DEMAND RESPONSE SYSTEM AND METHOD USING A SMART PORTAL

摘要

The present invention relates to a demand response system and method using a smart portal for a smart grid environment where utilities including water/sewage, gas, electricity, heating/air-conditioning and the like are combined and managed collectively within a local area. As such, the present invention changes the traditional utility 'supply' system (i.e., 'billing for the past use') into a utility 'purchase' system (i.e., 'pre-billing for the future use'); calculates, for the efficient management of user demands, a customer baseline load (CBL) based on the analysis of usage data, and then provides, via the smart portal, the information on a DR billing plan for a utility use having the calculated CBL taken into consideration to a customer, such that the customer can control the utilities' demand for himself. The demand response system according to the present invention comprises: an automatic meter reading (AMR) unit which reads each consumer's utility meters to generate metering information; a multiple utility combination unit (MUC) which provides the information on demand response (DR) bill calculations based on the AMR data and manages utilities in combination; an eco index (EI) calculation unit which calculates an eco index customized for each customer based on the AMR data; a demand response (DR) unit which obtains CBL information based on the AMR data and computes a DR bill by using the CBL data, DR data and eco index obtained, and outputs the DR bill; and a smart portal (SP) unit which provides users with the calculated DR bill in a particular form. According to the present invention, the DR system can provide environmental and social information, in addition to economic information that has already been provided, and simplify the database while diversifying the data transmission formats and methods. Also, the DR system is capable of maintaining a stable service quality to meet real-time demands in the DR services and reducing the facility and maintenance costs by decreasing the peak demand of electricity.