What is it?
Throughout the day we constantly use electricity. From turning on the lights to using the microwave oven, we continuously consume electricity. It is understable that during some periods our demand for electricity increases. For instance, in the summer we usually consume more electricity due to the fact that the temperature is high and we use air conditioners all day. These periods that electricity consumption reaches a peak are called peak usage times. The past years though our demand for electricity has grown larger and according to the Energy Information Administration it will increase by 40% by 2030. In order to limit our demand some programs called Demand Response programs have been created. These programs allow the users(us) to voluntarily decrease energy consumption during times that electricity cost is high(peak usage times). As a result of this we can both save money and electricity.
Implications:
The United States release approximately 150 million tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for electricity generating purposes(source U.S. Department of Energy). By using demand response programs, the amount of energy needed to be produced will be less, hence the release of pollutants and greenhouse gasses will reduce as well.
”In a yearlong, small-scale study in homes on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, the Department of Energy (DOE) found that when consumers were equipped with smart electric meters, thermostats, water heaters and dryers, they reduced their energy usage and associated costs — on average, participants saved 10 percent on their electricity bills, and there was a 15 percent reduction in peak load usage”
The quotation above from howstuffworks.com indicates that we would use approximately 15% less energy in peak times. This means that we would avoid releasing millions of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere if we adopted demand response programs.
Important Note:
One of the most promising concepts surrounding demand response programs is that of smart houses. In this concept houses are equipped with direct response energy, which is a system that constantly regulates the amount of energy used in various time-periods. For instance, direct response will decide to produce less energy during peak hours(when the price of electricity is high) and turn off appliances such as the thermostat, or the washing machine to save money and energy. This automatic power control used in direct response energy is used in smart houses, that use a smart grid which ” has a web of access points that could be identified and contacted. Through these contact points, the grid would automate the flow of electricity as needed, identify and isolate load problems.”(source How Stuff Works.com)
In conclusion:
It seems to be that demand response is one of the most intriguing and lucrative new technologies right now. Not only can it help us save money-a fact that is even more appreciated in our times of economic crises-but it can also help us lower our greenhouse emmisions considerably. It is a win-win situation that we must not turn our back to.