Analyzing Smart Grid Systems Design Decisions with Dynamic Pricing, Innovation Diffusion, and Policy Control Mechanisms

投资智能电网的开发和实施是加拿大可持续商业支出增长最快的领域之一。从系统的角度来看，零售级智能电网技术由先进的计量基础设施和其他基于信息的技术组成，这些技术使能源供应商能够监控，并在某些情况下实时控制消费者何时以及如何使用和/或为他们的电器、设备和电动汽车充电。由智能电网技术驱动的能源效率系统的经济和环境性能也受到公用事业使用的不同类型的实时定价方案的影响，例如关键峰值定价和使用时间费率；不同类型消费者的创新采用与扩散过程以及政府实施的政策机制，如上网电价补贴。在本研究中，我们计划进行理论和实证分析，并开发决策支持系统来分析智能电网系统的设计决策，重点关注三种技术和相关的智能能效系统：自动抄表，从消费者到公用事业的单向信息流；先进的计量基础设施，智能电表在消费者和公用事业公司之间实现双向信息流动；还有净计量，即所谓的“产消者”和公用事业公司之间的双向信息和能源流动。我们将进行理论和实证分析，以评估和比较这些智能节能系统的经济绩效和生命周期能源消耗，同时考虑到实时定价方案、绿色/非绿色消费者和生产消费者的创新采用和扩散过程以及法规和政策机制等因素。我们还将构建基于仿真的决策支持系统，作为实用工具，为加拿大能源部门智能电网的实施提出有效的私人战略和公共政策。

Investing in the smart grid development and implementation represents one of the fastest growing areas of sustainable business spending in Canada. From the systems perspective, retail-level smart grid technologies consist of advanced metering infrastructures and other information-based technologies which enable energy suppliers to monitor and, in some cases, control in real-time when and how consumers use and/or charge their appliances, equipment, and electric vehicles. The economic and environmental performances of the energy-efficiency systems driven by the smart grid technologies are also impacted by different types of real-time pricing schemes utilized by utilities, such as critical peak pricing and time-of-use rates; the innovation adoption and diffusion processes for different types of consumers; and policy mechanisms, such as feed-in tariff, implemented by governments. In the proposed research, we plan to conduct theoretical and empirical analyses and develop decision support systems to analyze the smart grid systems design decisions with a focus on three technologies and related smart energy-efficiency systems: automated meter reading, with one-way information flow from consumers to utilities; advanced metering infrastructure, with smart meters enabled with two-way information flows between consumers and utilities; and net metering, with two-way information and energy flows between the so-called "prosumers" and utilities. We will conduct theoretical and empirical analyses to evaluate and compare both the economic performance and life-cycle energy consumption of these smart energy-efficiency systems, taking into account factors such as the real-time pricing schemes, the innovation adoption and diffusion processes for green/non-green consumers and prosumers, and the regulations and policy mechanisms. We will also construct simulation-based decision support systems as practical tools to propose effective private strategies and public policies for smart grid implementation in the Canadian energy sector.