The potential and limits of residential demand response control strategies

Demand response is playing an increasingly important role in smart grid research today. Technologies that control building equipment and appliances using signals such as real-time prices are making their way into our lives. But the behavior of load both affects and is affected by load control strategies that are designed to support the electric grid. This paper explores the natural behavior of electric load, how it is affected by various load control strategies and what the implications are for concepts such as using load control to support the integration of renewable energy resources.