Frost: IoT to drive improvements in demand response programs for utilities

Grid instability and power outages caused by the peaks in energy demand are emphasizing the need for cost-efficient demand response (DR) programs all over the world. As a new model of energy distribution, DR programs will bolster energy efficiency and energy management initiatives in spite of the declining energy reserves.

The Frost & Sullivan report, Global Demand Response Market, Forecast to 2024, notes advancements in enabling technologies such as data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain, as well as the rise in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) have proven themselves as powerful drivers of DR programs.

"Blockchain technology will provide an innovative and disruptive approach to automated DR programs, thereby creating a secure and decentralized smart energy grid management ecosystem," said Naren Pasupalati Research Analyst for Energy & Environment at Frost & Sullivan.

"Additionally, blockchain-based DR solutions will significantly improve real-time event validation, financial settlements and secure energy contracts. It currently enjoys enthusiastic adoption in regions such as Europe and North America, where the energy sector employs it to meet the growing demand for transactive energy applications."

Meanwhile, the popularity for EVs and their related charging requirements is expected to augment peak power demand globally. The charging stations for EVs will serve not just as fuelling points, but also as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) energy resources that can potentially feed back into the grid and support DR programs.

"As the EVs in operation increase, aggregators or DR services providers will have to plan and implement delayed charging. DR programs rolled out by utilities will leverage price signals to incentivize electric car loads to respond to dynamic hourly as well as time-of-use prices," noted Pasupalati. "Such DR measures will aid significant cost savings by encouraging consumers to reduce peak loads."

Energy storage and V2G are anticipated to become key components of an integrated energy management system by the end of 2030.