Energy demand side management has become increasingly popular over the years. In the past, energy demand was not actively managed because electric utilities could simply build another power plant in response to load growth. These days, there is strong opposition to power plant construction and global warming has caused us to rethink our investments in fossil fuel based generation. As growth in supply has become more constrained, energy demand side management has played a larger role.
Additionally, as supply begins shifting to renewable sources, management of demand is key to make sure that we use energy when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. With the help of smart grid technology, energy demand will be able to respond when these intermittent renewable sources are producing energy, which will maximize their value. Without demand side management, we may never be able to have a significant portion of renewable energy in the generation mix.
Energy demand side management is an umbrella term that encompasses three different topics:
Demand Response
Energy Efficiency
Energy Conservation
There are also many articles on Electric Vehicles at EnergyDSM.com because they will be an important source of growth in electricity demand, which will need to be monitored and managed. All four of these topics are discussed in detail at EnergyDSM.com.
