and respect the need for minimal impact. Your processes are the foundation of your business, and any demand response programme should be designed to integrate smoothly into them. 

“Our customers know their processes best. Our job is to ensure demand response seamlessly integrates without affecting them. Customers can focus on their operations, while we manage the smooth adoption of our platform.”
- Konstantinos Tsinnas, Technical Sales Engineer, Sympower

By prioritising a collaborative, transparent approach, our customers are kept informed of how their processes are affected and the financial gain they can expect. Sympower trusts its customers to understand and communicate their concerns, while helping them maximise the financial potential of their assets.

Energy flexibility isn't just about increasing profits; it's about finding the right balance between operational stability and revenue opportunities. Working with a flexibility service provider that gives you both confidence and ease is important. By tailoring our approach to your needs, we ensure that your production remains stable while unlocking new revenue streams. Sympower’s local expertise enables customer-focused solutions that emphasise long-term success.