Radio Control of Water Heaters in Rhode Island

A VHF-FM radio communication system was used to control the lower heating elements of 100 residential customers in Rhode Island. The hours of control were 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. during weekdays from June through September of 1987. Topics discussed include sample selection, pre-experiment testing, equipment performance and analysis of results. The diversified demand reduction attributable to control in the summer is less than anticipated, averaging 0.26 kW per residence during control hours. >