IEEE.org | IEEE Xplore Digital Library | IEEE Standards | IEEE Spectrum | More Sites

Facebook Icon Linkedin Icon Youtube

Flexible Loads

Today’s systems need much more operating flexibility than what was needed in older, generation-driven operations. In many situations, it is not peak demand that needs to be dealt with. Rather it is the steep ramps that can occur at any time, excess solar generation, equipment overloads that last longer than expected, and other demand-supply balancing challenges. Demand-side management (DSM), load management, or demand response were designed some time ago to deal with (some of) these issues.

However, customer-side measures have evolved well beyond the original DSM alternatives.  Demand response, in particular, has evolved into a “flexible load” or “load flexibility program”, in part because contrary to original intentions, the term became equivalent to peak clipping, which is a much too narrow and constraining definition.  In fact, many of the older notions are turning into a continuum we could refer to as “Integrating Customers into the Grid” – from planning to operations. Some companies use the term “flexibility services” for these types of resources. When such programs are implemented through an aggregator, they are often termed VPP (Virtual Power Plant) programs, recognizing that the utility itself can act as an aggregator. We expect to see these systems/loads incorporated into dispatch and operations at various level of the electric grid.

Active Committees/Task Forces of Interest
Technical Reports & Applicable Papers or Presentations

Technical Reports:

Conference Papers/Presentations:

Publications
Other Available Material

Standards:

PES Resource Center:

Coming Soon:

  • Virtual Power Plants: A Critical Assessment of Their Role in the Energy Transition, IEEE PES Technical Report, in preparation
< Back to Trending Technologies

Discover More