Smart Grids and Demand Side Management

The smart grid is a modernised network for utilities, including: electricity grids, gas pipelines, and water networks. Smart grids need information and communications technologies (ICT) to ensure that the distribution of these utilities is optimally matched to their production. By doing so, the smart grid aims to offer improvements to the efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of such networks. Significant ICT is needed to allow the behaviours of the suppliers and the consumers to be matched in real-time. For electricity grids, smart-grid technologies are essential for accommodating renewable energy technologies and for supporting future demand from electric vehicles.

Research at The Open University covers technological, economic, organisational, and behavioural aspects of smart grids. This includes: ICT solutions to optimise the performance and usability of home energy-generation systems; models and simulations to investigate demand-response strategies; behaviour-change strategies to influence consumption of electricity, water and gas; and investigating consumer attitudes toward smart-grid rollouts.

OU Energy is strongly linked to this £16m smart city project led by the Open University, UK

Further Information

For further information on OU smart grids and demand side management research, please contact Professor William Nuttall (Professor of Energy):

Telephone: 01908 655113
URL: https://www.open.ac.uk/people/wn334

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