Smart Software as Customer Assistant in Large-Scale Distributed Load Management

Advanced information systems present a key enabling technology for innovative customer-oriented services by the utility industry. Real-time and two-way electronic information exchange with the customer over the power grid and other media is now possible. This provides the baseline for a host of new customer services, provided proper advantage is taken of a variety of recent advances in information technology. In this context, we discuss (a) how to engineer knowledge into systems and services, giving rise to smart software and intelligent systems, and (b) how to exploit this practically for novel ways to achieve distributed load management, dealing with thousands of devices simultaneously. A special characteristic of our concept is that the two-way information exchange for load-balancing purposes is based on market mechanisms similar to an auction. This auction is carried out by small smart software programs in devices (such as radiators) that represent and assist the customer. Field experiments with this intelligent and distributed new approach to power load management are currently performed. Engineering Knowledge into Systems and Services Fiercer international competition, deregulation as well as increasing societal demands call for new ways and concepts to meet the customer’s needs. At the same time, current advances in Information Technology provide the technical means to better serve the customer: Hardware and telecom technology now allows to establish direct electronic communication between the utility and its customers. Information exchange is now possible in a real-time and Internet-like fashion. Modern software technology has made it possible to make systems more intelligent, in the sense that they incorporate more knowledge about what they are supposed to do and can act accordingly. In addition, this can now be done in a flexible, userfriendly and even attractive way. Every load in the system is represented by an intelligent agent (a piece of computer software) that buys and sells power on a computational market. A ”Society” of Intelligent Loads: Homebots Figure 1: Devices and loads are equipped with smart small software programs called agents. These software agents communicate, act and cooperate as representatives assisting the customer, to achieve given goals such as power load management. Combining these advances creates potentially high benefits for energy utility applications. First, through communication information systems become capable to obtain timely and relevant information more readily. Second, through incorporating knowledge they can process this information in a more useful and active way. They will thus behave as if they