Demand Response for Cooling Loads

Demand response (DR) shifts or reduces electricity consumption at times of high grid demand. For space cooling, DR can cap peak load, reduce network congestion and lower costs with minimal comfort impact when carefully configured.

Typical approaches

• Pre‑cooling: lower indoor setpoints before peak hours to build thermal inertia.
• Setpoint nudges: increase setpoint by 1–2°C for short DR windows.
• Duty cycling: short off‑intervals for HVAC compressors coordinated at building or feeder level.
• Thermal storage: charge cold storage off‑peak and discharge during peak.

Enablers and constraints

Explore impacts

Use the Explorer to compare peak load with and without DR assumptions for 2030 scenarios.

References

1. IEA — Demand side flexibility for cooling (brief)
2. ACER/EEA — Flexibility solutions in a decarbonised power system