The strategic use of renewables to achieve demand-side management impact

Technical Report · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10161658· OSTI ID:10161658

Carlisle, N; Hauser, S; Potter, T; Westby, R

According to both the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), utilities in the United States are now spending about $2 billion per year on demand-side management (DSM) activities. By the year 2000, EPRI and EEI predict that utilities will be spending $10 to $15 billion per year on DSM. If this expenditure is matched by consumers, total expenditures -- $30 billion a year -- will equal what the nation spent on power plant construction during the peak 1970s power plant building era. Historically, DSM programs at utilities utilize technologies that reduce the demand for electricity and energy used by their customers. This is accomplished primarily by increasing the efficacy of lighting, improving the conversion efficiency of heating, cooling, and process equipment, and reducing thermal losses through the building envelope. A broader definition of DSM -- one that incorporates renewable energy resources -- will greatly enhance the opportunity to impact customer loads. Renewable energy technologies use resources that are not depleted, such as heat and light from the sun, the force of winds, falling water, biomass, and geothermal heat from the earth. As related to utility systems, renewable technologies can contribute in three main ways: (1) the more traditional ``supply-side`` role as central generating plants or independent power producers, (2) as distributed generation (supply-side variation), and (3) as demand-side options. Distributed generation is being seriously studied by several utilities as a means of serving remote loads and reducing transmission and distribution costs, but is not discussed further in this paper. Demand-side renewable technologies (DSR) are technologies that utilize renewable energy to reduce the end-use load of a customer. In this paper we will describe specific DSR options, characterize their potential load impact, and recommend a method for effectively integrating them into current DSM programs.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 10161658
• Report Number(s): NREL/TP--432-5069; ON: DE93000039; BR: WM1020000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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