Demand-Response and the Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Demand-side management can be envisioned as extending management of the power grid through the consumer to management of loads. There are myriad ways to achieve this goal. Some require communication, such as demand-response, and others do not, such as dynamic demand. Metering infrastructure and power line carrier are old mechanisms, going back to the late 1800s. It is important to know the history or risk reinventing it. More recent wireless advanced metering infrastructure approaches, in particular IEEE 802.15.4 and its variants such as IEEE 802.15.4g, are covered, as well as the IEEE 802.11 variants. While demand-response has received considerable hyperbole in the smart grid, there are other approaches toward achieving the same outcome. Dynamic demand, for example, requires electronic devices to monitor their own alternating-current frequency to autonomously adjust their duty cycle.