CH-24-C030 - Estimating Demand Response Flexibility of Home Appliances: The Role of Household Heterogeneity and Activities

This study employs an interdisciplinary approach to assess Demand Response (DR) flexibility in home appliances, analyzing a mixed-demographics sample of 1,000 Canadian households. Utilizing time use survey data and the Canadian Stochastic Load Profile Generator, households were categorized into archetypes—namely austere, average, and wasteful. Utilizing the Social Synchronization Index, the study estimated the alignment of household activities with societal energy norms. Key findings indicate that with a 50% participation rate in DR programs, appliance load can be curtailed by up to 450 kW from the modeled 1000 houses. Peak loads predominantly occur between 16:00 and 20:00, mainly due to cooking and laundry. These results highlight the importance of tailored DR programs that account for variations in household behaviors and activities. The study underscores the need to identify and mitigate cultural and behavioral barriers for more effective DR implementation. Future work aims to refine these findings by examining integration of occupant behavior in DR modeling, scalability of DR programs, and additional variables like seasonal effects and economic implications.