Turn Me On, Turn Me Off! Techno-Economic, Environmental and Social Aspects of Direct Load Management in Residential Houses

Juozas Abaravicius, Kerstin Sernhed, and Jurek Pyrko, Lund University

Keywords

direct load management, load problems, residential houses, electric space heating and hot water systems, customer perspective, utility perspective

Abstract

Load management is a techno-economic measure for harmonizing the relations between supply and demand sides, optimising power generation and transmission and increasing security of supply. It can also benefit the environment by preventing use of generators with higher emissions.

This study was performed in collaboration with one electric utility in Southern Sweden, which aims solving peak load problems either with load management or by constructing diesel peak power plant.

The objective of the study was to experimentally test and analyse the conditions and potential of direct load management from customer and utility viewpoint. Techno-economic and environmental aspects as well as customer experiences were investigated.

Ten electric-heated houses were equipped with extra meters, enabling hourly load measurements for heating, hot water and total electricity use. Household heating and hot water systems were controlled by the utility using an existing remote reading system. The residents were informed about the experiment but not about the time and duration of the controls. The experiment was followed up by interviews.

According to the interviews, the residents noticed some of the control periods of heating. Body activity level as well as compensation of sun radiation and heat producing appliances influenced the experiences. After the experiments the households were positive about load control, but they expressed requirements for the implementation of such measures.

The experiments proved that direct load management might be a possible solution for the utility to solve its peak demand problems. The potential hourly load savings for heating varied from 1,1 to 3,8 kW per household.