Smart Grid as advanced technology enabler of demand response

Numerous papers and articles presented worldwide at different conferences and meetings have already covered the goals, objectives, architecture, and business plans of Smart Grid. The number of electric utilities worldwide has followed up with demonstration and deployment efforts. Our initial assumptions and expectations of Smart Grid functionality have been confirmed. We have indicated that Smart Grid will fulfill the following goals: enhance customer service, improve operational efficiency, enhance demand response and load control, transform customer energy use behavior, and support new utility business models. For the purpose of this paper, we shall focus on which of those abovementioned Smart Grid functionalities are going to facilitate the ever-growing need for enhanced demand response and load control.