Evaluating the impact of solar-assisted appliances in demand-side management

This paper discusses the viability of solar assisted space heating and water heating in domestic units. A methodology based on influence diagram analysis is presented whereby utility-assisted dissemination of solar appliances can be evaluated by posing it as a decision analysis problem. This enables planners to identify, assess and prioritize all the possible alternatives and issues. Using intuition, sound judgment and expert knowledge, planners can determine, at an early stage, the viability of the proposed DSM activity before embarking onto a full-scale feasibility analysis