ABSTRACT

       In the context of an increasingly competitive electricity market, where prices are 
constantly rising and the presence of renewable energy resources is gaining 
prominence, this dissertation deals with an innovative approach to the participation of 
demand resources in operation markets, paying special attention to energy intensive 
industrial segments such as the food industry. 
       The study begins by examining the current status of Demand Response 
Programs available in different countries. This analysis suggests that customers have 
been somewhat neglected in the design phase of existing DR programs, and this has 
resulted in the underutilization and sub-optimal development of demand resources. 
Furthermore, customers are unaware of the utility that their potential flexibility could be 
to the electricity grid and do not know how much different actors would be willing to pay 
them for reducing demand in specific periods. 
       As a result of this analysis, an innovative methodology is developed to explore 
and assess new demand response mechanisms in which customers, grid operators 
and other stakeholder perspectives are considered. This methodology, based on the 
evaluation and detailed analysis of customer processes, provides customers with 
suitable tools to evaluate their ability to react to electricity prices. Consequently, the 
regulator is able to enhance the social benefit, allowing customer flexibility in operation 
markets and helping to refine the required programs to adequately capitalize on the 
potential identified by the customer.
       The methodology developed in this dissertation was successfully applied to the 
meat industry market segment, and different factories within this segment were studied 
in detail. In particular, the effectiveness of the proposed actions was successfully 
tested and validated in an active factory that produces cured ham in Spain, and 
different flexibility strategies were evaluated. 
       Finally, an economic evaluation on the profitability of the proposed flexibility 
actions for both the customer and the power system is discussed. Current prices of 
operation markets in Spain are considered, even if customers are not actually allowed 
to participate in such markets at the moment. 
       The research presented in this dissertation is based on joint work in 
collaboration with medium and large commercial and industrial customers as well as 
utilities and grid operators both in Europe and the U.S. The objective of this 
investigation is to foster the convergence of private interests through the development 
of enhanced Demand Response design which is better adapted to market participants.