Demand Response User-Experience (DRUX) Research

Questions? Email alex@alexnathanson.com

The objective of this research is to understand the experience of participating in a residential demand response program and user-test a specific demand response system. A demand response event is a 4-hour period of time in the summer where electricity usage is very high and the utility offers to pay energy consumers to turn off appliances. The demand response system being tested is composed of a battery powered fan and a number of smart outlets that will be temporarily installed in participants’ homes. Participants will be paid for their participation in simulated demand response events over the course of the study at a similar rate as used by real demand response programs in New York City.

Information for study participants

You can access your energy data and event info when on your local network (i.e. on your apartment WiFi). Enter your # in the box to generate a link to your data.

Your number can be found on the bottom of your DR controller, located on or near your AC.

Note, this will only work when on the same WiFi network the controller is connected to. It will not work if you are trying to connect through a VPN.

FAQ

What is demand response and what is a demand response event?

Demand response is a system where the utility pays energy consumers to use less electricity a peak times, when the grid is stressed. This typically happens at the hottest times of the year.

A demand response event is a 4-hour period where you are asked to consume less electricity. This 4-hour period is called the event window. There are 2 types of events in this study. CSRP events always run from 4pm-8pm and occur with 21 hours advanced notice. DLRP event windows can vary and have only 2-hours notice. Events in this study may occur up to 3 times a week, but typically much less.

How is the study designed?

The structure of the demand response events and payments in this study closely mirrors Con Ed's demand response program structure. In this study, participants are paid for energy reductions are a rate of $18/kW/per type of event, based on the average reduction during an event, averaged over a 30-day period.

In other words, if you normally consume 1.5kW an hour during the event window and successfully dropped your consumption down to 0.5kW the duration of the event for all CSRP events during the study, you would received $18/month. If you were also able to do this for all DLRP events, you would receive $34/month.

How much money will I make?

It depends on the size of your AC and your performance during events. See the baseline methodology below for a detailed explanation.

What do I need to do during events?

Keep your AC off during events to maximize your payment. During an event you are free to use any other method to cool down. A fan may to plug in to the battery may be provided to you.

Note that the automated system may at times turn your AC on during an event if you have reached your goal for an individual hour.

Can I opt out of events?

Yes, press the button on the controller to opt-out of the event for an hour at a time. Hold the button for at least 2 seconds to rejoin the event.

How will I know when an event is happening?

Upcoming and ongoing events will be communicated to participants in a number of ways: The digital display on the controller, the website, as well as texts and emails to study participants who opt in.

What hardware is being installed?

Detailed info about the system can be found here.

Can I use the battery for anything else?

For the purposes of this study, it is best to not use the battery for anything else. However, in the event of a blackout or other emergency, you can use it.

Average Day Baseline Methodology

The payment you receive is based on the hourly amount of electricity load reduction, scaled by a performance factor and averaged over a month. This study uses Con Ed's Average Baseline Methodology to calculate your baseline. This looks at the 5 most recent eligible days, and takes an average for each hour. In other words, during a 4-hour event, your performance for a given hour is based on your average electricity load in that hour for each of the eligible days. You will receive a payment based on the average hourly reduction for the month.

Step 1 - Establish the CBL Window (i.e. a set of days that will serve as representative of participant’s typical usage.)

A) Determine the participant’s peak hourly load during the event window over the past 30 days. This value becomes the initial seed value for the average event period usage level.

B) Beginning with the weekday that is two days prior to the event:

  1. Eliminate holidays (Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day)
  2. Eliminate days with DR events that the participant was eligible for curtailment payments
  3. Eliminate the day prior to DR events that the participant was eligible for curtailment payments
  4. Create the average daily event period usage for that day, defined as the simple average of the participant’s actual usage over the hours that define the event for which the CBL is being developed.
  5. Eliminate low usage days. If the average daily event period usage is less than 25% of the average event period usage level, eliminate that day.
  6. If the day has not been eliminated, update the average event period usage level by including the average daily event period usage for this day. If this is the first day added to the CBL Window, replace the average event period usage level (which was the initial seed value) with the average daily event period usage. Add this day to the CBL Window.
  7. Move back one day and loop until 10 valid days.
  8. If 10 weekdays are not found within the 30-day window, repeat but ignore both A and B5.

Step 2

Establish the CBL Basis. Identify the five days from the 10-day CBL Window to be used to develop CBL values for each hour of the event.

Step 3 - Calculate Average Day DBL for the Event