Since usually there is one extreme load peak, bearing in mind that a definite quantity of energy (MWh) is going to the consumers what ever the load curve shape is. To what extent is it possible to reshape the daily, monthly, and yearly load curve?
The method used by several Swiss electricity distributors is to charge a higher price at peak hours or season and/or a lower price at low load hours or season. This difference encourage customers to equip themseves with storage or replacement facilities (such as hot water tanks or solar water heater, cold storage in ice tanks, etc.), or to run high power equipment when the load curve is low instead at any time. This needs a special meter, able to count separately the energy at low and high cost. Such meters are commuted from the distribution, also allowing to switch at distance high loads on and off , at distributor's will. For example, electrically heated water taknks are swithched on at night only, and have a capacity large enough to provide hot water the whole day long.
Shiftable appliances can be scheduled to off-peak hours (lower price) to reduce energy consumption cost. I would suggest to read the following paper:
M Erol-Kantarci, HT Mouftah, "Wireless Sensor Networks for Cost-Efficient Residential Energy Management in the Smart Grid", IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, 2011.
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