DOWNLOAD THE PILOT CASE FACTSHEET
The first Polish pilot case done in ENEFIRST Plus investigated the propensity of Polish households to participate in Demand-Side Response, through an analysis of their current knowledge levels, key motivations, and perceived barriers.
This pilot case aimed:
- to analyse the institutional and technical preparedness of Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and other relevant market stakeholders for the integration of residential consumers into Demand-Side Response schemes, identifying key technical, economic, and organisational barriers.
- to propose evidence-based, collaboratively developed solutions, including a functional cooperation model and strategic recommendations designed for policymakers, regulators, and market participants, with the goal of facilitating the expansion of residential Demand-Side Response in Poland.
The results highlighted low consumer awareness. Behavioural barriers were the most frequently cited by households, followed by economic and systemic barriers.
Interviews with market stakeholders raised the importance of the regulatory framework, technical infrastructure (notably smart meters) and business models to aggregate small-scale flexibility.
Conclusions of the pilot case suggest a shift towards practical consumer empowerment tools, including a Code of Good Sales Practices, and a Consumer Checklist.
The research and stakeholder dialogues highlight four specific areas where applying the EE1st lens makes a critical difference:
- Policymakers should move beyond infrastructure investments (e.g., just installing smart meters) toinvesting in consumer trust and engagement tools.
- Aggregators are essential enablers, rather than optional service providers.
- Sustainable Demand-Side Response adoption will not be driven by constant consumer vigilance but by “fit-and-forget” automation.
- Smart regulation means stable frameworks that prevent market chaos and ensures that demand-side resources are reliable enough to be treated on par with supply-side generation in long-term planning.
The pilot case proposed an implementation roadmap to develop an enhanced evolutionary model for Demand-Side Response cooperation (see more details in the factsheet).
DOWNLOAD THE PILOT CASE FACTSHEET
Look at the PROCEEDINGS of the workshop “Plugging Energy Efficiency First in Electricity Tariffs”, where the pilot case was presented and discussed with an expert of a Polish DSO, Andrzej Szyp (TAURON Distribution S.A.).