Demand Response and Consumer Inconvenience

Balancing the energy demand and generation using the latest load management technologies is considered as an immediate requirement for peak demand management and to improve the operation of electrical distribution networks. However, load management technologies depriving consumers of utilizing their personal resources could be perceived as a consumer right violation by many consumers, and thus, the success of the program is significantly dependent on consumer satisfaction. This paper probes consumer engagement plans through an algorithm to minimize the consumer inconvenience caused by the load management/demand response (DR) program. Four different consumer engagement plans are proposed for consumers with different tolerance levels, starting from most tolerant to the least. Based on the engagement plans chosen, the reduction requests are generated by the algorithm. The second stage of the algorithm will schedule devices to meet the consumer demand and demand reduction request. The mixed integer linear programming (MILP-DR) algorithm, is implemented on a distribution network model. The uniqueness of the algorithm is the consumer tolerance (comfort) levels are given due consideration, based on a fairness of participation basis in the scheme. The is weight updating factor updates the tolerance of the consumer based on their participation (load reduction and duration of reduction).