Prospect of Demand Side Management in Bangladesh: A Survey on Residential Application

Demand-side management in residential sector has become an essential tool for smart grid implementation, especially when the residential sector contributes significantly to the peak electricity demand. In Bangladesh, demand-side management also has the potential to facilitate renewable energy integration into the grid and reduce the load shedding issue. In this study, a survey is conducted on residential consumers to determine the daily load curve, flexible loads, consumers' awareness on energy savings, and willingness of the consumers to take part in demand-side management programs. This study will guide to assess the prospect of demand-side management in the residential sector of Bangladesh. An online survey form is prepared, and responses have been collected from 50 different families living in urban areas. Effects of seasonal variation on energy consumption and load flexibility are taken into consideration in the study. The modified load curve due to the implementation of demand-side management is also estimated. It is observed that the benefits of demand-side management are yet to be fully realized due to inadequate flexible loads and lack of awareness among the people. However, awareness program about DSM will help to reap its benefits as the proportion of flexible loads is expected to rise in the future.