Dynamic load-shifting program based on a cloud computing framework to support the integration of renewable energy sources

Demand-side management programs such as load shifting utilise the flexibility in the load consumption pattern of consumers to enable the effective capacity utilisation of renewable energy sources. The locational and temporal characteristics of renewable energy sources cause forecasting and operational challenges in the implementation of such a renewable energy program. In this paper, a dynamic load-shifting program using real-time data in a cloud computing framework is proposed to address the aforementioned issues. A new dynamic renewable factor is proposed to facilitate on-time incentive based load shifting program. The effectiveness of the dynamic load-shifting program was evaluated using simulated case studies. The case study indicates that PV energy utilisation at the consumer side is increased by 18% by the application of the proposed load-shifting program. The study result in Kerala, India, consisting of more than 7.5 million domestic consumers, indicates that demand reduction of 250–300MW at times of peak demand can be achieved by using load shifting in the domestic sector.