Abstract
Supplying peak energy demand in a cost effective, reliable manner is a critical focus for utilities internationally. Successfully addressing peak energy concerns requires understanding of all the factors that affect electricity demand especially at peak times. This paper is based on past attempts of proposing models designed to aid our understanding of the influences on residential peak energy demand in a systematic and comprehensive way. Our model has been developed through a group model building process as a systems framework of the problem situation to model the complexity within and between systems and indicate how changes in one element might flow on to others. It is comprised of themes (social, technical and change management options) networked together in a way that captures their influence and association with each other and also their influence, association and impact on appliance usage and residential peak energy demand. The real value of the model is in creating awareness, understanding and insight into the complexity of residential peak energy demand and in working with this complexity to identify and integrate the social, technical and change management option themes and their impact on appliance usage and residential energy demand at peak times.
Highlights
Electricity systems have been examined worldwide for their contribution to environmental issues including climate change, depletion of resources through the continued use of fossil fuels and the consistently rising cost of electricity to customers due to the investment required for upgrading infrastructure to provide power during periods of peak demand [1, 2]
The physical characteristics of the built environment and appliances are an important focus of this model as are the technical, economic and human behavioural aspects of energy consumption
The current model considers expansion or contraction in energy demand as being shaped from an inter-play between all of these aspects/characteristics. This model does not exaggerate the importance of energy prices and technological solutions at the expensive of social action and non-economic influences
Summary
Electricity systems have been examined worldwide for their contribution to environmental issues including climate change, depletion of resources through the continued use of fossil fuels and the consistently rising cost of electricity to customers due to the investment required for upgrading infrastructure to provide power during periods of peak demand [1, 2]. Governments, policy makers and the electricity industry are addressing these issues through measures such as promotion of renewable generation, incentives for energy efficiency and PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0121195. Framework for Understanding Residential Peak Energy Demand in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The objectives of the initial stages of the project were to bring together disparate knowledge from a wide variety of sources including other research, raw data from consumer focus group research undertaken by the state based and owned utility and to create a ‘conceptual map’ of the social and technical drivers. No separate ethical approval was obtained for this project as members of doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0121195.g001 the project team (staff from Queensland University of Technology and Ergon Energy) were the only participants involved in the development of the model. The staff involved provided informed consent through the contractual arrangement of the project
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