Australia’s wholesale markets are broadcasting a message to business: get involved.

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Energy price exceedances above $5,000/MWh have jumped year-on-year from 49 events in FY23 to154 in FY25. FCAS exceedances above $5,000/MW stepped from 0 to 28 over the same period. In other words, the spikes that set quarterly outcomes are not rare, they’re more frequent, more concentrated, and more valuable for participants who are ready to participate.

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What has changed is that it’s now practical for businesses to seamlessly capture this value from the demand side participation. AI-powered optimisation, reliable edge control, better telemetry, and clearer market pathways mean flexible businesses can respond automatically - without undermining operations. Progressive regulation has opened doors for aggregated loads and BESS to provide services and get paid for it. The signals are there; the enablers exist; the remaining step is participation.

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Why demand-side participation (DSP) is a business opportunity

Price spikes are a market’s way of asking for help. DSP answers by curtailing or shifting non-critical loads and dispatching on-site storage precisely when the system is tight. Done well, it converts scarcity into earnings and lowers average energy cost by avoiding the worst intervals and using low/negative prices for recovery. A handful of event days can dominate annual outcomes so long as you are enabled, compliant and available when they occur.

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What made DSP viable now

• Technology: AI-driven forecasting and optimisation coordinate devices in real time, maintain keep responses inside operational guardrails.
• Integration: Modern edge gateways and SCADA/API integrations provide the telemetry and deterministic control DSP relies on.
• Market settings: Clearer participation routes for flexible loads and embedded generation assets, standardised metering and M&V, and operationally workable options mean revenue is auditable and bankable.

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Business in spotlight– Metals Processing

A metals processing facility with 5 MW of flexible load (crushers and grinders) uses PowerSync to set guardrails and automate demand-side participation so that this flexibility is consistently bid into FCAS (capacity) and also participates in Wholesale Demand Response (WDR)and RERT; with compliant telemetry, M&V and settlement. The combined program has delivers in excess of $100,000 per MW offered per annum while keeping production KPIs on track.

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The message in the data is unambiguous: volatility is structural, and it rewards those who participate. Contact PowerSync Technologies today to quantify your flexible capacity, enable compliant demand-side participation, and turn volatility into a durable revenue stream without compromising operations.

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