Evaluation of the effects of time-of-use pricing for private households based on measured load data

Abstract

Based on measured load data in high temporal resolution, the time-dependent load shifting potential of residential electricity customers can be assessed. This enables the simulation of their reaction to different variable retail electricity rates, and consequently the evaluation of the suitability of these rate structures for various applications. The focus is on time-of-use rates with two price levels, which incentivize load shifting from high to low prices. The results show that this kind of rate structure is not the optimal choice for the examined applications; therefore, it is recommended to include additional rate elements like demand charges or peak pricing. However, the high computational effort suggests the development of a new rate optimization strategy for the introduction of additional parameters.