Secure Demand Shaping for Smart Grid

The increasing usage of sensor-actuator networks by NCS/SCADA systems raises significant concerns about privacy. Developing novel schemes for demand response in smart electric gird is an increasingly active research area. These schemes aim to control/flatten demand curves and shift consumption times to the off-peak periods, which allows to to improve efficiency. Indeed, higher volatility of user demand results in higher average distributor’s expenses on wholesale electricity which creates upward pressure on retail prices. In addition, high volatility of residential demand for electricity posits a considerable problem for stability and efficiency of electric grid. Altogether, these reasons have resulted in a long standing interest in the ways to reduce demand volatility (and thus to lower average costs). This interest is especially strong now, as it is driven by the new capabilities of advanced metering infrastructures (AMI) and Smart Utility Networks (SUN).