Graduate Student, Electrical Engineering
Optimally Designed Retail Rates for Incentivizing and Valuing Active Demand Side Participation in Smart Grid Objectives
Perhaps one of the most transformative aspects of smart grid realization is the inclusion of the demand side as an active participant in maintaining desired grid conditions. For decades, the demand side has been treated as passive and the traditional design of electricity markets, retail rates and distribution networks has reflected that view. The increasing penetration of smart grid devices, such as smart meters and smart appliances, provides an opportunity to maximize the value of an active demand side, in particular, the value of demand response (DR). This research explores optimally structured retail rates based on market conditions and local network conditions as a means of enabling consumer choice and incentivizing DR. We argue that the most effective means of encouraging an active demand side is to provide consumers with appropriate information and economic signals as well as sufficient choices.
Optimally Designed Retail Rates to Incentivize Demand Response
