Peak-Coincident Demand Savings from Behavior-Based Programs: Evidence from PPL Electric's Behavior and Education Program
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: This study reports on the effects of PPL Electric's behavior-based program on residential electricity use during the utility's system peak hours.Between June 2010 and May 2013, PPL Electric sent home energy reports to approximately 100,000 residential customers as part of a large field experiment.The reports encouraged customers to adopt energy-saving measures, many of which would also help to reduce the utility's system peak.We collected hourly energy-use data between June and September 2012 for 20,000 residential customers.Panel regression analysis of 44 million hourly energy use records indicated that the average peak demand savings were about 0.07 average kW per home.The program reduced PPL Electric's system peak by about 6.5 MW. 1 The cost of demand savings was about $185/average kW.This compares to a national utility average cost of savings of $164/average kW from residential load management programs (EIA, 2012).The program also resulted in energy savings of 36 million kWh per year at an average cost of $0.07/ kWh.The study findings show that residential behavior programs can help utilities manage their system peak loads.While PPL Electric's behavior-based program was slightly more expensive than traditional demand-response programs, more targeted messaging about reducing peak energy use may help such programs achieve cost parity.
Author: James Stewart
Language: English
Topic: Smart Grid Energy Management
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W113147787