Implementing a Smart Grid Energy System
If consumers knew the costs of specific electricity uses, say running a dishwasher, at certain times of the day, would they change their habits to lower their utility bills?
Suvrajeet Sen, professor, and Ramteen Sioshansi, assistant professor, in integrated systems engineering, are studying the design and economic impact of a smart grid energy system to answer that question.
“The technology is already here to do this,”Sioshansi points out.“You just need a meter to measure electric use.”
Sen explains further: Engineers and other scientists are investigating the development of a“smart grid”where vehicles and homes are tied to the local power system in such a way that energy is accessed and stored and transferred both to and from the system in response to demand.
The cost of generating electricity differs vastly at different times of day, so computers could determine both the optimal times of day for consumers to use electricity—when demand and costs are low—as well as the times of day when demand is high and energy stored in consumers’systems could be returned to the system grid.
The problem: Currently, electricity prices don’t reflect the difference in the costs of usage during high and low demand periods.
A potential solution: Incentives, such as lower prices during low demand periods, might persuade consumers to take advantage of such a system.
“If a utility sends price schedules to homeowners’computers, and a program on the computers could tell consumers the most efficient time to run major appliances, would they change their behavior?”asks Sen, director of the Data Driven Decisions Laboratory.
Sen and Sioshansi are working with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to examine the possibility that an Advanced Metering Infrastructure, which would provide price information to users, could change usage patterns of electricity. They will use a combination of behavioral and simulation models to predict how people would react to the price signals.
