Challenge: Getting Residential Users to Shift Their Electricity Usage Patterns

Increased renewable electricity production, coupled with emerging sectors of electricity consumption such as electric vehicles, has led to the desire to shift the times of the day electricity is consumed to better match generation. Different methods have been proposed to shift residential electricity use from the less desirable times to more desirable times, including: feedback technology, pricing incentives, smart appliances, and energy storage. Based on our experience in this area, we present three challenges for residential shifting: getting users to understand the concept of shifting, determining when to shift and communicating that to users, and accounting for the dynamic nature of shifting. We argue that encouraging residential electricity shifting is much more challenging than electricity curtailment, and suggest an increased focus on understanding the everyday practices of users, which are crucial in order to shift electricity use.