Collective effects and synchronization of demand in real-time demand response

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how demand response in energy systems can cause synchronized load shifting among households, leading to potential extreme demand peaks that threaten grid stability.

Contribution

It provides a detailed statistical analysis and modeling of collective demand response effects, highlighting synchronization phenomena and stability risks.

Findings

Demand response induces load shifting as intended.

Synchronization among households can cause extreme demand peaks.

Strong collective effects may threaten system stability.

Abstract

Sustainable energy systems require flexible elements to balance the variability of renewable energy sources. Demand response aims to adapt the demand to the variable generation, in particular by shifting the load in time. In this article, we provide a detailed statistic analysis of the collective operation of many demand response units. We establish and simulate a model for load shifting in response to real-time electricity pricing using local storage systems. We show that demand response drives load shifting as desired, but also induces strong collective effects that may threaten system stability. The load of individual households synchronizes, leading to extreme demand peaks. We provide a detailed statistical analysis of the grid load, and quantify both the likeliness and extent of extreme demand peaks.