Structural design of a universal and efficient demand-side management system for Smart Grid

A multi functional demand-side management (DSM) system is required to fully take advantage of the Smart Grid, which is a combination of metering, control, communication and other technologies. This report first gives an overview of the features, advantages, development obstacles and application prospects of the DSM technology and its potential use for the future “smart homes”. Then we describe the structural design of a universal and highly efficient DSM system, including communication modules for home area network and the Internet, local and remote control modules, and information collection and processing modules. This DSM system also takes advantage of the latest development in web and IT technologies including cloud computing and social networks, and will be accessible and controllable by smart phones using APPs. The advantages of the DSM system in promoting energy saving and combating climate change are also discussed.