Development of an active load shifting technique for demand side management applications

Abstract

Initiatives that are directed towards improving power management by a utility provider have to consider technical feasibility, socio-economic and the environment. Patterns of power consumption world over indicate that demand for electricity has over the years been on the rise due to increase in activities that demand usage of electricity. Such activities include construction and property development, development of industries and infrastructure. These activities have strained the power production, whose development does not match the increase in demand. ESKOM, a government authority mandated to generate, transmit and distribute power in South Africa has seen demand surpassing its generation capacity, hence resorting to load shedding actions. Load shedding imposes inconveniences to the consumers who are completely disconnected from the grid, translating to unpredictable periods of darkness. Utility providers have an option of constructing new peaker plants which lie idle most of the day, to take care of high demand during the peak periods, hence, avoid effecting load shedding actions. Various ways of managing load have been presented in this research. In particular, the research investigated possible ways utilities use in managing their capacity with an aim of developing an alternative method and tool for Demand Side Management applications that can be used by energy utility to improve reliability, manage and control consumption of electrical energy through selective shedding of the load connected to the consumer when the demand surpasses the utility's safe capacity.