The effects of dynamic residential load participation: Penetration levels for operational impact on reliability

Building an electrical load system that uses prioritised loads has been suggested as a means of approaching the overloading of the aging electrical infrastructure and thus increasing system reliability. In this paradigm, local controls would shut off electrical loads when overload conditions are being approached in the electrical power system. An unresolved question is how these systems might be configured and whether the deployment of residential load control will make a difference. This paper provides answers to both of these questions by suggesting several methods of deploying residential load control and determining the level of participation needed for each to make a difference in overall system reliability. The approach suggested was shown to improve the reliability of electrical power delivery, even under very modest levels of participation. Under emergency conditions with 10% of load available for control, there is a factor of ten improvement in electrical power system reliability.