Load management in electric utilities: A literature survey

Abstract

Scope of Study: Much has been written about load management in electric utilities over the past decade. A number of ideas regarding the importance and the significant attributes of an effective load management program have been presented by various experts. This paper presents an overview and synthesis of these ideas in one cohesive unit.

Load management addresses the need to improve plant utilization by making customer demand more complementary over time to the available capacity. The first part of this paper explains the importance and the objectives of load management. The second part describes the technological approach used to influence the consumers' pattern of electrical energy consumption through direct load control of appliances, thermal energy storage at the customer's site, and rate incentives to reduce the peak. The third part explores the behavioral solutions to the peaking problem and the marketing implications for utilities. A general marketing plan is then presented which can provide a starting point for utility marketing efforts and can be tailored to the specific needs of a particular utility and its service area.