Enabling electricity access: Revisiting load models for AC-grid operation - Part I

Meeting electricity demand in remote communities and non-electrified regions in the poor developing world is a challenge. Power generation is in shortage compared to electricity demand. Electric utilities either would enforce grid's zonal load curtailment or not electrify regions. Controlling electricity demand can play a vital role in enabling electricity access; however, weather uncertainty drives electricity demand variability. This article provides an overview of current demand-side management research, identify research gaps, and propose a more promising approach to enable electricity access. Also, it proposes manipulating appliances models to fit their operation in applications where power supply shortage is an issue. The proposed work considers the effect of the probabilistic nature of weather and meeting AC grid codes of operation.