Opportunities for Community groups Through Energy Storage (OCTES)
OCTES is a new European Union project with the aim of helping people
living in remote communities to save money on their energy bills by
encouraging them to use their electricity intelligently.
Electricity prices vary constantly during the day and night, depending
on demand and supply, the time of year and the prevailing weather
conditions. Generally, prices are highest during the day and are lowest
at night. At present, most people do not know what the current price of
electricity is before they turn on an electrical item in their house.
To help inform people living in remote communities of the current price
of electricity, we at OCTES are undertaking a trial study by installing
“SMART” meters in people’s houses which will continuously display the
current price of electricity at that time. So, instead of simply turning
on a washing machine, vacuum cleaner or recharging an electronic device
at anytime of the day, participants will be prompted to look at the
current price of electricity before deciding whether to use/recharge
that particular electrical item there and then.
The overall objective of OCTES is to increase the viability of renewable
energy solutions in the NPP region, by influencing consumer behaviour.